Several weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, people are looking for answers about how the virus will respond to changing seasons. Since the outbreak began, physicians and scientists have been speculating on how environmental conditions - including weather, may impact SARS-CoV-2. A new study, published in the Journal of Infectious Disease, is shedding … [Read more...]
How Changing Seasons May Eventually Affect the COVID-19 Infection Rate
Suicidal Acts are Increasing, Especially Amongst Certain U.S. Populations
A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry has found that while suicidal acts are generally increasing in the United States, much of the recent increase can be attributed to women, older adults, and adolescents. In addition to investigating the likelihood of engaging in suicidal acts based on sex and age, the researchers also examined the details of … [Read more...]
COVID-19 and Ibuprofen: What is the Relationship?
There has been a lot of confusion in recent weeks about how ibuprofen may increase risks for contracting the novel coronavirus or impact the severity of the illness resulting from COVID-19 infection. Questions began after the publication of a paper in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine that pointed to the possibility that ibuprofen can increase … [Read more...]
New Data on Why Step Count Influences Blood Pressure
Several years ago, a study investigating the impact of daily steps on our overall health led to the widespread idea that we should aim to take at least 10,000 steps each day. However, there has since been skepticism amongst hospital based physicians and others in the medical community about the actual benefit of this exercise, with people pointing … [Read more...]
A COVID-19 Vaccine: Clinical Trial Begins
A 43-year old woman with two children has become the first study participant in a phase 1 clinical trial for an experimental vaccine against the spreading coronavirus. She was administered the vaccine, mRNA-1273, on March 16th. This move marks the official start to the open-label trial and what researchers hope will lead to the first approved … [Read more...]