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CDC Advisors Recommend Masks in Hospitals Without Naming Type

Advisors to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have voted to recommend that health providers wear masks during routine care for patients who are thought to be contagious.

Still, health care workers were frustrated that the draft recommendation does not specify what kind of mask should be worn -- loose-fitting surgical masks or fitted, tightly woven N95 masks. 

...

Earthquakes Are Unpredictable: Plan Ahead to Lower the Danger

When an earthquake struck the center of Morocco earlier this month, killing nearly 3,000 and injuring thousands more, no one was expecting it.

That sudden rapid shaking of ground as the rocks underneath the earth shift can happen anywhere, but higher-risk areas in the United States include Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington and the entire Mississippi River Valley....

Anxious Driver? There Are Ways to Ease Your Stress

It's not unusual to experience driving anxiety. Living in cities with heavy traffic, five-lane highways and little public transportation can make it even harder.

A psychologist offers some suggestions for easing those fears.

“One of the biggest challenges centers around anxiety related to the trigger, and that can be exacerbated by a variety of things like weather, traffic or con...

When Cities Get a Pro Sports Team, Flu Deaths Rise

Bringing a professional sports team to a new city often includes a big taxpayer-funded stadium subsidy, but new research shows that has a health downside: a spike in flu deaths.

“Most, if not all, of the sports venues in the cities we studied received direct and/or indirect public financing,” said researcher Brad Humph...

Half of America's Beaches Have Unsafe Pollution Levels: Report

A day at the beach can be fun with family and friends, but water pollution can ruin the experience.

The problem is more widespread than many might think: In a new report, the Environment America Research & Policy Center, a nonprofit organization, found that half of U.S. beaches had potentially unsafe contamination levels in 2022.

Among nearly 3,200 beaches nationwide that were teste...

You've Suffered Whiplash: Know the Symptoms & Treatments

Whiplash — an often underestimated injury that can strike in the aftermath of a collision — inflicts injury and pain on its unsuspecting victims.

If you find yourself grappling with the relentless effects of whiplash, you're not alone. Numerous legal websites estimate that at least 3 million Americans per year sustain whiplash injuries.

Here's what you should know about a whipla...

Illicit Use of Ketamine Keeps Rising in U.S.

Seizures of illicit ketamine by drug enforcement agents have surged throughout the United States, growing 349% from 2017 through 2022, a new study finds.

Rising use of ketamine could increase the likelihood that people who use the drug recreationally may instead get a potentially harmful version of the substance, researchers say.

“This dramatic rise in ketamine seizures by l...

Hurricane Season Starts June 1. Protect Your Family From Carbon Monoxide Dangers

The Atlantic hurricane season in the United States starts June 1, and some dangers might not be immediately obvious: carbon monoxide poisoning, fires and electric shock.

“Hurricanes and major storms in the U.S. have increased in frequency and severity in recent years. This hurricane season may bring widespread destruction that could impact millions of Americans,” said

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • May 22, 2023
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  • Biden Nominates Head of National Cancer Institute to Run NIH

    The U.S. National Institutes of Health could get a new leader in Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, the Boston cancer surgeon who's led the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) since last fall.

    On Monday President Joe Biden formally nominated Bertagnolli to the post, which has be...

    You're More Likely to Die From Guns in a Small Town Than Big City

    Gun deaths in the United States are more likely in small towns than big cities, and suicides are a big reason why.

    Gun suicides are more common than gun homicides, according to a new study. Those suicides have played a large part in the increase in gun deaths over the past few decades.

    “Our study has found that the divide in total intentional firearm deaths between urban and rural...

    USDA Cracks Down on Salmonella in Breaded Stuffed Raw Chicken Products

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to get tougher on Salmonella bacteria found in breaded, stuffed raw chicken products, the agency announced Tuesday.

    About 1.35 million people are infected with Salmonella bacteria each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Almost a quarter of the nation's Salmonella infections are caused by ...

    Biden to Nominate Head of National Cancer Institute to Run NIH

    The U.S. National Institutes of Health could get a new leader in Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, the Boston cancer surgeon who has led the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) since last fall.

    The White House plans to nominate Bertagnolli to the post,...

