Surveillance testing shown to reduce community COVID-19 spread
Covid-19 is often asymptomatic and can lead infected individuals to spread the disease without knowing it. Yet, regular surveillance testing of a community can catch these cases and prevent outbreaks. In early 2020, Georgia Tech researchers designed a saliva-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test and encouraged community members to test weekly to track the health […]
COVID Vaccine Flops; Heat Wave Threatens West; Hand Sanitizer Vapor Warning
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. Participation award for developing a COVID-19 vaccine candidate goes to CureVac — the German company announced interim trial results and suggested variants were to blame for the 47% efficacy. An extended and potentially lethal heat wave is threatening more than 40 million Americans in western parts […]
What Experts Want Parents To Know About Soaring COVID Hospitalizations In Kids
A record number of children have been hospitalized with COVID-19 amid the ongoing omicron surge. An average of 797 children were admitted to hospitals daily over the past week — double the number from just two weeks ago. And overall pediatric cases continue to climb. Those numbers are a disheartening setback in a pandemic that […]
Freaked Out About ‘Flurona’? Read This Before Panicking.
At every stage in the pandemic, we’ve added new terms to our everyday vocabulary: coronavirus, COVID-19, social distancing, delta, omicron … the list goes on and on. The latest grabbing international headlines is “flurona,” a term that describes people who are infected with both the coronavirus and influenza at the same time. Confirmed cases have […]
U.S. Hits 600K COVID Deaths; Brazil’s Iffy Drug Cocktail; STDs Reach New High
Note that some links may require registration or subscription. As of Wednesday at 8 a.m. EDT, the unofficial U.S. COVID-19 toll reached 33,486,925 cases and 600,287 deaths, up 11,626 cases and 327 deaths from yesterday. And while daily cases and deaths have drastically declined, new and dangerous variants could set back the U.S.’s progress on […]
As Omicron Spreads, Child Hospitalizations Climb 30% in Past Week
Latest Coronavirus News TUESDAY, Dec. 28, 2021 (HealthDay News) Child hospitalizations for COVID-19 jumped 30% this past week as the Omicron variant spread like wildfire throughout the United States. By Dec. 28, the country had an average of 260 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations each day, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers […]
How High Is Breakthrough Infection Risk for People With Arthritis, HIV?
Among immunocompromised individuals vaccinated against COVID-19, solid organ transplant recipients as well as those with HIV and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were significantly more likely to experience breakthrough infections versus people without immune dysfunction, a retrospective study found. In a national database analysis involving over 650,000 people who received at least one vaccine dose, the highest […]
22 Tiny Mental Health Habits That Can Improve Your Life In 2022
Another roller coaster year is coming to an end, and the lingering effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have certainly taken a collective toll on our mental health. There’s no way to know what 2022 has in store for us, nor can self-care erase the grief, trauma or other challenges we may have endured over […]
Is Your Immune System Stronger After COVID-19?
Developing COVID-19 immunity A robust immune system protects you from getting sick following exposure to germs and viruses. Many people wonder if COVID-19 strengthens your immune system. The short answer is yes. Learn more about how recovering from COVID-19 makes your immune system stronger. Any time you catch a virus and recover from the illness, […]
Are Nurse Staffing Agencies Overcharging Hospitals?
A group of U.S. senators and representatives penned a letter to the COVID-19 Response Team and other agencies on Wednesday, urging them to investigate allegations of overpricing by nurse staffing agencies relied on to fill gaps in hospital staffing during the pandemic. In the letter, Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), and […]