Latest Health News

WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 9 in 10 children ages 5-11 who were hospitalized for COVID-19 from mid-December to late February were unvaccinated, a rate that was two times higher than for vaccinated children, a new government study shows.Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that about one-third of hospitalized children in that age group had no underlying medical conditions and one-fifth were admitted to intensive care.The study included about 400 children, ages 5-11, admitted to hospitals in 14 states during the winter Omicron variant surge. The hospitals serve about 10% of the nation's population.Among the children who tested positive for the virus before or during their hospitalization, three-quarters were admitted...

WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday that it will appeal a Florida judge's ruling that struck down a federal mask mandate on airplanes and other forms of public transportation only if the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines such a mandate is still needed."The Department of Justice [DOJ] and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention disagree with the district court’s decision and will appeal, subject to CDC’s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health," DOJ spokesman Anthony Coley said in a statement. "The Department continues to believe that the order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public...

WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A mesh plug normally used to treat one type of brain aneurysm is also effective when dealing with another type, a new study says.Aneurysms are bulges in blood vessels that can cause a life-threatening rupture. They typically occur where a blood vessel forks into two branches (bifurcates), but can also occur on the side of a blood vessel.The study found that a device called a Woven EndoBridge (WEB) is equally effective for both types of aneurysms.A common treatment is the placement of tiny platinum coils into the aneurysm, but that has limitations, according to the authors of the study. The report was published April 19 in the journal Radiology."If the aneurysm has a wide neck, the coil might fall into the blood vessel and lead to clot...

WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When people have legal access to marijuana, they're less likely to take certain prescription drugs, new research suggests.U.S. states where recreational marijuana is legal have seen large drops in the use of prescription drugs for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, psychosis and seizures, the researchers found. "These results have important implications," said study co-author Shyam Raman. He is a doctoral student in the School of Public Policy at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. "The reductions in drug utilization that we find could lead to significant cost savings for state Medicaid programs. The results also indicate an opportunity to reduce the harm that can come with the dangerous side effects associated with some prescription...