Terrifying Delirium Can Strike Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Intense breathing problems may be the most widely reported feature of COVID-19, but new research warns that coronavirus can also take aim at the brain.

Infection can trigger serious nerve damage, stroke, inflammation and even wild bouts of delirium.

In fact, a bizarre array of delusions plagued nearly a quarter of the 43 Brit...

U.S. Sees Another Record-Breaking Day of New Coronavirus Cases

States across America reported nearly 60,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, setting yet another daily record as the pandemic tightens its grip on a country struggling to reopen.

The surge has been largely fueled by states in the South and the West that eased their lockdowns early, The New York Times reported.

Sing...

With Social Distancing, Schools Should Be Safe to Reopen This Fall, Experts Say

Kids should be able to safely return to reopened schools this fall, resuming their studies with little risk that they will contribute to the COVID-19 pandemic, some infectious disease experts argue.

The scientific evidence so far indicates that children do not tend to spread the novel coronavirus between themselves, nor do they appear ...

Cold War Antiseptic May Be Valuable Germ Fighter

A nontoxic antiseptic developed in the former Soviet Union may be a valuable weapon for fighting common infections, British researchers say.

The drug, miramistin, was developed for the Soviet Space Program. While little known in the West, it blocks or kills flu, human papillomaviruses (HPV), coronaviruses, adenoviruses and HIV, accord...

'Aerosol Boxes' Meant to Protect COVID Health Teams Might Harm Them: Study

Aerosol boxes meant to protect health care workers when they intubate COVID-19 patients may actually increase their exposure to airborne virus particles, an Australian study warns.

Intubation is done when patients are placed on a ventilator.

Aerosol boxes have been touted as a quick, simple way to protect workers, but their e...

Marijuana, E-Cigarettes Enticing More Young Adults

E-cigarettes and pot may go hand in hand when it comes to young Americans, a new report suggests.

There's been a sharp rise in the use of both among young adults in California, and many of them are underage, the new analysis finds.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, examined state data from 2017 to 20...

Coronavirus Fears Kept Many Essential Workers at Home in April: Study

Many more American workers caring for children, the sick or aged, as well as bus drivers, subway workers and those involved in food production took time off work in April -- probably due to fears of contracting COVID-19, a new government report finds.

In an analysis of federal employment data on work absenteeism from October 2019 until...

'Broken Heart Syndrome' Has Risen During Pandemic: Study

Doctors at one Ohio hospital system have discovered yet another possible consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: More cases of "broken heart syndrome."

The condition -- which doctors call stress cardiomyopathy -- appears similar to a heart attack, with symptoms such as chest pain and breathlessness. But its cause is different: Experts be...

In Many Cases, Hip Replacement Also Eases Back Pain

If you have a bad hip and lower back pain, a new study suggests that hip replacement surgery may solve both issues at once.

Researchers at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City focused on 500 patients who underwent hip replacement surgery and followed up with them one year after the operation.

Over 40% report...

5 Years, No Fatal ODs: Study Finds 'Safe Injection Sites' Can Save Lives

Safe injection sites for users of illicit drugs such as heroin: They've been tried and legalized in countries such as Canada and the Netherlands, and a new study suggests they might save American lives, too.

In the study, published online July 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers analyzed five years of data (201...

Blood Test May Reveal Concussion Severity With Accuracy of Spinal Tap

A simple blood test may predict the severity of a concussion as accurately as an invasive spinal tap, researchers report.

They focused on a biomarker called neurofilament light chain. This nerve protein can be detected in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid when nerve cells are injured or die, according to the study.

"When you...

AHA News: Where Do New Viruses Like the Coronavirus Come From?

Factors smaller than a cell and as large as the planet are at play when a virus leaps from an animal to a human.

The question of how that happened with SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease COVID-19, is crucial for several reasons, said best-selling author and science journalist David Quammen. The answer could help scientists find a vacci...

Trump Threatens School Funding Cuts, New U.S. Coronavirus Cases Top 59,000

With President Donald Trump threatening to cut federal funding for schools that do not fully reopen in the fall, the United States set yet another record for new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with more than 59,000 new infections reported.

It was the fifth national record in nine days, according to The New York Times. At least f...

Ban Menthol Cigarettes, Lower Smoking Rates?

Want to make smoking less attractive to young people? Try taking menthol cigarettes off the market, a new analysis suggests.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned flavors in cigarettes in 2009 because flavors appeal to youth and young adults, and the agency recently announced that it also intends to ban menthol in cigarettes.

Upping Fruit, Veggies, Grain Intake Can Cut Your Diabetes Risk by 25%

Eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods could lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, two new studies suggest.

In one study, researchers looked at more than 9,700 people who developed type 2 diabetes and over 13,600 who didn't. Participants were from eight European countries and part of a long-term cancer and nutrition study.<...

Pandemic Is Changing Addiction Care, for Better and Worse

The COVID-19 pandemic is shaking up America's approach to addiction treatment, but the fallout hasn't been all bad, experts say.

In-person support meetings either aren't happening or have been severely curtailed, and addiction centers are facing financial ruin because folks are too afraid of the coronavirus to seek treatment.

The Long-Term Harm of Missing School

Missing lots of school between kindergarten and eighth grade may have consequences when kids grow up, a new study suggests.

When they reached their early 20s, frequent absentees were less likely to vote and more likely to have economic problems and poor educational outcomes, researchers found.

The results suggest early scho...

Can Probiotics Help Ease Depression?

Probiotic supplements might help ease depression symptoms in some people, a new research review suggests.

Researchers found that across seven small clinical trials, various probiotics seemed to improve symptoms in patients with clinical depression -- at least in the short term.

The studies build on a growing research interest...

Many Cases of 'Penicillin Allergy' Might Be Mistaken

Penicillin allergy is often unconfirmed in hospital patients, meaning many unnecessarily receive other antibiotics that may be less effective and even harmful, a new study finds.

The researchers analyzed records of nearly 11,000 patients at 106 U.S. hospitals and found that 16% of those with a self-reported penicillin allergy were ...

Streetlights Could Be Harming Your Teen's Sleep, Mental Health: Study

New research is suggesting links between street lights, neon signs and other forms of nighttime outside lighting and sleeplessness and mood disorders among teens.

The study of more than 10,000 American kids aged 13 to 18 couldn't prove cause and effect. However, it found that teens living in areas with high levels of artificial outdoor...