Health
Global pollution kills 9 million people a year, study finds
A new study blames pollution of all types for 9 million deaths a year globally, with the death toll attributed to dirty air from cars, trucks and industry rising 55% since 2000. That increase is offset by fewer pollution deaths from primitive indoor stoves and water contaminated with human and… Read
Scientists baffled by monkeypox cases in Europe, U.S.
Scientists who have monitored numerous outbreaks of monkeypox in Africa say they are baffled by the disease's recent spread in Europe and North America. Cases of the smallpox-related disease have previously been seen only among people with links to central and West Africa. But in the past week, Britain, Spain,… Read
Moms seeking baby formula tire of those who say, just breastfeed
As Morgan Fabry drives around Chicago looking for baby formula that is in short supply, she can’t help but be bothered by comments from people who don’t understand why she can’t breastfeed. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life by major medical entities like the World… Read
WHO: China's COVID plan is 'unsustainable' due to Omicron
The head of the World Health Organization says China’s extreme approach to containing the coronavirus is unsustainable because of the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant, but that it’s up to every country to decide what policy to pursue. At a press briefing on Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom… Read
Just how accurate are rapid antigen tests?
As of May 2022, the U.S. is experiencing another uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases. High rates of infection in Europeand Asia, along with the continued emergence of new sub-variants, such as omicron BA.4 and BA.5, raise concerns that another surge could be on the way. Even though demand… Read
In a haze of disinfectant, China struggles with invisible enemy
Leaving a fine mist of disinfectant in their wake, China's hazmat-clad health workers are cleaning homes, roads, parcels and even people -- but more than two years into the pandemic, experts say it is a futile measure against COVID-19. China is tied to a zero-COVID strategy, wielding snap lockdowns, mass… Read
Countries with lower-than-expected vaccination rates show unusually negative attitudes to vaccines
In countries with lower-than-expected COVID-19 vaccination rates, mentions of side effects and negative emotions dominated overall social media discourses on COVID-19 vaccines, according to our new research published in the journal Vaccines. Our team wanted to understand whether the tone of social media conversations around the world matched differing country-level… Read
U.S. 'vulnerable' to COVID without new shots, says White House virus response coordinator
White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr Ashish Jha has issued a dire warning that the U.S. will be increasingly vulnerable to the coronavirus this fall and winter if Congress doesn't swiftly approve new funding for more vaccines and treatments. In an Associated Press interview, Jha said Americans' immune protection from the… Read
U.S. doctors reflect on exhaustion, trauma of one million COVID deaths
Joseph Varon -- who is chief of intensive care at United Memorial, a small hospital that mainly treats minority patients in Houston -- made headlines when a photo of him hugging an elderly COVID patient during Thanksgiving in 2020 went viral. While that man went on to recover, it was… Read
What is fentanyl and why is it behind the deadly surge in U.S. drug overdoses?
Buying drugs on the street is a game of Russian roulette. From Xanax to cocaine, drugs or counterfeit pills purchased in nonmedical settings may contain life-threatening amounts of fentanyl. Physicians like me have seen a rise in unintentional fentanyl use from people buying prescription opioids and other drugs laced, or… Read