    Report Finds Big Rise in U.S. Carbon Monoxide Deaths

    A new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reveals deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are increasing in the United States.

    The report looked at carbon monoxide (CO) deaths from 2009 to 2019, finding 250 consumer product-related CO deaths in 2019, more than any other year.

    Generators and other engine-driven tools accounted for the largest percentage ...

    Big Changes Are Coming to U.S. Health Care as Pandemic Emergencies Expire

    Americans received unprecedented access to health care during the pandemic, including hassle-free public insurance and free tests, treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

    Now, they need to prepare for most of that to unwind, experts say.

    “Essentially, Congress and the administration moved to a model of universal health coverage for COVID vaccines, treatments and tests” during the ...

    After Baby Formula Scandal, FDA Announces New Unit Focused on Food Safety

    Stung by recent food safety scandals -- most notably last year's infant formula shortage, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that it is creating a new unit devoted to food safety.

    The newly dubbed Human Foods Program will wield wide-ranging powers.

    "We're proposing the creation of a unified, newly envisioned organization, called the Human Foods Program, that el...

    It's Snow Season: Stay Safe on the Slopes

    Skiiers and snowboarders, take note: You're less likely to get hurt if you ease back into the winter sports season.

    “We see a lot of patients in the After-Hours Clinic (of the department of orthopaedic surgery) on their way back from skiing and snowboarding,” said Dr. Sabrina Sawl...

    Feds Urge Vaccination as 'Tripledemic' Hits More Americans

    Flu, RSV and COVID-19 are creating a perfect storm of respiratory disease that is overwhelming the nation's health care systems.

    Vaccination will be key to getting through the winter holidays with your health intact, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a m...

    Frozen Stuffed Chicken Products & Microwave Ovens: A Recipe for Salmonella

    After repeat U.S. outbreaks of salmonella tied to frozen, breaded and stuffed chicken products, researchers are now pointing to microwave cooking as a key driver of illness.

    Because they're breaded, the popular products — for example, chicken stuffed with broccoli and cheese, chicken cordon bleu, or chicken Kiev — can look cooked. But under that breading the meat is raw, noted researc...

    Monkeypox Renamed MPox Amid Racism Concerns

    Monkeypox still exists, but its name is being phased out over racism concerns.

    For the next year, the terms monkeypox and the new name mpox will be used interchangeably before the virus is permanently renamed mpox, the World Health Organization

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • November 28, 2022
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  • Most Americans Admit to Driving While Drowsy: Poll

    Most people consider drowsy driving dangerous, but an estimated 37 million Americans still get behind the wheel at least once a year when they're so tired they can barely keep their eyes open.

    About six in 10 people admitted to drowsy driving in a new survey by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).

    “Drowsy driving is impaired driving,” said Joseph Dzierzewski, the foundation's vi...

    Along Eastern Seaboard, Hurricanes Getting Bigger, Wetter

    The Atlantic seaboard could be in for faster-forming and wetter hurricanes, new research warns.

    Climate change is the overarching cause, experts say.

    As parts of the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico recover from powerful hurricanes

  • Cara Murez
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  • October 18, 2022
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  • 4.4 Million Americans Have Gotten Updated COVID Boosters

    At least 4.4 million Americans have received the updated COVID-19 booster shot.

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the count Thursday as public health experts decried President Joe Biden's televised claim that "the pandemic is over."

    The White Hous...

    Do Taxes on Soda Really Lower Sugar Intake?

    New research suggests that good intentions may not always be enough when it comes to public health.

    According to the study of the consequences of Philadelphia's 2017 tax on sugar-sweete...

    Deadly 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Looks Like Candy, Could Entice Kids

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning the public that colorfully dyed fentanyl — dubbed "rainbow fentanyl" — is readily available across the United States.

    “Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberat...

    How Worried Should You Be About New Reports on Polio?

    Poliovirus detected in New York City wastewater last week put public health officials on high alert, as it indicates the potentially paralyzing virus is circulating widely in the area.

    But infectious disease experts say there's no need for families of fully vaccinated children to panic.

    "The inactivated p...

