Latest Health News

24Feb
2022

CDC Close to New Guidance on COVID Restrictions

CDC Close to New Guidance on COVID RestrictionsTHURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Updated criteria to guide COVID-19 restrictions will be announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later this week or early next week, according to a CDC scientist involved in the process.Currently, the agency's guidance on measures such as mask use and social distancing is based on the number of new cases per 100,000 people and the percent of positive tests in the past seven days.Guidance will soon be based on COVID-19 levels in an individual county, the CDC scientist told CNN."There will be consideration that when you get to this level, you'll want to consider doing this; when you get to this level, you want to consider doing this," the source said. "Hopefully, they'll be stressing the importance of local health...

Pandemic Didn't Dent Americans' Optimism, Polls Find

24 February 2022
Pandemic Didn`t Dent Americans` Optimism, Polls FindTHURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the crushing challenges of navigating a worldwide pandemic during the past two years, Americans remain as optimistic as ever, a series of surveys shows. The surveys were conducted between 2008 and 2020, and included 2.7 million adults who were asked to use a 10-point scale to rank their current life satisfaction, with 10 being the highest level of contentment. The participants were also asked to rate their anticipated life satisfaction in five years, and the difference between that and their current satisfaction score was used to measure their sense of optimism or pessimism about the future. Over the 12 years of surveys, current and anticipated scores remained fairly consistent, according to the study published Feb. 23 in the American...

Your Dog May Help Keep Disability at Bay

24 February 2022
Your Dog May Help Keep Disability at BayTHURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- That daily 6 a.m. walk around the block with your dog may be tough but healthy: New research suggests the exercise and companionship is lowering your odds of developing a disability.However, the good news doesn't extend to cat lovers, the researchers added. They analyzed data gathered from more than 11,200 Japanese adults, ages 65-84, between June 2016 and January 2020. During that time, dog owners were about half as likely to have a disability as those who never owned a dog. Dog owners who exercised regularly had an even lower risk of disability.The association between dog ownership and a lower risk of disability held even after the researchers accounted for other disability risk factors, such as marital status, chronic diseases and time...

Pandemic Bit Into Supply of Dental Hygienists

24 February 2022
Pandemic Bit Into Supply of Dental HygienistsTHURSDAY, Feb. 24, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- It might be harder to get your teeth cleaned this year, with a new study showing a shortage of dental hygienists in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic."Not unlike many other professions in the United States, challenges persist in dental hygienist employment," said study first author Rachel Morrissey, a senior research analyst with the American Dental Association. "The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a voluntary reduction in the dental hygiene workforce and may persist, as some dental hygienists are choosing to permanently leave the profession," Morrissey said in an ADA news release.The report updates findings from a study of 7,000 dental hygienists nationwide who were surveyed from September 2020 to August 2021. It shows that...

Rodent Infestation Spurs Product Recall by Family Dollar Stores

23 February 2022
Rodent Infestation Spurs Product Recall by Family Dollar StoresWEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A wide range of human food, pet food, medical devices and drug products have been recalled by Family Dollar Inc. due to the risk of salmonella and other hazards associated with a rodent infestation at a company warehouse in Arkansas. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration-regulated products were shipped from the Family Dollar Distribution Center in West Memphis to 404 stores from Jan. 1, 2021 to the present. "Use or consumption of affected products may present risk of illness due to the potential presence of salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in infants, young children, frail or elderly people, pregnant persons, persons with pre-existent pathology (e.g., patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy...

FDA Approves First Condom Designed for Anal Sex

23 February 2022
FDA Approves First Condom Designed for Anal Sex WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The first condom specifically designed to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections during anal sex has been approved for sale in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. The One Male Condom can also be used to help reduce the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during vaginal intercourse.When having anal sex, the FDA said the condom should be used with a condom-compatible lubricant."The risk of STI transmission during anal intercourse is significantly higher than during vaginal intercourse. The FDA's authorization of a condom that is specifically indicated, evaluated and labeled for anal intercourse may improve the likelihood of condom use during anal...

Too Many Americans Are Getting 'Low-Value' Medical Tests, Procedures

23 February 2022
Too Many Americans Are Getting `Low-Value` Medical Tests, ProceduresWEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- When your cardiologist orders a test, do you stop to ask why you need it? You probably don't — but perhaps you should, according to a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA).Too many Americans receive heart tests and treatments that do little good, and more needs to be done about it, the AHA says.The issue of "low-value" medical care is a longstanding one — with about half of Americans receiving at least one such test or procedure every year, the heart association notes.The term refers to health care services that are unlikely to benefit patients in a meaningful way, exposing them to potential harm and wasting money. It's estimated that low-value medical care accounts for about 30% of health care spending in the United...

Most Free COVID-19 Tests Have Shipped: White House

23 February 2022
Most Free COVID-19 Tests Have Shipped: White HouseWEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- More than 90% of free at-home COVID-19 tests ordered through a federal government website have been shipped in an "unprecedented" effort, the Biden administration's senior adviser on testing said Tuesday."It's a lot of firsts. It's the biggest test acquisition in history. It's the fastest delivery of anything to this number of households," said Dr. Thomas Inglesby, CBS News reported.Last month, the White House said about 60 million orders for the free tests were received within 10 days after launching the COVIDtests.gov site. The huge demand was driven by concerns about the Omicron variant.The White House initially said that the tests would "typically ship within 7 to 12 days of ordering," but millions of Americans waited weeks to receive...

FDA Warns of Rising Dangers of Unapproved Drug Tianeptine

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued another pointed warning about the dangers posed by tianeptine, an antidepressant that is not approved...

AHA News: Donating Blood Benefits Both Receiver and...

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 23, 2022 (American Heart Association News) -- Every few seconds, someone in the U.S. finds themself in need of a blood donation. But there's not always enough donated blood to meet...
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