‘Mind-Reading’ Technology Allows Paralyzed Man to Rapidly Text
By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, May 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A microchip implanted in the brain has allowed a paralyzed man to communicate by text — at speeds that approach the typical smartphone user. The achievement is the latest advance in “brain-computer interface” (BCI) systems. Scientists have been studying BCI technology for years, […]
Sleep Disorders Cost Nearly $95 Billion Per Year
By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, May 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Sleep problems cost America’s health care system nearly $95 billion a year and raise the cost of health care by 60%, a new study finds. Researchers discovered the number of doctor visits and prescriptions was nearly doubled in people with sleep problems such as […]
Meat Production Is Polluting the Air You Breathe
By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, May 11, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Steaks and burgers could be killing thousands of Americans each year, but in a way most people wouldn’t expect — via air pollution. That’s the conclusion of a new study estimating that airborne particles generated by food production kill nearly 16,000 Americans each […]
FDA Authorizes Pfizer COVID Vaccine for Kids 12-15
May 10, 2021 — The FDA on Monday granted emergency use authorization for the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to be given to children 12-to-15 years old. The much-expected decision increases the likelihood that schools in the United States will fully reopen in the fall — a goal of both the Biden and Trump administrations. […]
CDC Revises Website Info on How COVID-19 Spreads
May 10, 2021 — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday changed its website guidance on how coronavirus spreads, emphasizing that it’s mainly transmitted through the air, not on surfaces. “COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles […]
Parents to Wait to Get Kids’ COVID Vaccine
Invisibly: “Parents Are Cautious to Vaccinate Their Kids Against COVID.” NBC News: “Pfizer requests FDA clearance for vaccine in kids ages 12 to 15.” Today: “When will kids get the COVID-19 vaccine? What we know now.” News release, Johnson & Johnson, April 2, 2021. Tanya Haas, North Branch, NY. Gretchen Schaeffer, Bangor, ME. Donna […]
What I Want You to Know About Living With HIV
Richard Hutchinson: HIV Affects Everyone I was diagnosed in June 2015. It was shocking. There was a moment when I stopped breathing. Because I am a public health professional, I was doing a lot of health education and counseling for other Black men with HIV. I thought of their stories, their courage, and […]
What You Need to Know About Birth Control if You’re Transgender or Nonbinary
No matter where you are on the gender spectrum — whether you’re transgender (trans), nonbinary, genderqueer, or gender nonconforming — you might need birth control, especially if there’s a chance you could get pregnant and you aren’t trying to. Even if you’re on gender-affirming hormone therapy — a type of treatment that helps align your […]
Fear of Losing Health Insurance Keeps 1 in 6 in Their Jobs
By Robert PreidtHealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, May 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Many American workers remain in jobs they’d rather leave — simply because they don’t want to lose their health insurance, a new Gallup poll reveals. That’s the situation for 16% of respondents in a nationwide poll of more than 3,800 adults conducted March 15-21. […]
Make COVID Vaccine Mandatory for Doctors?
May 7, 2021 — Should COVID-19 vaccinations be required for health care professionals? WebMD polled its readers to ask that question collected 3,035 responses. Nearly two-thirds, or 66%, said yes and 34% said no. Among the yes votes, 55% believed these vaccinations should be required immediately and 11% said they should be mandatory eventually. […]