    TPOXX Is the Only Monkeypox Treatment -- If You Can Get It

    What if a rare viral illness with the potential to cause excruciating pain was in fact treatable, but the only drug for that use was nearly impossible to get, despite being in plentiful supply?

    That is precisely the dilemma now confronting thousands of monkeypox patients across the United States.

    "I was ...

    Safer Roadways Could Save 540,000 Lives a Year Worldwide

    Traffic accidents kill about 1.35 million people around the world each year.

    As the United Nations convenes a meeting on global road safety, new research suggests that if nations focused on key safety measures, about 540,000 lives a year could be saved.

    "The death toll from traffic injuries around the world is far too high," said study author Dr. Adnan Hyder, a professor at the Milk...

    Many Parents Ignore Fireworks Safety

    Many U.S. parents don't take proper precautions to protect their children from fireworks-related burns and injuries, claims a new survey released just ahead of the Fourth of July.

    The poll of more than 2,000 parents of children ages 3-18 was conducted this spring and found that more than half sa...

    Kids Can Suffer Severe Injuries at Trampoline Parks

    Bouncing on a trampoline is always risky, but kids are more likely to suffer serious injuries at a trampoline center than at home, according to researchers who are calling for mandatory safety standards at the centers.

    U.S. emergency departments treat nearly 100,000 children a year for

  • By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 14, 2022
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  • Feds Warn of Bedrails That Can Entrap; 3 Deaths Reported

    At least three elderly Americans suffocated after getting trapped in Mobility Transfer Systems adult portable bedrails, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says anyone who has the rails should stop using them immediately.

    The

  • By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
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  • June 3, 2022
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  • 1 Dirty Pool, Many Cases of E. Coli: Summer's Swimming Danger

    As the weather warms and families flock to pools, dirty water may dampen the fun.

    Swimmers at a Pennsylvania community pool learned that the hard way when in June 2021 more than a dozen kids were seriously sickened by two types of bacteria, E. coli and

  • Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
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  • May 23, 2022
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  • Mystery of Hepatitis Cases in Kids Deepens as CDC Probe Continues

    Evidence continues to mount that a specific strain of adenovirus could be implicated in a wave of American children who've developed acute hepatitis of unknown origin, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Friday.

    "The evidence is accumulating that there's a role for adenovirus, particularly adenovirus 41," Dr. Jay Butler, the CDC's deputy director for infectious ...

    U.S. Pedestrians Dying at Highest Rate in 40 Years

    U.S. pedestrian deaths in 2021 were the highest in four decades, with an average of 20 deaths every day, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

    An estimated 7,485 pedestrians were killed in 2021, which was 12% more than in 2020, preliminary data show.

    The findings are "heartbreaking and unacceptable," said Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the highway safety ass...

    COVID Rules Don't Apply: Narcissists Shun Masks, Vaccines

    Narcissists' belief that it's 'all about them' can make them less likely to wear a mask or get vaccinated during the pandemic, a new study shows.

    Researchers analyzed data gathered from 1,100 U.S. adults in March 2021. They were asked about their mask use and vaccination views and behaviors, and they also completed assessments to measure their levels of

  • By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
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  • May 16, 2022
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  • Experts Weigh in on CDC's New Forecasting Center for Infectious Diseases

    Back in December, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a detailed briefing to warn public health officials about an emerging COVID variant dubbed Omicron.

    Officials were incredibly specific, said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, predicting that Omicron would enter the United States in four weeks and grow in inte...

    Winter Storms Bring Carbon Monoxide Danger to Homes

    With winter storms roaring through much of the United States this week, millions of Americans may face power outages that could put them at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and fires as they try to keep warm, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns.

    When the power goes out, many people use portable generators or other devices for heat and power, but improper use of such equipme...

    EPA to Restore Rule Limiting Mercury Pollution From Power Plants

    Enforcement of a rule limiting power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants will be resumed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.

    It's the latest move by the Biden administration to reinstate environmental protections lifted by the Trump administration.

    "The science is clear: we must limit mercury and toxic air pollution to protect our kids a...

    Young Americans Lost Almost 1.5 Million Years of Life to Opioids Between 2015 and 2019

    The U.S. drug epidemic continues its death march, with new research showing American teens and young adults have lost nearly 1.5 million years of life due to drug overdose deaths in recent years.

