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Insurance Often Covers Ivermectin for COVID, Even Though Drug Doesn't Work

U.S. insurers are paying millions of dollars a year to cover the cost of ivermectin for COVID-19 patients despite a lack of proof the anti-parasitic drug is effective against the virus, a new study finds.

Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization say ivermectin pills — typically used to treat parasitic...

COVID Fatigue: Are You Among the 'Vaxxed & Done'?

You've gotten vaccinated. You've gotten boosted. You wear your mask, maintain social distancing, wash your hands — you do everything you've been asked to do to protect yourself and others.

And you are completely fed up.

If that description sounds like you, you might be part of a contingent of people who consider themselves "vaxxed ...

COVAX Program Has Now Sent 1 Billion COVID Vaccines to Poorer Nations

The latest shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Rwanda this weekend signaled a noteworthy achievement: The COVAX program, a United Nations-backed program providing poorer countries with vaccines, has now shipped one billion of the doses to combat the coronavirus in 144 countries.

But still, that "is only a reminder of the work tha...

AHA News: Transplanting Pig Hearts Into Humans Offers Promise – and Peril

Surgeons recently transplanted a genetically modified pig's heart into a man with life-threatening heart failure. The successful surgery became a medical first that is raising hopes of a new, viable alternative for people at risk of dying before limited human cadaver hearts become available and for those too sick or ineligible for human heart tr...

Carbon Monoxide Deaths Soar During Power Outages

MONDAY, Jan. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Power outages are becoming more frequent in the United States, and a new study highlights one consequence of prolonged blackouts: carbon monoxide poisonings.

Looking at major U.S. power outages between 2007 and 2018, researchers found that carbon monoxide poisonings spiked during...

CBD and Cannabis Products for Acne, Psoriasis? Buyer Beware, Dermatologists Say

MONDAY, Jan. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Growing numbers of folks are turning to CBD or cannabis products to treat skin conditions like acne or rosacea, but researchers warn that the science on their safety and power hasn't kept up with demand.

When more than 500 adults were asked about their use of CBD (cannabidiol) or...

COVID Cases Surge Again in U.S. Nursing Homes

Residents of nursing homes have been a particularly at-risk group throughout the pandemic, and the advent of the fast-spreading Omicron variant has them facing another wave of infections and deaths, new data shows.

During the week ending Jan. 9, U.S. nursing homes reported more than 32,000 COVID-19 cases and 645 deaths among its residents,...

Astronauts at Risk of 'Space Anemia'

Astronauts can develop a condition called space anemia because their bodies destroy more red blood cells than normal when in space, a groundbreaking study shows.

Assessments of 14 astronauts over six months between space missions found that 54% more blood cells were destroyed while they were in space than when they were on Earth, according...

CDC Study Shows Power of Flu Vaccine for Kids

Flu vaccines protect children against serious illness, even when the vaccine doesn't match the circulating flu virus, according to a new study that reinforces the importance of flu shots.

Flu viruses are constantly changing, and the effectiveness of flu vaccines can be influenced by the similarity between the viruses used in vaccine produ...

Why Quitting Smoking Might Be a Bit Tougher for Women

Quitting smoking is a daunting challenge for anyone, but a new international study suggests that women may struggle more than men to kick the habit.

Women were less likely than men to be successful on their first day of trying to quit, a critical predictor of long-term success, researchers found, although the team also discovered that larg...

Baby's Feeding Troubles Tied to Later Developmental Delays

Parents struggling with infant feeding issues may have another reason to persevere: New research ties feeding problems with an increased risk of developmental delays.

For the study, the mothers of nearly 3,600 children were surveyed about feeding problems at 18, 24 and 30 months of age, such as gagging, crying during meals or pushing food ...

CDC Advises N95s as Best Masks Against Coronavirus

The time to upgrade your mask is now.

In a departure from its prior advice on face masks, new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges properly fitted N95 or KN95 masks as the best protection against COVID-19, rather than cloth masks.

Early in the pandemic, supply shortages of the N95 and KN95 masks led to p...

Don't Snow Shovel Your Way to a Heart Attack

Shoveling snow may trigger a heart attack if you're not careful, especially if you already have risk factors, an expert warns.

The combination of shoveling and cold weather can cause your arteries to spasm and constrict, explained Dr. Sam Kazziha, chief of cardiovascular services at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Detroit.

"During the ...

You Don't Have to Be a Smoker to Get Lung Cancer

Think you're safe from lung cancer because you've never smoked? Think again.

While cigarette smoking is the main cause of lung cancer, it's possible to get the disease without ever lighting up.

"Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer," said Dr. Missak Haigentz Jr., chief of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology at Rutgers Cance...

Skipping COVID Vaccine in Pregnancy Brings Big Risks to Mothers, Babies

FRIDAY, Jan. 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Unvaccinated pregnant women are putting themselves and their baby at risk for serious complications of COVID-19, according to new research out of Scotland.

For women who have the virus within 28 days of their delivery date, those complications include preterm births, stillbirths ...

Amid U.S. Blood Shortage, New Pressure to Ease Donor Rules for Gay Men

A three-month sexual abstinence rule for blood donations from sexually active gay and bisexual men should be dropped by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, critics urge as the country struggles with a blood shortage.

Right now, based on the slight chance of infection with HIV, men who have sex with men must abstain from sex with other m...

Could Face Masks Make You Better-Looking?

Want to look more alluring? Wear a mask.

Really.

That's the takeaway from Welsh researchers who found that masking up may make men look more attractive to the opposite sex and that some kinds of masks do a better job of this than others.

“Research carried out before the pandemic found medical face masks reduce attractivene...

AHA News: Today's Hot Topic: Should You Let Chile Peppers Spice Up Your Meals?

For thousands of years, people have picked up chile peppers to provide their diets with pizazz.

There's no doubt chile peppers are packed with flavor. They also provide a little fiber without salt, sugar, saturated fat or many calories, said professor Linda Van Horn, chief of the nutrition division at Northwestern University's Feinberg Sch...

Could the 'Mono' Virus Help Trigger Multiple Sclerosis?

For years, researchers have suspected that the Epstein-Barr virus, best known for causing mononucleois, might also play a role in triggering multiple sclerosis. Now a new study strengthens the case.

The study, of more than 10 million U.S. military personnel, found the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) shot up 32-fold after infecti...

Supreme Court Blocks Biden's Vaccine Mandate for Large Employers

The Biden administration can't enforce a vaccine-or-testing mandate for large employers, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

The 6-3 decision was driven by the conservative majority on the court.

The mandate was a crucial component of the White House's plan to tackle the COVID pandemic as cases skyrocket due to the Omicron variant...