Giving coronavirus patients remdesivir early may prevent deadly lung damage, suggests study that showed it blocked respiratory disease in monkeys Giving six macaque monkeys infected with coronavirus remdesivir early prevented severe lung disease responsible for many COVID-19 deaths The six that got the treatment showed no signs of lung disease but those that did not […]
The first signs of insufficient sleep are universally familiar. There’s tiredness and fatigue, difficulty concentrating, perhaps irritability or even tired giggles. Far fewer people have experienced the effects of prolonged sleep deprivation, including disorientation, paranoia and hallucinations. Total, prolonged sleep deprivation, however, can be fatal. While it has been reported in humans only anecdotally, a […]
Genetic screening for prostate cancer in GP surgeries could be effective at picking up otherwise undiagnosed cases of the disease, a new pilot study shows. Researchers ‘barcoded’ men for their genetic risk of prostate cancer by testing each for 130 DNA changes—and gave those at higher risk follow-up checks. Their study found that population screening […]
Harm reduction strategies have proven effective for use of opioids, alcohol, and tobacco products. University at Buffalo and University of Michigan researchers say harm reduction techniques also have potential for cannabis users—but first, public health practitioners and organizations need to do a better job of making cannabis users aware of those strategies. Researchers assessed harm […]
A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital examines changes in prescription patterns in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an exploratory analysis of data from GoodRx used to generate national estimates, Brigham investigators found prescriptions of the anti-malarial drug chloroquine and its analogue hydroxychloroquine dramatically surged during the week of […]
A Canadian case series of all patients with COVID-19 admitted to six intensive care units (ICUs) in Metro Vancouver found patient outcomes were substantially better than reported in other jurisdictions. The paper is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Researchers looked at outcomes for 117 patients with COVID-19 admitted to one of six hospitals […]
New research indicates that only four in 10 UK adults have been sexually active during the COVID-19 lockdown—a finding that could have important physical and mental health implications. The study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine and led by Dr. Lee Smith of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Professor Mark Tully of Ulster University, […]
A large team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions across the U.S. has conducted a review study of the role that social interaction plays in both morbidity and mortality rates. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their review and what they learned from it. One of the major consequences of […]
(HealthDay)—Boosting doses of opioid pain medicines doesn’t appear to benefit patients with chronic pain, researchers report. “What we found was that the pain relief the provider and the patient are going for really isn’t there when they increase their doses,” said study author Corey Hayes, an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas College of […]
Shortly after the explosion in microcephaly cases caused by Zika virus in Brazil in 2015-16, several scientific studies were published with evidence that the pathogen is capable of crossing the human placenta, the organ that keeps the fetus connected to the mother’s body during pregnancy. From then on, the states began following a protocol established […]
