6 Feet of Social Distancing Best, but Even 3 Feet Should Help: Study

"Social distancing" is the watchword for keeping the new coronavirus at bay, but how far apart is enough? Researchers say they may have an answer.

While most public health officials recommend you put 6 feet between yourself and others, a new review of 172 studies from 16 countries concluded that keeping 3 feet apart might also protect...

Biggest Hurdle for Young Burn Survivors Is Acceptance

The way they're treated by other people can cause young burn survivors more distress than their physical challenges, two surveys find.

In one, researchers asked 64 burn survivors between 17 and 25 years of age what they found hardest to deal with. The seven most common responses: people staring; being bullied; memories of being burned;...

Juul-Type E-Cigarettes May Be Especially Addictive for Teens: Study

Talk to a teacher if you want an idea of how addicted teenagers can become using Juul and other pod-based e-cigarettes.

That's the suggestion of Patricia Folan, director of the Center for Tobacco Control at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y.

"We've had teachers tell us that once they confiscate a Juul from kids in school, t...

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Celiac Are Linked: Review

There's an association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and celiac disease, according to a new research review.

Researchers analyzed dozens of studies published between 1978 and 2019 that included tens of millions of people in Europe, North America and Asia.

They found that people with a previous diagnosis of celiac ...

Where Are Kids Getting the Most 'Empty Calories'?

U.S. children and teenagers are still downing too many "empty calories" -- primarily from sugary beverages, sweets and pizza, a new government study finds.

The study, based on a long-running federal health survey, did turn up some good news: In recent years, kids have been eating fewer empty calories, versus a decade before.

...

Stay-at-Home Orders Could Mean More Obese Kids: Study

As if the childhood obesity epidemic isn't bad enough, new research warns that over one million more American boys and girls stand to become obese if coronavirus-related school closures continue through the end of the year.

The culprit: a steep rise in sedentary behavior following the spring shutdown of school and afterschool sports an...

Pangolins, Bats or What? New Coronavirus' Path to Humans Still Unclear

Armadillo-like animals called pangolins may have played a role in the emergence in humans of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but they weren't the only links in animal-to-human transmission, scientists say.

Pangolins are sold for food in live-animal "wet markets" in China -- facilities that have long been suspected of being ground zero ...

AHA News: After Saving Her Husband With CPR, She Gave Birth to Their Son

Nearly ready to deliver her first child, Ashley Goette woke up at 5 a.m. to go to the bathroom and nudged her husband, who seemed to be snoring. Andrew made a scary, gargling sound, so Ashley ran to get his asthma inhaler.

When his only response was gasping for air, Ashley called 911, telling the operator she thought she needed to do CPR...

Health Warning Labels Could Cut Soda Sales

Warning labels on sugary drinks may help people make healthier choices, a new study finds.

Sugary drinks are those with added sugar or sweeteners, including soda, sports drinks and fruit-flavored drinks.

"Our findings suggest that sugary drink warnings help consumers better understand products' healthfulness and encourage c...

Most Americans Still More Worried About COVID-19 Spread Than the Economy

MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the number of U.S. coronavirus cases neared 1.8 million on Monday, a new poll shows that a majority of Americans still think it's more important to control the virus' spread than to restart the economy.

While nearly 6 in 10 Americans say the pandemic has taken a heavy economic toll on their ...

Coronavirus Was Already Spreading in U.S. in January: Study

More evidence has surfaced that the COVID-19 coronavirus was circulating in the United States as much as a month prior to the first confirmed local case in February, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.

Genetic analysis of early cases suggests a single line of coronavirus impo...

COVID 'Immunity Passports:' Not Ready for Prime Time?

A grieving widower played by Matt Damon flashes a shiny coded wristband for security guards to scan in the 2011 movie "Contagion."

After a quick beep and a green light, Damon is allowed into a store to buy a prom dress for his daughter.

That wristband was an "immunity passport" -- a certification of his character's immunity t...

As Postponed Surgeries Resume, Can U.S. Hospitals Handle the Strain?

For months, the coronavirus pandemic forced hospitals to delay elective surgeries as doctors turned their attention to treating COVID-19 patients, but the spigots on non-urgent procedures are about to reopen.

Unfortunately, two new reports from Johns Hopkins University researchers suggest that hospitals will be stretched to the limit b...

Parents Unaware of Young Kids' Smartphone Use: Study

Preschoolers may spend more time on smartphones or tablets than their parents realize, and some use apps intended for teens and adults, researchers report.

A new study tracked mobile device use among 350 children aged 3 to 5 over nine months and compared their findings with parents' estimates of their use.

Preschoolers with t...

Drug Could Boost Survival From Lung Cancer Affecting Non-Smokers

MONDAY, June 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The drug Tagrisso could offer hope to patients battling a form of lung cancer that typically hits people with little or no history of smoking, a new trial finds.

Taken after surgery to remove the lung tumor, Tagrisso (osimertinib) greatly extended the average survival of people battling a non-m...

COVID-19 Rates May Be Lower Than Thought for Pregnant Women

A new study suggests the rate of COVID-19 among pregnant women without symptoms is much lower than previously reported.

Fewer than 3% of asymptomatic women admitted to three Yale New Haven Health hospitals for labor and delivery during April tested positive for COVID-19 infection.

That contrasts with a 13.5% rate rep...

Protect Yourself From Sun to Prevent Skin Cancer

Headed to the beach or park for a little fresh air? Don't forget your sun protection, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, affecting one in five Americans, but many don't protect themselves from harmful UV rays.

Sixty percent of respondents to an AAD ...

Placenta's Hidden Mysteries Revealed in MRI Study

MRI imaging has uncovered key differences in blood flow to the placenta in pregnant women who are healthy and those with preeclampsia.

That could help explain why babies born to mothers with preeclampsia -- dangerously high blood pressure during pregnancy -- are often smaller and premature, according to researchers at the University o...

Very Early-Stage Breast Cancer Ups Long-Term Odds for Invasive Tumors: Study

Women with cancerous cells in their milk ducts -- also known as DCIS -- are at a high risk for developing fatal breast cancer, British researchers report.

DCIS is short for ductal carcinoma in situ, an early form of breast cancer. With stepped-up breast screening, it has become an increasingly common diagnosis.

Though it's no...

Prostate Cancer Drug Could Be 'Game Changing,' Researchers Say

For men with advanced prostate cancer, a new hormone therapy pill works better than standard injections -- and carries a much lower risk of heart attack or stroke, a clinical trial has found.

The drug, called relugolix, is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If it gets the green light, however, it would be "game-...