Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. COVID-19 deaths are beginning to plateau in the US, adding another promising sign that the latest coronavirus surge has peaked. The 7-day average of daily deaths has hovered around 2000 for more than a week and dropped below 1900 on Thursday.
Month: October 2021
Eleven years ago this month, the scans and exams that hold the most power to spot the early signs of cancer became available for free to many American adults. Now, two new studies show that when those screening tests reveal potentially troubling signs, patients could face hundreds of dollars in costs for follow-up tests. The
Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine an update from Federal officials on efforts to combat COVID-19 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on May 11, 2021 in Washington, DC. Jim
Adults over age 40 with type 1 diabetes (T1D) faced more severe COVID-19 outcomes, including a higher risk of hospitalization and death, compared with children and young adults with the condition. “These findings indicate the need for age-tailored treatments, immunization, and clinical management of individuals affected by type 1 diabetes and COVID-19,” said the study’s
Researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), and Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine identified a previously unknown condition affecting children, which they discovered could be prevented by administering a drug during pregnancy. Through a worldwide collaboration, the researchers identified children from Egypt, India, United Arab Emirates,
Going through chemotherapy can be one of the most difficult things to experience. Along with all of the awful side effects like increased risk for bruising, bleeding, infection, and fatigue, it also causes patients to lose their hair. When chemo causes hair loss, it often falls out in uneven, unsightly clumps. It can be devastating,
Depression forced Andy out of the teaching career he’d enjoyed for years. Then a challenge from a friend revealed a hidden talent – and opened a door to a new life After seven mental breakdowns in 16 years, what have I learned? That the lows can be crushing; but that there is also an amazing
Judy C. Washington, MD, a mentor of many young academic family physicians, particularly underrepresented-in-medicine (URM) physicians, advises her mentees on how to see ahead and plot paths to leadership. For URM physicians, she also imparts a shared experience of being a minority in the field and helps prepare them for the challenges of facing racism
As tampon brand Lil-Lets announce they’re ditching plastic packaging for good, we speak to the activist who inspired the move, and delve into tips for positive change In the UK, it’s estimated that tampons, pads, and applicators generate approximately 200,000 tonnes of waste every year – to put that into perspective, that’s about seven and
Linked-color imaging (LCI) significantly increases the detection of adenomas in screening colonoscopies compared to white-light imaging (WLI) and blue-laser imaging (BLI)–bright, according to data from 205 adults who underwent screening colonoscopies. LCI is a relatively new image-enhancement method designed to better identify adenomatous lesions by increasing the contrast of the mucosal surface, wrote Carlos E.O.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners launched the first ever global strategy to defeat meningitis – a debilitating disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people each year. By 2030, the goals are to eliminate epidemics of bacterial meningitis – the most deadly form of the disease – and to reduce deaths by
Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos Inc., left, arrives at federal court in San Jose, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. Davie Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images SAN JOSE, CALIF. — A former lab director at Theranos acknowledged on Friday that he had plenty of opportunities to address his concerns about the company’s
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to push everyone, especially frontline healthcare workers, well beyond the brink. Nurses have been exposed to the most trying and difficult predicaments related to the coronavirus, and the stress has taken its toll. During the most recent surge of cases, rural hospitals across the country have resorted to extraordinary lengths to
With prevalence of developmental disorders on the rise, the need to understand brain development has never been more critical. Development of the brain is strongly influenced by the cranium, but this relationship has not been adequately studied because of limitations in imaging technology. Now, researchers from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Children’s National Hospital are
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used by many women to help address symptoms associated with menopause. There are several different types of HRT, but a new study out of the United Kingdom finds that for the most part, none of them increase your risk of dementia. A team led by researchers from the University of
If you have it, you probably don’t need the statistics to tell you that chronic pain is common, affecting at least 50 million U.S. adults, and so you have plenty of company. What you might need are facts – and better ways – to help you cope and to talk more productively with your doctor
Starting something from scratch holds so much potential – for growth, enjoyment, exploration… and nerves. But don’t let a fear of failure put a stop to your love of learning Whether learning a language or penning poetry, there are lots of opportunities to develop fresh skills. But alongside the excitement of starting something new can
Patients who have myocardial infarction (MI) ruled out in the emergency department but still have intermediate high-sensitivity cardiac troponin concentrations are three times more likely to have coronary artery disease (CAD) than patients who are ruled out with low troponin concentrations, a new study shows. The finding suggests that high-sensitivity cardiac troponin could help select
Rachel Bambrough, Founder of Sup4, talks about stand up paddleboarding, moving for mobility and the joy being on the water brings her, at Wellbeing by the Lakes festival SUP (stand up paddleboarding) is an activity that has increased in popularity over the past few years, as more and more people find themselves drawn to the
Even with three highly effective vaccines available in abundance throughout the country, the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 continues to cause a large number of new infections, particularly in states where vaccination rates remain low. What’s more, as schools and businesses reopen and the holiday season approaches, another rise in infections may be on the way.
A new rule on surprise medical bills drew sharp criticism from physician and hospital groups for its tilt in favor of using previously established payment rates as a benchmark, but organizations representing insurers, consumers, and large employers praised this approach. The Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) joined other federal agencies on Thursday in
A promising study shows that a combination of two monoclonal antibodies effectively neutralized the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in monkeys and proved efficacious against newer variants of concern in vitro. This could help develop preventive pharmacological measures against the spread of the virus to susceptible contacts. Study: A combination of two human
Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) startup DeepMind. Jeon Heon-Kyun | Getty Images LONDON — Alphabet’s Google and sister firm DeepMind are facing legal action for the way in which they obtained and processed over a million patient health records without consent in the U.K. British law firm Mishcon de Reya told CNBC
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. Merck said its investigational oral drug for COVID-19, molnupiravir, reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 50% in a phase III trial of outpatients with mild to moderate disease. An estimated 2 million middle school and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2021, with 85%
Hello and welcome Fall, it’s nice to see you again! This time of year brings a bounty of delicious produce and today’s feature is all about a fall favorite: apples – a versatile and nutritious fruit! Let’s take a look: Fun and Fast Facts Did you know? Pennsylvania produces 400-500 million pounds of apples per
Adolescents can speed their recovery after a sport-related concussion and reduce their risk of experiencing protracted recovery if they engage in aerobic exercise within 10 days of getting injured, according to a new University at Buffalo study. Published Sept. 30 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, the randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers at
Cancer is one of the hardest things to go through. When kids are involved, it’s even more heartbreaking. When a child receives a diagnosis, not only do their families have to go through it with them but their friends do as well. For a young boy in Brazil named Davi, he was diagnosed with cancer
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of the drug selpercatinib (Retevmo) for some people in England with a type of advanced thyroid cancer. The drug is now available through the Cancer Drugs Fund, which helps provide access to promising new treatments, as an option for patients with advanced