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WEDNESDAY, July 1, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Almost overnight, the pandemic has turned cotton masks into an American wardrobe staple. But a coughing simulation shows that not all cotton masks are equal as a defense against COVID-19. "We focused primarily on nonmedical-grade masks that are recommended for use by the wider public," said lead author Siddhartha Verma. He's an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University's Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering. Using a mannequin head, air pumps and lasers, Verma and his team tracked emissions from a mechanically generated cough to see how well bandana-style coverings, folded cotton handkerchiefs, and/or stitched masks managed to contain them. Those are the types of face coverings that are widely available to the general...

TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The number of coronavirus cases around the world may actually be 12 times higher than reported, a new study suggests in a finding that likely reflects asymptomatic transmission and not enough testing. The difference is less dramatic when it comes to death tallies, with the researchers estimating that actual deaths are probably 1.5 times higher than reported deaths. To arrive at those conclusions, the scientists studied 84 of the most affected nations -- a total of more than 4.7 billion people -- and concluded that there were 88.5 million cases and 600,000 deaths as of June 18. But even with far more infections, the nations in the study are still well below the number required for herd immunity, according to the research team at the...

TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Data from a five-year clinical trial is adding to growing evidence that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can slow the ravages of Parkinson's disease. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., said that the therapy appears to curb any worsening of tremor and other symptoms, as well as lessening a patient's need for medications. "Parkinson's is relentless," senior study author Dr. David Charles, Vanderbilt professor and vice-chair of neurology, said in a medical center news release. "There's nothing that slows down its progression." However, "with this pilot study, we've shown that if DBS is implanted early it's likely to decrease the risk of progression, and if this is borne out in our larger study it would be a...

TUESDAY, June 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress on Tuesday that COVID-19 infections could climb to 100,000 new cases daily unless ongoing outbreaks are contained. "We are now having 40-plus thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around. And so I am very concerned," Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified before the U.S. Senate. Fauci's statement came in response to a question from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) about how many Americans will ultimately die from COVID-19. Fauci responded that the infection surge happening across the South and West "puts the entire country at risk." Much of that increase is...