THURSDAY, Dec. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — There may be a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, with U.S. health officials reporting an “unprecedented” decline in teens’ use of alcohol, marijuana, other illegal drugs and vaping. “We have never seen such dramatic decreases in drug use among teens in justContinue Reading
Canine companions helped folks cope with the pandemic. A new study of 1,500 people shows living with a dog gave individuals a stronger sense of social support and eased some of the negative psychological effects of the pandemic. Read more CDC panel to vote on continued use of J&J COVIDContinue Reading
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Kids with severe epilepsy may take multiple medications and follow special diets, yet still suffer seizures. Now a small study suggests medical marijuana may sometimes help when other therapies fail. British researchers found that medical pot slashed seizures by almost 90% and reducedContinue Reading
Omicron could trigger big surge in infections by January. A sevenfold spike in Omicron prevalence in just one week could portend a worst-case scenario where a huge wave of infections swamps U.S. hospitals as soon as next month, the CDC warns. Read more Many Medicare recipients are falling into medicalContinue Reading
Pfizer’s antiviral pill could greatly reduce severe COVID. Paxlovid cut hospitalizations and deaths by nearly 90 percent when taken within three to five days after the start of symptoms, the company said, and preliminary lab studies also suggest the drug will hold up against the Omicron variant. Read more PandemicContinue Reading
First real-world studies into vaccine effectiveness against Omicron. The ability of two-dose COVID-19 vaccines to protect against symptomatic infection by the Omicron variant falls significantly short, British research shows, but a booster shot provides considerable protection. Read more Despite rule, many hospitals aren’t disclosing prices online. More than half ofContinue Reading
Potent new antivirals may hold steady against Omicron. New antiviral pills developed by Merck and Pfizer are expected to remain effective against the mutation-heavy variant, because they interfere with the ability of the coronavirus to replicate itself rather than its ability to infect human cells, experts say. Read more HopeContinue Reading
200 million Americans now vaccinated against COVID-19. The United States reached the milestone Wednesday, but that news comes as infections spike yet again. Read more Shortness of breath in ‘long COVID’ may point to heart damage. One year after leaving the hospital, 35% of recovering COVID patients still experienced theContinue Reading
TUESDAY, Dec. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Many folks turn to pot to help them relax and get a good night’s sleep, but new research finds the practice may do the exact opposite. “I think [the results] were somewhat surprising because, in our mind, anecdotally cannabis seems to help withContinue Reading
Biden touts reductions in prescription drug prices in new bill. As part of a $2 trillion bill currently before Congress, the Biden Administration aims to mandate price caps on 10 widely used drugs, including a limit of $35 as a monthly co-pay for insulin. The pharmaceutical industry is lobbying hardContinue Reading