U.S. COVID Death Toll Hits 200,000 as Cases Climb in 22 States

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2020 (Healthday News) -- The U.S. coronavirus death toll reached the tragic milestone of 200,000 on Tuesday, with at least 22 states now reporting a rise in new cases.

Just last Monday, only nine states were reporting increases in new COVID-19 cases, CNN reported. For the most part, the case spikes are showi...

Could Zinc Help Fight COVID-19?

Millions of Americans pop zinc supplements at the first sign of the common cold. Now, new research suggests the nutrient might play a role in COVID-19 outcomes, too.

Researchers from Spain reporting at a European coronavirus conference found that hospitalized COVID-19 patients with low blood levels of zinc tended to fare worse than tho...

Had a Heart Attack? Resuming Sex Soon After Might Be Healthy

Many heart attack survivors worry that resuming sex too soon afterwards might trigger another attack. But new research suggests the opposite may be true.

Research out of Israel finds that resuming a normal sex life in the months after a heart attack may actually boost survival.

Lead researcher Yariv Gerber believes part of t...

Singing Without a Face Mask Can Spread COVID-19

If you sing indoors without a face mask, you run the risk of spreading COVID-19 through tiny airborne particles known as aerosols.

That's the conclusion researchers reached after studying a choir practice.

In Skagit Valley, Wash., one person with mild symptoms of COVID-19 attended a 2.5-hour-long indoor choir practice on Ma...

Many Health Care Workers Who Have Coronavirus Don't Have Symptoms: Study

Four in 10 health care workers who test positive for COVID-19 don't have symptoms, which means they could unknowingly spread the disease to co-workers and patients, researchers say.

For the new study, the research team reviewed 97 studies that included more than 230,000 health care workers in 24 countries. Rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection...

4 Out of 5 People With COVID-19 Will Develop Symptoms: Study

Folks shrugging off the risk of COVID-19 because they don't think the virus will do them much harm might want to think again.

As many as four out of five people infected with the new coronavirus likely will suffer some symptoms of COVID-19, a new analysis shows.

Only about 20% of infected people remain symptom-free while ...

Teens Aren't Turning to E-Cigarettes to Quit Smoking

Most teens who vape aren't looking to quit smoking, a new study of Twitter suggests.

This finding belies Juul's claim that its e-cigarette is improving smokers' lives, the researchers said.

For the study, researchers analyzed more than 4,000 tweets and found that only 1% of Twitter users mentioned Juul as a way to stop ...

Certain Cancer Treatments May Heighten Danger From COVID-19

People with cancer are at increased risk for severe COVID-19. Now, a preliminary study suggests that certain cancer therapies may heighten those odds even further.

Researchers found that of 3,600 U.S. cancer patients who contracted COVID-19, the highest risk of death was among those who'd received cancer treatment within the past three...

Sleep Builds the Brain in the Early Years, Then Maintains It

For the very young, sleep builds and strengthens the brain, but it quickly switches to maintenance and repair before a child turns 3, new research shows.

Before about the age of 2½, the brain grows rapidly. And during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep a baby's brain builds and strengthens synapses, which connect neurons to each other...

Baby's Heart Rate Reflects Mom's Mental Health

Babies of mothers with anxiety or depression can have significantly higher heart rates than normal, a new study finds.

And this might put them at risk for long-term problems, researchers say.

Mother-infant interaction plays a crucial role in children's healthy development, but moms with depression, anxiety or postnatal depres...

Minorities Hit Hardest When COVID Strikes Nursing Homes

Minority residents of U.S. nursing homes and assisted living communities have been especially hard hit in the coronavirus pandemic, two University of Rochester studies show.

The first found that nursing homes with higher percentages of racial and ethnic minority residents reported two to four times more new COVID-19 cases and deaths co...

Avoid the 'Twindemic:' Get Your Flu Shot Now

The best time to get your flu shot is now if you want to protect yourself against a potential "twindemic" infection of influenza and COVID-19, experts say.

"Early September, at the very least early October, is the best time to get your flu shot. That really allows your body to build up the appropriate immune response in time for the pe...

Search and Rescue Dogs Fared Well After Working at 9/11 Sites

Search and rescue dogs used during the 9/11 attacks lived as long as dogs not at the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, a new study finds.

"I was at Ground Zero and I would hear people make comments like, 'Did you hear that half of the dogs that responded to the bombing in Oklahoma City died of X, Y, or Z?' Or they'...

Once-a-Week Insulin for Type 2 Diabetes Shows Promise in Early Trial

Type 2 diabetes can be tough to control without medication. But for some people, the thought of daily shots makes them delay or avoid starting insulin therapy.

Now, new research offers some hope for those insulin avoiders -- a once-a-week insulin injection may someday replace daily shots.

A phase 2 trial compared the new wee...

AHA News: Cluster of Risky Conditions That Can Lead To Heart Disease Is Rising in Hispanic Adults

A cluster of conditions called metabolic syndrome that could lead to heart disease and stroke is becoming more common among Hispanic adults, and experts say there needs to be more research and more work in prevention.

Overall, metabolic syndrome affects about 1 in 3 adults in the United States and puts them at higher risk of heart diseas...

Having Flu and COVID Doubles Death Risk in Hospitalized Patients

TUESDAY, Sept. 22, 2020 (Healthday News) -- While health officials worry about a potential "twindemic" of COVID-19 and the flu this winter, a new study finds that hospital patients who were infected with both viruses were more than twice as likely to die as those infected only with the new coronavirus.

British government scientists con...

Homemade Masks Do a Great Job Blocking COVID-19

Don't fret about whether that fabric mask you made on your sewing machine protects against the spread of COVID-19 as well as the face masks sold in stores, new research reassures.

Taher Saif, a professor of mechanical science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, examined the effectiveness of common househo...

Is an Early Form of Breast Cancer More Dangerous Than Thought?

Women diagnosed with an early, highly treatable form of breast cancer still face a higher-than-normal risk of eventually dying from the disease, a large new study finds.

The study looked at women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), where cancer cells form in the lining of the milk ducts but have not yet invaded the breast tissue. Som...

Effects of Gun Laws Cross State Borders, New Study Suggests

Strong gun laws may be negated by more permissive laws in neighboring states, a new study reports.

It found that weaker gun laws appear to increase gun deaths in adjoining states. The finding could support policymakers looking to strengthen gun laws in their state, according to authors of the study published online Sept. 14 in the A...