Category: Drugs
What is Paxlovid and how will it help the fight against coronavirus?
An infectious diseases physician answers questions on the COVID-19 pill
The dietary supplement you’re taking could be tainted with prescription medications and dangerous hidden ingredients, according to a new study
Many over-the-counter dietary supplement products – particularly those used for sexual enhancement and weight loss – are tainted with undisclosed pharmaceutical ingredients.
The FDA approved a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s, but Medicare won’t always pay for it – a doctor explains what researchers know about Biogen’s Aduhelm
The core of the issue surrounding this drug is simple: Does it actually work? Here’s an explainer on Aduhelm, the new drug to treat Alzheimer’s.
Blue States Enact New Laws to Create Abortion Havens
In March, Washington Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill prohibiting the state from taking legal action against people seeking an abortion and those who assist them, to ward off any attempts to enact a Texas-style abortion ban that calls on private citizens to sue anyone suspected of aiding an abortion.
Seizures of fentanyl-containing pills rise dramatically
The number of individual pills seized by law enforcement increased nearly 50-fold from the first quarter of 2018 to the last quarter of 2021 and the proportion of pills to total seizures more than doubled, with pills representing over a quarter of illicit fentanyl seizures by the end of 2021.
How does the immune system mobilize in response to a COVID-19 infection or a vaccine? 5 essential reads
We sought out scholars who could take our readers on deep dives into immunology and virology to help demystify these sometimes confusing, conflicting and taxing science-based questions. Here are five stories from The Conversation’s archives that highlight critical insights that we as editors and readers have gained thanks to COVID-19, and that will no doubt continue to be an important part of our pandemic lexicon.
No, you cannot ‘devaccinate’ yourself with snake venom kits, bleach or cupping
If you encounter claims like this online, you need to ask yourself four questions, to figure out whether these claims really are too good to be true.
King County marks two years of COVID outbreak, looks ahead to next phase of pandemic response
King County has gone from the epicenter of the outbreak, to now one of the nation’s highest vaccinated communities with the some of the lowest cases and death rates two years later.
CBD and parents’ attitudes about giving it to children
“Anecdotal stories of children benefiting from CBD may sound alluring but just because it’s a plant product doesn’t necessarily make it safe or effective in children.”
King County’s vaccination verification policy to end March 1st.
King County is ending the local health order requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test for entry into restaurants and bars, indoor recreational events and establishments, or outdoor events.
After the FDA issued warnings about antidepressants, youth suicides rose and mental health care dropped
FDA drug warnings can sometimes prevent life-threatening adverse effects, but that unintended consequences of these warnings are also common.
Lifesaving COVID Medications Can Be Hard to Come By
Early in the pandemic, states competed for the limited supply of ventilators, personal protective equipment and tests in a chaotic free-for-all. To avoid a repeat, the federal government is buying millions of doses of the COVID-19 therapeutic medications and allocating those to states, which in turn distribute them to pharmacies or hospitals. In many places, what is arriving is far less than the need.
Polio, Chickenpox, Measles, Now Covid. It’s Time to Consult History on School Vaccine Mandates
History holds lessons for why low vaccination rates for children are so risky and why officials should strongly consider school mandates for the covid vaccine.
Why taking fever-reducing meds and drinking fluids may not be the best way to treat flu and fever
As flu season progresses, so does the chorus of advice, professional and otherwise, to drink plenty of fluids and take fever-reducing medications, like acetaminophen, ibuprofen or aspirin. These recommendations, well-intentioned and firmly entrenched, offer comfort to those sidelined with fever, flu or vaccine side effects. But you may be surprised to learn the science supporting these recommendations is speculative at best, harmful at worst and comes with caveats.
What we know now about COVID immunity after infection – including Omicron and Delta variants
We’re starting to get a more detailed understanding of COVID immunity across variants. Here’s what we know so far . . .