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MONDAY, Oct. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Having COVID-19 could cause further trouble for patients being treated for physical trauma — even if they have no symptoms of the virus. Researchers studying cases of trauma patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and those who were negative found those with the virus had significantly higher rates of heart attack and cardiac arrest. They also spent more days on a ventilator, in the intensive care unit and in the hospital overall. The cost of their care was much higher, too.The findings were scheduled for presentation Sunday at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons, in San Diego.“I found it shocking that just having the virus in the body could potentially cause more complications in trauma patients,” study co-author Dr....

MONDAY, Oct. 17, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Many doctors who used telehealth to treat patients with opioid addiction because of the COVID-19 pandemic would like to make it a permanent part of their practice. A new study from Yale School of Public Health surveyed more than 1,100 physicians who treated opioid-use disorder patients via telehealth. Researchers found that 6 out of every 7 physicians were in favor of making this temporary telehealth flexibility a permanent part of their practice. More than 75% said they would like to continue using telehealth after the COVID pandemic if regulations permitted."Recent exposure to telehealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic has promoted the perspective among the physicians surveyed that it is a viable and effective treatment option for patients,"...

FRIDAY, Oct. 14, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Aggressive measures are needed in the world’s tropical regions to prevent the inevitable next global pandemic, an international coalition of researchers has concluded.Epidemics around the world have largely been driven by viruses that spill over from wild animals into humans, mainly in tropical hot spots where a diverse number of animals come into frequent contact with mankind, researchers report.To ward off the next pandemic, the world’s wealthiest countries need to invest in disease surveillance and medical care that can provide advance warning of emerging threats, the researchers argued.“People say we need better vaccines and better drugs to counter the next unknown virus to emerge,” said report co-author Peter Daszak, president of...

FRIDAY, Oct. 14, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- When it comes to posting health information on social media, beware before you share.Experts say that's an essential step in battling medical misinformation, an escalating problem as more people turn to social media for news, knowledge and advice about all things health-related.In the wake of rampant false information about COVID-19, the U.S. surgeon general's office released an advisory last year titled "Confronting Health Misinformation." The 22-page report singled out social media for rewarding "engagement rather than accuracy" and quoted one study that found false news stories were 70% more likely to be shared on social media than true stories.The pandemic has lessened in recent months, but health experts say medical...