High reliance on urgent care centers may disrupt primary care in children

A study of over 4 million children and adolescents in the U.S. enrolled in Medicaid found that those who rely on urgent care centers for more than a third of their outpatient health care needs had fewer visits to primary care providers. This may result in missed opportunities for preventative services, such as vaccinations, and […]

Germany plans to reopen as death toll spikes in US

Germany on Wednesday unveiled a plan for reopening, as Europe’s largest economy tries to get the wheels turning after weeks of shutdown, as the deadly coronavirus continued to wreak havoc in the United States with a spike in the daily death toll. The cautious steps towards normality came as South Korea leapt back to life […]

Turkey records 61 new COVID-19 deaths, lowest in over a month

Turkey’s health minister has announced 61 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is the lowest number in over a month. The country’s total death toll stands at 3,397. Fahrettin Koca tweeted Sunday that 1,670 more cases were confirmed, with the total number of infections now at 126,045. The daily increase is […]

Persistent and worsening insomnia may predict persistent depression in older adults

Older adults with depression may be at much higher risk of remaining depressed if they are experiencing persistent or worsening sleep problems, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers, who published their findings online April 30 in the journal Sleep, analyzed data from almost 600 people […]

Could Legionnaires’ bacteria lurk in idled buildings?

Many businesses are closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and some building managers have shut off water and air conditioning to conserve resources. Unfortunately, warmth and lack of clean water flow can contribute to the growth of potentially dangerous microbes, including the bacteria that contribute to Legionnaires’ disease. Illinois Sustainable Technology Center chemist […]

New study links severe sleep apnea to higher blood glucose levels in African-Americans

African Americans with severe sleep apnea and other adverse sleep patterns are much more likely to have high blood glucose levels —a risk factor for diabetes—than those without these patterns, according to a new study funded in part by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The […]