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Health News Results - 269

Nearly a third of health care staff in U.S. hospitals were not vaccinated against COVID-19 as of mid-September, a new study shows.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 3.3 million health care workers at more than 2,000 hospitals nationwide between Jan. 20 and Sept. 15.

"Our analysis revealed that vaccine coverage among U.S. hospital-based [health care personnel] stalled significan...

Medical training may be taking less of a mental health toll on young doctors than it used to, but depression remains common, a new study suggests.

Medical residency -- the training that new doctors undergo at hospitals or clinics -- is infamous for its grueling schedule, high pressure and relatively low pay. Research has shown that residents also have fairly high depression rates.

N...

Male doctors are much more likely to refer patients to male surgeons, rather than send them to female surgeons with equal qualifications and experience, a new study finds.

"During my 20 years in practice, I always had the sense it was easier for my male surgical colleagues to get referrals than it was for me, and the patients they were referred were more likely to need surgery," said seni...

Working in an already dangerous environment, the blood pressure of firefighters jumps when they get an emergency call, new research shows.

That could be risky for those who already have high blood pressure, experts say.

"All emergency and first responders should be aware of their health," said senior author Deborah Feairheller, director of the clinical cardiac program at the Univer...

Large U.S. companies have until Jan. 4, 2022 to ensure their employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Biden administration said Thursday.

Unvaccinated workers must undergo weekly testing under the plan that applies to businesses with 100 or more employees and will cover 84 million private sector workers, the New York Times reported.

President Joe Biden first announced th...

It's a case of being your own worst enemy: New research shows that women are more reluctant to ask for deadline extensions at work than their male colleagues are, in part because they worry about being seen as incompetent.

In a series of studies, researchers found that overall, women were less likely than men to ask for extra time to complete a work or school task. And that reluctance see...

It's a finding that stands to reason: A new study shows the pandemic has triggered anxiety and depression in many doctors.

Researchers used surveys to assess the mental health of more than 5,000 doctors in Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom at two points during the pandemic -- June 2020 and November/December 2020.

Doctors in Italy had the highest rates of anxiety (1 in 4) and of de...

Women are as competitive and as willing to take risks as men when it comes to advancing in the workplace, according to a new study on the gender pay gap in the United States.

"If we're finally going to close the gender pay gap, then we have to understand the sources of it -- and also solutions and remedies for it," said study co-author Mary Rigdon, associate director of the Center for the...

Emergency room nurse Grace Politis was catching up on paperwork during her shift when she suddenly realized her head hurt badly. Then she blacked out.

"Later on, I found out I was hit in the head twice with a fire extinguisher by a patient," said Politis, who works at Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, Mass.

A disturbed man awaiting psychiatric evaluation had fractured Politis' skul...

The number of U.S. meatpacking workers who were infected during the COVID-19 pandemic is nearly three times higher than previously thought, a U.S. House report shows.

It said at least 59,000 workers caught the disease and 269 died as the pandemic raged through the industry last year, and added that companies could have done more to protect their employees, the Associated Press re...

U.S. nurses think about suicide more often than other workers do, but are less likely to tell anyone about it, new research reveals.

For the study, the researchers analyzed the responses of more than 7,000 nurses and nearly 5,200 other general workforce members who took part in a national poll on well-being that was conducted in November 2017 and included questions on issues ranging from ...

A common group of bacteria may be causing deadly pneumonia or anthrax-like disease among metalworkers in the southern United States, health officials report.

The bacteria, called Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), naturally occurs in soil and dust. B. cereus can cause food poisoning and anthrax-like disease, but why it singles out welders and other metalworke...

Prolonged stays in space appear to damage astronauts' brains, a small, new study suggests.

The researchers studied five Russian cosmonauts, mean age 49, who stayed on the International Space Station (ISS) for an average of 5.5 months.

Blood samples were taken from the cosmonauts 20 days before their departure to the ISS, and one day, one week, and about three weeks after they return...

The pressures of the pandemic have dramatically altered the American workplace, and now a new survey shows that many folks who have struggled with low salaries, long hours and lack of opportunity plan to change jobs.

More than 40% of workers said they plan to make the switch in the coming year, the poll found. If that occurs, it could seriously affect many industries already facing shorta...

All of New York City's teachers and school staff will still need to get a coronavirus vaccine following an unexpected ruling from a federal appeals panel on Monday that upheld the school system's vaccine mandate.

While Mayor Bill de Blasio recently ordered the city's school staff to get at least one vaccine dose by midnight Monday, that order was paused late last week by a judge of the U....

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended booster shots of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for millions of older and high-risk Americans, kicking off a new chapter in the national effort to protect the vulnerable from severe disease.

First, an expert CDC advisory panel called for COVID-19 booster shots for those over 65, nursing home residents and other Amer...

Logging and landscaping are the most dangerous jobs in America, a new study finds.

