News

A small demographic may have the key to better understanding how humans are at risk for a COVID-19 infection. Scientists are now looking into a group of people who never contracted the novel coronavirus throughout the pandemic despite the emergence of more transmissible variants.  COVID Resistance Around one in ten people in England seemingly have

This year’s bird flu outbreak is ravaging the wild bird population, including a high population of bald eagles, according to an assessment of several wildlife monitoring groups, the Associated Press reports. The US Department of Agriculture has confirmed 956 cases of bird flu in wild birds across 34 states, including at least 54 bald eagles.

Risks of long COVID symptoms and the incidence of new onset hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease were lower among vaccinated patients with breakthrough infection versus those with COVID who were unvaccinated, a large analysis of medical records in the U.S. suggested. Compared to those who were unvaccinated, relative risks were 0.33 for hypertension (95% CI

As different variants and subvariants continue to emerge, a leading scientist believes the next step is to create a vaccine that stops transmissions. Sir John Bell, who served as a member UK vaccine task force that worked on the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, revealed scientists need to turn their focus to stopping the spread since the

We already have smartwatches and fitness trackers that can tell us things about our bodies like how many steps we take a day, how well we sleep at night, and whether our blood pressure is in a healthy range. Now, scientists are doing experiments to see whether sensors might be added to wearables to tell

DENVER, Colorado — White, non-Hispanic people get more injections than people of other races and ethnicities to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), according to an analysis of a large database analysis. Black, Asian, and Hispanic people in the study were more likely than White people to receive “insufficient” treatment, according to the definition used

“I’ve been verbally and physically assaulted more times in my 12-year career as a nurse than in my 10 years in law enforcement.” — Todd Haines, RN, BSN, state council president for the Tennessee Emergency Nurses Association, on the threats and physical assaults healthcare workers encounter on the job. “It’s going to impact everything —

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today warned clinicians of a potential risk for patient exposure to toxic compounds associated with the use of certain models of hemodialysis machines marketed by Fresenius Medical Care. A letter sent by the agency said the dialysis units involved are models 2008T, 2008K, and 2008K2. The 2008K and

An at-home investigational device is a promising noninvasive therapeutic approach for anxiety disorders, results from an open-label pilot trial suggest. The small study showed users of the Mechanical Affective Touch Therapy (MATT) had improved anxiety and depression symptoms, which corresponded to positive changes in alpha and theta oscillatory activity. Dr Linda Carpenter “MATT is part

The 24-hour news cycle is just as important to medicine as it is to politics, finance, or sports. At MedPage Today, new information is posted daily, but keeping up can be a challenge. As an aid for our readers, here is a 10-question quiz based on the news of the week. Topics include Columbia University’s

As the fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose has started to roll out in more countries, doubts remain on whether or not the extra jab would be necessary. Experts are torn, with the World Health Organization still skeptical about its recommendation.  Extended Protection The fourth dose is intended to extend the protection the COVID-19 vaccines provide. The

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now investigating 109 cases of unexplained pediatric hepatitis cases in 25 US states and territories, the public health agency said today. Nearly all the children (90%) required hospitalization and 14% needed a liver transplant. While the majority of affected children have recovered, officials said, there have been

The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak, has caused more deaths among vaccinated and boosted people. Rising Fatilities In Vaccinated People A Washington Post analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that COVID fatalities among the vaccinated individuals rose during the omicron wave. In

At least 228 probable cases of severe hepatitis in children have been reported across 20 countries worldwide, according to the World Health Organization on May 4. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating 109 cases of pediatric hepatitis of unknown cause, the public health agency announced May 6.

More needs to be done to help Medicare beneficiaries — especially low-income beneficiaries — navigate their participation in the program, several experts said Friday. “Low-income Medicare beneficiaries navigate complex and fragmented sources of insurance coverage … not just within Medicare, between the choice of a Medicare Advantage plan or traditional Medicare, but also from the

An elderly woman has become the first fatality of a COVID-19 and influenza combination in Australia. The unvaccinated 90-year-old from Victoria died in January after catching the coronavirus and the flu at the same time, a condition that has been dubbed “flurona,” News.com.au reported. She was among the six people in the state who contracted

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. Background A multicenter study looked into brain hypometabolism detected by PET scans done on patients who had had SARS-CoV-2 infection and were referred for suspected neurologic long COVID. Almost half of the scans were interpreted as abnormal, with more than a quarter

Many parents prefer “eco-friendly” products for their children, but are such products really free of potentially harmful chemicals? A team of researchers has now found that many of these “green” products actually contain toxic substances.  PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are a large group of chemicals that are widely used in the manufacturing of many products we use

The difference between a stroke patient’s brain age and chronologic age may help clinicians predict which patients are likely to have worse outcomes, a new study found. Stroke patients with a higher relative brain age (RBA), as measured by MRI, had significantly worse functional outcomes after an ischemic stroke than patients with a lower RBA.

Let me begin by stating some basic emerging facts: COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in combating COVID-associated mortality COVID-19 vaccines may reduce the risk of getting long COVID by 50% Of all people who get infected with COVID-19 after vaccination, 15-30% will develop long COVID There is no sufficient evidence to show COVID-19 vaccines help

The first three coronavirus vaccines earned Emergency Use Authorization more than a year ago. To date, no other vaccines have been put into use in the U.S – but that will soon change. More than 40 vaccines are undergoing clinical trials in the U.S., employing a number of different approaches to protecting people from the

CHICAGO – Geno Merli, MD, associate chief medical officer at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, and long-time hospital medicine expert, recalled a recent situation at his center, during a panel discussion. It involved a 70-year-old man who had a history of prostate cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, and hernias. In January, he had a surgery for

Just how important are diapers to your children’s sleep? In a new study, a team of researchers has found that children whose families can’t always afford diapers tend to have disrupted sleep. Sleep is important for people of all ages. In toddlers, for instance, it is critical in helping promote brain development, learning and memory, the researchers

Denver, CO — A citrus-extract spray (Oftasecur) could reduce the risk for endophthalmitis from intravitreal injections and cataract surgery, researchers say. After patients sprayed their eyes at home, researchers measured a reduction in bacteria often associated with the infections. The citrus extract could be used in addition to iodopovidone, the antiseptic currently applied at the

A plant-based vaccine developed in Canada and a protein subunit vaccine from China proved safe and effective against symptomatic COVID-19, a pair of phase III trials found. The two-dose plant-based vaccine, a combination of coronavirus-like particles in plants plus an adjuvant, showed 69.5% efficacy (95% CI 56.7-78.8) against any symptomatic disease caused by five pre-Omicron

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. COVID-19 worsens asthma in children Asthma in children may worsen after an infection with the coronavirus, doctors warn. They studied nearly 62,000 U.S.

Dr Kwandaa Roberts In the late evening, golden rings of light illuminate the exposed beams and smooth white ceiling plane of Dr Kwandaa Roberts’ Spanish Colonial kitchen. The navy lacquered cabinets and honed Carrara marble countertops gleam softly beneath the brass pendant lights. Complete with black and white checkerboard floors, one ornately arched doorway, and

Amid the worldwide efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible during the pandemic, Denmark has decided to destroy 1.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.  Danish health officials announced this week that they would discard millions of vaccines in the coming weeks because they are close to expiring. They said the units were already