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Watchdog: As Pandemic Grinds On, Health Agency Remains Ill-Prepared for Public Crises
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has "persistent deficiencies" in its ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies, the U.S. congressional watchdog warned in a report released on Thursday, citing concerns raised by the COVID-19...
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New Study Finds Merck Cancer Drug Keytruda May Target HIV
Researchers studying Merck & Co Inc's cancer drug Keytruda for HIV patients who also have cancer say the immunotherapy may help displace the virus from human immune cells, offering an intriguing area of study for treatment of chronic HIV infection.Antiretroviral treatments...
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How COVID Testing, Isolation Will Work at Olympics
Athletes and others headed to the Olympics face a multitude of COVID-19 testing hurdles as organizers seek to catch any infections early and keep the virus at bay. A positive test could mean athletes sitting out the Beijing Games - perhaps even if they're no longer...
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Booster Shot Cuts Omicron Death Risk by 95 Percent: UK Study
COVID-19 boosters increase protection against death from the omicron variant to 95% in people aged 50 or over, the UK Health Security Agency said on Thursday. The UKHSA said that around six months after a second dose of any of the COVID-19 vaccines, protection against death...
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Vitamin D Supplements Reduced Risk of Developing Autoimmune Disease: Study
Taking vitamin D supplements may help stave off psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune diseases, a new study suggests. Previous research has hinted at this connection, but the new study is the first randomized controlled trial to look at what happens...
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More Berries, Red Wine in Diet Might Slow Parkinson's Progression
Red wine may be a guilty pleasure, but new research shows it might also be a powerful weapon against the ravages of Parkinson's disease. Why? The antioxidants in red wine, and fruit such as berries for that matter, might slow progression of the movement disorder, a new study...
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Most Americans Think COVID Will Never Go Away: Poll
Early in the pandemic, Ryan Wilson was careful to take precautions - wearing a mask, not really socializing, doing more of his shopping online. The 38-year-old father and seafood butcher from Casselberry, Florida, says he relaxed a bit after getting vaccinated last year. He...
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Omicron Subvariant Appears More Contagious, But Not More Severe
The BA.2 subvariant of the omicron coronavirus variant, which is dominant in Denmark, appears more contagious than the more common BA.1 sub-lineage, Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said on Wednesday in a national address. "There is no evidence that the BA.2 variant...
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Moderna Begins Trial to Test Omicron-Specific Booster Shot
Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it had started a mid-stage study, testing a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine specifically designed to target the omicron coronavirus variant, a day after rival Pfizer Inc launched a similar trial. The company said while a third shot of its...
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Volunteers Will Catch COVID to Determine How Much Virus Triggers Infection
The world's first medical trial authorized to deliberately expose participants to the coronavirus is seeking more volunteers as it steps up efforts to help develop better vaccines.The Oxford University trial was launched last April, three months after Britain became the...
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Fat Injections Effective Against Plantar Fasciitis Pain: Study
Belly fat is usually unwelcome, but new research suggests it may actually be good for something: relief from foot pain. A small pilot study suggests that an injection of a patient's own fat cells can help ease the often-excruciating heel pain brought on by a condition known...
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Medicare Now Posts Key Nursing Home Staffing Info for Consumers
Shining a light on key markers for nursing home quality, Medicare said Wednesday it is now posting details on staff turnover and weekend nurse coverage on its "Care Compare" website, where families can research a facility. The move by the Biden administration comes as...
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5 Common Causes of Ear Pain
Ear pain can be extremely uncomfortable, as any sufferer knows, and you may be surprised to find that the discomfort often originates in areas other than the ear. Infections are frequently the cause of ear pain in children, but in older folks it may not be the case. "Most...
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Just 10 More Minutes of Exercise Daily Lowers Risk for Death by 7 Percent
Americans, get up out of that chair and get moving.If everyone between 40 and 85 years of age were active just 10 minutes more a day, it could save more than 110,000 U.S. lives a year, a large study reports."Our projections are based on an additional 10 minutes of moderate...
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The 'Stealth' Version of Omicron Has Hit the US
Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States. This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered...
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COVID-19 Booster Drive Is Faltering in the US
The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious omicron variant.Just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster...
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Keeping Weight Stable as You Age Could Help Save Your Brain
Older adults who maintain a steady weight as they age are less likely to experience rapid cognitive decline, regardless of how much they weigh to start, new research suggests. "There's something about maintaining weight and BMI that seems to reflect some health resilience,"...
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Fauci: 'Prudent' to Have Omicron Vaccine, But May Not be Needed
A COVID-19 vaccine specifically targeting the omicron variant would be "prudent" even if it ultimately may not be needed, the top U.S. infectious disease official said on Tuesday as Pfizer announced trials for such a vaccine. "It makes sense to think in terms of at least...
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Study: 2,000 Additional Steps Daily May Cut Diabetes Risk by 12 Percent
When older people cut back on physical activity, their risk of type 2 diabetes rises. But walking regularly can help, a new study suggests. The more steps you take - and the more intensely you walk - the lower your odds for type 2 diabetes, researchers found. To assess the...
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Where to Get Your Free N95 Masks
The distribution of free N95 masks for Americans has begun, the Biden administration said Monday. "Last week, masks began shipping and arriving at pharmacies and grocers around [the] country. We expect that throughout the week the number of stores and N95s arriving to scale...
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BioNTech: Regulatory Requirements May Delay Omicron Shot Launch to After March
BioNTech said it and partner Pfizer may not be able to stick with their plan to launch an omicron-targeting vaccine by the end of March, depending on how much clinical trial data regulators will require. "Regulatory requirements are currently under discussion with the...
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Israel's Expert Panel Advises 4th Vaccine Dose for All Adults
An expert panel on Tuesday advised the Israeli government to begin offering a fourth vaccine dose to everyone over the age of 18, citing research showing it helps prevent COVID-19 infection and severe illness. The advisory committee said research shows a fourth dose provides...
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US COVID Cases Peak, But Loss and Deaths Rise
Even as COVID-19 cases drop and hospitalizations show signs of plateauing in hard-hit pockets of the United States, the still-rising death toll from the omicron variant highlights the trail of loss that follows every virus surge. Coronavirus deaths hit an 11-month high on...
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Cannabis Compound CBD Stops Coronavirus in Test Tube, but Can It Treat COVID?
Early research suggesting that a popular non-psychoactive compound derived from marijuana might help prevent or treat COVID-19 warrants further investigation in rigorous clinical trials, researchers say. Several recent laboratory studies of cannabidiol, or CBD, have shown...
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Pfizer Begins Study of COVID Shots Updated to Match Omicron
Pfizer has begun a study comparing its original COVID-19 vaccine with doses specially tweaked to match the hugely contagious omicron variant.Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday. COVID-19 vaccine makers have been updating their shots to better match...