The risk of death for loggers is more than 30 times higher than for all U.S. workers. Tree care workers also encounter hazards at rates far higher than a typical worker.

"This was the first research to look at commercial logging and landscaping services together," said Judd Michael, a professor of agr...

It's fair to say most bosses want their employees to have high productivity.

Unfortunately, the air that office workers breathe may put a damper on quick thinking and fast work.

A new study found increased concentrations of fine particulate matter, called PM2.5, and lower ventilation rates were linked to slower response times and reduced accuracy.

"PM2.5 is a very nasty pollut...

Eight in 10 older Americans think health care workers should be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new poll.

Among 50- to 80-year-olds, 61% of respondents said the vaccine should be required for all health care workers. Another 19% said vaccination should probably be required. The remaining 20% oppose mandatory vaccination, the findings showed.

The results are from a nation...

Twenty years on, responders to the World Trade Center attacks in New York City are showing increased risks of certain cancers, two new studies confirm.

Researchers found higher-than-average rates of prostate cancer among firefighters, medics and other workers who toiled at the disaster site on and after Sept. 11, 2001.

And compared with firefighters from other major U.S. cities...

Workers, take heed: Your place of work can help bring on or exacerbate asthma, a new study suggests.

Common workplace triggers include poor ventilation and moldy air conditioning systems, cleaning products and even the toner used in printers, the researchers said. Employees with asthma caused by the office environment often quit, the researchers said, especially if employers don't do anyt...

Early retirement may sound appealing, but a recent study hints that putting it off a few years might help older adults retain more of their mental sharpness.

Using data on more than 20,000 older Americans, researchers estimated that if all of those people waited until age 67 to retire, their collective cognitive health would benefit.

"Cognition" refers to a person's ability to think...

While the United States is one of the only developed nations without universal sick leave, workers with COVID-19 can take paid emergency leave -- at least for now.

Problem is: Fewer than half of U.S. workers know it's available, according to a new study. And, the researchers add, cases of sick employees who couldn't take time off have tripled during the pandemic.

"When the governmen...

As the new school year begins, teachers can take comfort in a new report that finds they have no greater risk of catching or being hospitalized for severe COVID-19 than anyone else.

Researchers in Scotland say that might be because many schools take precautions that other workplaces don't. It's also possible that the teachers in the study were younger and healthier than other workers, the...

If you feel exhausted after a day filled with online meetings, well, you are not imagining it.

A new study found that the pressure of having the camera on for a long time is draining. This so-called "Zoom fatigue" is even worse if you're a woman or a new employee.

"There's always this assumption that if you have your camera on during meetings, you are going to be more engaged," said...

Struggling to decide whether to spend another hour at the office or take a late afternoon stroll?

Put on your walking shoes.

Making leisure time a priority is good for your mental health. For many, though, especially folks who prize productivity above all, it's a hard sell, a new study finds.

"There is plenty of research which suggests that leisure has mental health benefits ...

Unvaccinated U.S. troops must immediately start getting COVID-19 vaccines, says a memo issued Tuesday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which recently received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will be added to the list of required shots for U.S. troops. They'll be able to get their shots at their bases and from their commands worldwid...

Schools are reopening as the Delta variant surges across America, a scary prospect for educators and parents alike.

But experts representing teachers and doctors say reopening must happen for the sake of students, and a combo of vaccination and safety measures will help keep kids and staff safe.

Kids have suffered during the pandemic, and they need in-person schooling this year...

Like it or not, Broward County, Fla., has become a flashpoint for the national debate over reopening public schools in the middle of a COVID-19 surge driven by the highly infectious Delta variant.

Coronavirus infections claimed the lives of three Broward educators within 24 hours of each other, just as schools are set to reopen next week in the south Florida county.

The deaths occur...

Long stints on the night shift could set you up for the dangerous heart rhythm disorder known as atrial fibrillation (a-fib), new research suggests.

For the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 283,000 people in the UK Biobank database, and found that those who worked night shifts on a usual or permanent basis had a 12% higher risk of a-fib than those who only worked during t...

Take a work break: A small, new study suggests that getting out of your chair every half hour may help improve your blood sugar levels and your overall health.

Every hour spent sitting or lying down increases the risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, the study authors said. But moving around during those sedentary hours is an easy way to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce t...

Freaked out about trading Zoom meetings and the privacy of working at home for a return to the office?

You've got plenty of company. As more workplaces reopen, stress about health risks and new routines is front and center.

The Center for Workplace Mental Health knows what you're are going through. The center, a program of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Foundation, is of...

Roaring, fast-moving blazes. Choking smoke. Fiery tornados. Thunderstorms and lightning.

The Dixie Fire -- now the single largest wildfire in California history -- continues to spread, having burned through more than 750 square miles of forest land north of Sacramento.

The astonishing spread of smoke from the fire, causing discomfort and illness to people hundreds or thousands of mi...

All 2.2 million health care workers and long-term care workers in California will now have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30, the California Department of Public Health said Thursday.

Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom said health care workers would have the choice of either getting vaccinated or undergoing weekly testing, but the state health department's order does not give...

The U.S. medical field is less dominated by white men than it used to be, but there are still few Black and Hispanic doctors, dentists and pharmacists, a new study finds.

The study, which looked at trends over the past 20 years, found that white men no longer make up the majority of physicians and surgeons in the United States.

By 2019, they accounted for about 44% of those position...

When you're hospitalized, you'll want qualified medical professionals treating you, but does it matter if your doctor is a man or a woman?

It might.

A new study in Canada found that patients cared for by female physicians had lower in-hospital death rates than those who had male doctors.

"Our study overall shows that female doctors have lower patient death rates compared to ...

Your job may significantly increase your risk of catching the flu, with potential implications for the spread of other infectious diseases including COVID-19, according to new research.

On average, working folks are 35% more likely to get the flu than those without jobs, but an analysis of U.S. federal data found sharp differences between certain jobs and industries.

The more work-r...

Mental health problems and thoughts of suicide are common among U.S. coal miners with black lung disease, a new study finds.

Black lung is a progressive illness caused by inhaling toxic coal and rock dust in coal mines. There are few treatment options.

"Although coal mining is on the decline, the rates of black lung in Southwest Virginia continue to increase. Coal miners in Central ...

When child care centers were forced to close in the pandemic's early months, hundreds of thousands of American working mothers lost their jobs, new research shows.

The study is just the latest illustration of the toll the pandemic has taken on working women in the United States.

Over the first 10 months of the U.S. pandemic, more than 2.3 million women left the labor force, accordin...

Teaching has always been a stressful job, and now a new survey suggests the pandemic could be driving even more teachers from the time-honored profession.

"Teacher stress was a concern prior to the pandemic and may have only become worse," said study author Elizabeth Steiner, a policy researcher at RAND Corp. "This raises the concern that more teachers may decide to quit this year than in...

Volunteer firefighters have higher levels of so-called "forever chemicals" in their bodies than the general population does, a new study finds.

It also found that levels of these potentially toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in volunteer firefighters' bodies rise with years of service.

PFAS are found in everyday items like electronics and carpeting, and they have been...

Workplace exposure to the new coronavirus is a major reason for Hispanic Americans' disproportionately high COVID-19 death rate, a new study claims.

In 2020, Hispanics accounted for 19% of the U.S. population but nearly 41% of COVID-19 deaths, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show.

An analysis of federal government data revealed that far higher percentag...

Critical care nurses with poor mental and physical health are more likely to make mistakes, but a more supportive work environment could improve the situation, a new study suggests.

"It's critically important that we understand some of the root causes that lead to those errors and do everything we can to prevent them," said lead author Bernadette Melnyk, dean of the College of Nursing at ...

Neck pain? Poor posture can cause it, but may not be the only reason why, new research suggests.

Lifestyle is a key culprit -- particularly long periods of time spent hunched over handheld devices or working on computers. So a team at Texas A&M University set out to learn just how big a part personal factors play in neck pain.

The researchers conducted a series of experiments in whi...

A deadly chemical in paint strippers continues to kill workers despite its known dangers, a new study finds.

The chemical methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane (DCM), is a solvent found in paint strippers, cleaners, degreasers, adhesives and sealants. When inhaled, it produces large quantities of carbon monoxide that can cut off oxygen to the heart. At high doses, it switches ...

The percentage of U.S. doctors who are Black has barely risen in the past 120 years, and there's still a wide pay gap between white and Black physicians, a new study finds.

The analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from 1900 to 2018 included about 150,000 physicians, with about 3,300 Black male physicians and 1,600 Black female physicians.

The study "findings demonstrate how slow prog...

Video conferencing has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, but many workers are developing what some call "Zoom fatigue."

Now, new research suggests a prime factor behind the trend: A lack of inclusion. The study finds that when people feel they're really part of the group being gathered together, video conferences become less exhausting.

In the study, researchers asked 55 Americ...

Bye-bye Zoom meetings: As America begins to emerge from the pandemic, many companies are welcoming employees back into physical work spaces.

But Taylor Villanueva, an entrepreneurship specialist at the Girl Scouts of Orange County, counts herself among the millions of Americans who might be feeling just a little anxious about that transition.

"Initially, I was concerned, but I got...

Before the pandemic began, suicide risk was twice as high among female nurses compared with American women as a whole, a new study warns.

Even within the health care community itself, female nurses were found to be roughly 70% more likely to die by suicide than female doctors.

Why? Study author Matthew Davis said that for now, "We don't know for certain what forces are directly resp...

Going for a brisk walk after a long day at work may be better for your heart than getting all of your exercise on the job.

New research suggests that while current health guidelines indicate that leisure-time activity and physical activity at work are created equally when it comes to heart health benefits, this may not be the case after all.

Leisure-time exercise -- whether it be ta...