Just in time for respiratory virus season, a highly transmissible COVID-19 strain is fueling a wave of infections across the US. The XFG variant, informally known as “Stratus,” has been driving up case numbers. Stratus’ ability to evade immune system defenses has propelled it past NB.1.8.1 (aka “Nimbus”) as the dominant Covid strain. The increased … Read more
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hand-picked advisory panel declined to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for anyone on Friday — leaving it up to Americans to decide if they want the jap or not. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously to move away from broad recommendations for the vaccine and instead suggested people make individual decisions, … Read more
We asked 19 photographers to revisit their most enduring images of the coronavirus pandemic, five years after the virus became a global threat. Their photographs transport us to that bewildering period in an uncanny sort of time travel. The journalists who captured these scenes were not just covering the Covid-19 story but living through it. … Read more
Actress Danielle Vasinova died during her battle with COVID-19 — yet lived to tell the tale. The star of the “Yellowstone” prequel “1923” and the upcoming spinoff “The Madison” has revealed that her heart stopped for three minutes while hospitalized because of the disease. “On Dec. 12, 2019, I died for three minutes,” Vasinova, 42, … Read more
This tourist attraction is sick. A UK tourist stumbled upon a COVID-19 theme park with “googly-eyed” pathogen sculptures and more while exploring Vietnam, as seen in photos going viral — in every sense of the word — online. “It was such a weird experience,” Ella Ribak, 29, told South West News Service while detailing the … Read more
Scientists have discovered a surprising silver lining of COVID-19 infection. A new study by researchers at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, revealed a correlation between COVID-19 infection and cancer regression. Though doctors at Northwestern University warned that the research is still in early stages, they’re hopeful that more tests could lead … Read more
A regional public health department in Idaho is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents in six counties after a narrow decision by its board. Southwest District Health appears to be the first in the nation to be restricted from giving COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccinations are an essential function of a public health department. While policymakers … 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
Joe Rogan made fun of Prince Harry in his new Netflix special, impersonating the prince and revealing how he wants to do mushrooms with the royal so he could challenge his views on COVID-19 vaccines. In his latest comedy special, “Burn the Boats,” the controversial podcast host, 57, weighed in on a statement Harry and … 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
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
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control on Friday rolled back its longstanding five-day isolation guidance for people who come down with COVID-19. Under the updated guidelines, the CDC says those infected with the coronavirus can return to work or the public just one full day after their fever subsides. “Today’s announcement reflects the progress … Read more
Glow sticks are having a glow-up. Researchers have discovered that brightly colored party favors are perfect not just for illuminating dance floors but also for identifying biothreats. Professors at the University of Houston announced last month they are partnering with the US Navy to use the glow sticks to diagnose and detect toxins, like COVID-19. … Read more
Dr. Mom may have been right: The simple home remedy of gargling with saltwater could help fight infection. Researchers found that patients with COVID-19 who gargled with saltwater and did nasal rinses had lower hospitalization rates compared to those who did not use the home remedy. They presented the findings this week at the American College of … Read more
A baby boy’s eyes temporarily changed from dark brown to bright blue after receiving a common COVID-19 treatment. The six-month-old baby boy from Thailand was diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection after suffering a fever and a cough for a day, as detailed in a case published in the medical journal … Read more
Nearly 99% of the COVID-19 deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week were not primarily caused by the coronavirus, new data shows. According to the CDC’s COVID-19 dashboard, just 1.7% of the 324 COVID-19 deaths logged in the week ending Aug. 19 had the virus listed as the primary cause of death. The … Read more
It looks like all that day drinking caught up to us. Medical researchers have found that a jump in alcohol-related liver disease is directly linked to the COVID-19 pandemic years. There were an increasing number of cases of alcohol-related liver illness from 2016 through 2020, the researchers from Washington State University noted. But the increase … Read more
You’ve heard of “long COVID,” the cases of people who can’t shake the lingering symptoms of COVID-19. Now comes “long vax” — a rare, but baffling set of symptoms that follow a small number of people for months after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. “You see one or two patients and you wonder if it’s a … Read more
When a disease outbreak occurs, early detection is key to controlling the spread before it becomes an epidemic. A new adhesive bandage, developed by researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi, can detect the presence of disease antibodies within minutes — even before a person has symptoms. This rapid antibody-testing bandage could be an important new tool … Read more
You’d think they’d know better. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosted an “Epidemic Intelligence Service Conference” that drew 1,800 attendees to an Atlanta hotel in April. And 181 people became infected with COVID-19. The good news is, none of those infected needed to be hospitalized, the CDC reports, perhaps because over 99% of … Read more