    For the study, the researchers examined years of life lost -- the difference between a person's e...

    Watchdog Group Says HHS Not Ready to Battle Future Health Crises

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is falling down on the job when it comes to dealing with numerous public health crises, a nonpartisan government watchdog said Thursday.

    This includes its communications to the public and healthcare providers, coordinating with federal and state agencies, and managing the medical supply chain, according to a new

  • Cara Murez
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  • January 28, 2022
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  • COVID Restrictions Eased in England

    Numerous COVID restrictions will be dropped in England because government experts believe the Omicron variant "has now peaked nationally," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday.

    As of Jan. 27, COVID-19 passes will no longer be needed to enter large-scale events and the use of face masks in public schools will no longer be required. After that day,

  • Robert Preidt
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  • January 19, 2022
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  • Worried About Omicron? Expert Offers Tips on Going Out Safely

    As the Omicron variant rages across the United States, an expert outlines how to reduce your risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

    Be cautious when it comes to social activities and consider the amount of risk you're willing to accept in order to get together with others, said Dr. Michael Lin, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor at Rush University Medical Center in ...

    New Worry: 'Flurona,' When COVID Meets the Flu

    It's a COVID phenomenon that had, until now, gone relatively unnoticed: You can be infected with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.

    Thanks to the internet, it even has a name -- "flurona." And it will likely happen much more often this particular winter, as the flu season kicks into gear and the highly contagious

  • Serena McNiff HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 10, 2022
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  • Members of Biden's Transition Team Call for New COVID Plan

    Former members of President Joe Biden's transition team are calling for a new long-term strategy that envisions a world in which humans learn to live with the new coronavirus.

    Six former advisers published three opinion articles Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association detailing what ...

    Why It's a Bad Idea to Try to Get COVID

    COVID-19 infection isn't a game, and you shouldn't try to get it on purpose -- not even the supposedly "mild" Omicron variant of the virus.

    It's a high-risk strategy for yourself, for public health and the economy, medical experts agreed.

    "You'd be crazy to try to get infected with this," said Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of the Havey Institute for Global Health at Northwes...

    N95 Masks: A Must-Have With Omicron, But Fakes Abound

    You're watching the Omicron variant race around the world and think it might be time to upgrade your mask to a gold-standard N95 or K-N95 model. A quick search on Google should find you one, right?

    Not so fast, experts say.

    According to Anne Miller, executive director of the nonprofit group Project N95, the masks that offer the most protection are indeed the N95 and the K-N95 -- bot...

    Flavored Vapes Still in Stores Despite Federal Ban

    Kid-friendly flavored e-cigarettes are still widely available online and in stores, despite a federal judge's ruling that should have pulled the products off store shelves by early September, a new report shows.

    The judge's ruling follows on U.S. Food and Drug Administration action that is nearly two years old.

    Citing risks to vulnerable children, the FDA first announced in January...

    Early Strain of COVID-19 Spread Fast Because First Symptom Was Cough: Study

    The COVID virus strain circulating in the United States during the pandemic's first wave spread so fast because it most often started with a cough, according to a new study.

    It's likely that people with that strain -- D614G -- coughed and spread the virus before they were laid low by fever, the most common second symptom of infection, researchers explained.

    "Studying the likely orde...

    How Long Do Lockdowns Keep People at Home?

    Lockdowns keep people home for a few weeks, but they lose their luster after a few months, claims a new study that comes as many countries consider a return to lockdowns to slow the renewed spread of COVID-19.

    The findings could be used by policymakers when deciding whether to impose lockdowns, the research...

    Formaldehyde in the Workplace Tied to Later Brain Issues

    Long-term workplace exposure to formaldehyde may prompt thinking and memory problems later in life, new research suggests.

    Formaldehyde is a gas used in making wood and chemical products and plastics.

    "We know that exposure to formaldehyde has been linked to certain cancers, and our results sugge...

    City Living Is Hotter With Urban 'Heat Penalty'

    Summer can sizzle in the city, but a new report finds urban living is getting hotter than ever before.

    The research shows that city dwellers may be suffering from what scientists call an urban ...