Patients taking the weight-loss drug semaglutide were less likely to die from COVID-19, according to a recent study. The patients who contracted COVID-19 while using a weekly 2.4 mg dose of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, had a 34% lower risk of dying from COVID-19, according to Dr. Benjamin M. Scirica, one … Read more
U.S. regulators approved updated COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, shots designed to more closely target recent virus strains — and hopefully whatever variants cause trouble this winter, too. With the Food and Drug Administration’s clearance, Pfizer and Moderna are set to begin shipping millions of doses. A third U.S. manufacturer, Novavax, expects its modified vaccine version to be … Read more
This technology could be aah-mazing! Researchers in Iraq and Australia say they have developed a computer algorithm that can analyze the color of a person’s tongue to detect their medical condition in real-time — with 98% accuracy. “Typically, people with diabetes have a yellow tongue; cancer patients a purple tongue with a thick greasy coating; … Read more
They’ve become iPad pros. Preschoolers who use a tablet to entertain themselves may not learn to manage their emotions, leading to angry outbursts, which prompt their parents to give them a tablet to quiet them down. Researchers from the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada detailed this “deleterious” cycle Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. The study authors … Read more
An elderly man in Japan developed a fatal bacterial infection after taking a probiotic as part of his treatment for severe COVID-19. The unidentified patient was first brought to the emergency room after being discovered on the floor of his home. He had a history of colon cancer, chest pain, high blood pressure and pancreatic … Read more
COVID-19 is no longer a top cause of death for Americans, dropping from fourth place in 2022 to 10th place last year. The virus was listed on 49,928 death certificates in 2023 — down from 186,552 in 2022 and a peak of 416,893 in 2021. A resident funeral director at an NYC funeral home moves … Read more
DEAR ABBY: We adopted our daughter, “Opal,” at the age of 2. She is 6 now. Opal lived with us off and on as a newborn, but by age 1, she lived permanently with us. We live in a small community, so everyone knows everyone. Opal lived with her biological mom prior to adoption. We … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Several months ago, I let the 49-year-old son of a dear friend move into my basement. “Jason” pays me rent plus utilities. Last week, he informed me that he is not vaccinated for COVID. He was drinking at the time. Since my husband passed away with COVID in his system two years ago, … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I have been dating “Gary” for six years, but he has never proposed. I’m very independent. My husband died when my kids were small, and I had to raise them and keep a roof over our heads, which made me even more independent. In fact, there are times I don’t think I even … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend is 18 years younger than I am. Our relationship hasn’t been perfect, but I love him to death. Unfortunately, I’m going through menopause and have all the side effects. Long story short, he found another girl. It was just supposed to be for sex, and he told me he wouldn’t get … Read more
A Dutch man with the longest case of COVID infection ever recorded suffered from the sickness for a record 613 days, with the ailment mutating into a unique new variant that baffled medical researchers. The 72-year-old unnamed patient was diagnosed with the omicron variant in February 2022, according to Time, citing research from the University of Amsterdam. … Read more
The number of U.S. tuberculosis cases in 2023 was the highest in a decade, according to a new government report. Forty states reported an increase in TB, and rates were up among all age groups, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. More than 9,600 cases were reported, a 16% increase from 2022 and … Read more
Here comes the bride — and there go the divorce papers. Marriages have been on the rise since weddings and dates were put on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of marriages jumped from 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2020 to 6.2 by 2022 — the highest rate observed since 2018 — according to … Read more
It was a poor man’s private jet. Commercial travel doesn’t always have to mean being crammed into a packed aircraft like sardines. A lucky UK couple became the envy of flyers everywhere after having a whole flight to themselves — essentially allowing them to enjoy the “private jet” experience for an economy price. While their … Read more
“Polio Paul” Alexander spent his final days battling COVID while struggling to eat and drink, his social media manager has revealed. The polio survivor, famed for spending more than 70 years inside an iron lung, died Monday in Dallas, Texas, at the age of 78. While an official cause of death hasn’t been publicly disclosed, … Read more
The number of deaths related to excessive alcohol surged amid the stress and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual average number of deaths stemming from alcohol use jumped 29%, to 178,000 from 138,000, between 2016-2017 and 2020-2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed last month. Alcohol abuse appeared to increase during the … Read more
Your free trial is coming to an end. US health officials announced that Americans can no longer order free at-home COVID-19 tests after March 8. Before the upcoming deadline, Americans can order four free rapid antigen tests through COVID.gov or USPS. Americans can no longer order free at-home COVID-19 tests after March 8. AP “ASPR (Administration for Strategic … Read more
He followed the science — and now the science is following him. A 62-year-old man claiming to have received more than 200 COVID-19 vaccines is being studied by experts who say they’ve been amazed by their findings thus far. Analysis of the über-cautious German, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, found that the vaccines continued … Read more
Long COVID could be the reason for your bad hangovers, research suggests. The study, published in the journal Cureus, looked at patients who had been dealing with lingering symptoms from a COVID infection — and all of them self-reported more severe hangovers. Four patients were recruited from the Post-Acute Covid Syndrome clinic (PACS) at Stanford … Read more
New research has identified iron deficiencies in the blood as a major culprit in long COVID cases. A new report from the University of Cambridge was able to connect that low iron levels contributed to inflammation and anemia and halted healthy red blood cell production in patients just two weeks after being diagnosed with COVID-19. … Read more