Nearly 1,200 cases reported to date.
Vaccination key to preventing severe illness
Why has COVID been so much worse this summer? The health belief model has the answer
The reason I think we’re seeing such a surge now is because people don’t believe COVID is a risk, and they also don’t understand how getting vaccinations beyond the initial vaccine series from a few years ago would protect them now.
Bird flu detected in pigs – here’s why virologists are concerned
We don’t yet know if the pig was actually infected or if it had just snuffled up some contaminated material from the birds. At the moment, this particular outbreak doesn’t seem to have spread into any other pigs.
Study analyzes bird flu that infected a farm worker
An H5N1 flu virus from an infected farm worker could transmit through airborne droplets and was lethal in mice and ferrets.
The findings emphasize the risks from the current H5N1 outbreak and the need for continued monitoring and testing.
The evolutionary benefits of being forgetful
Forgetting serves a functional purpose: Our brains are bombarded with information constantly. If we were to remember every detail, it would become increasingly difficult to retain the important information.
As Nuns Disappear, Many Catholic Hospitals Look More Like Megacorporations
The Catholic Church still governs the care that can be delivered to millions in those hospitals each year, using religious directives to ban abortions and limit contraceptives, in vitro fertilization, and medical aid in dying. But over time, that focus on margins led the hospitals to transform into behemoths that operate for-profit subsidiaries and pay their executives millions. These institutions, some of which are for-profit companies, now look more like other megacorporations than like the charities for the destitute of yesteryear.
Osteoporosis, the silent disease, can shorten your life − here’s how to prevent fractures and keep bones healthy
With some simple lifestyle changes, you can lower your risk of osteoporosis.
CDC Recommends Second Dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 Vaccine for People 65 Years and Older and for People Who are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised
The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults and those who are immunocompromised, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness and year-round circulation of COVID-19.
First case of bird flu in pig discovered on small Oregon farm
State officials announced Wednesday that a severe form of bird flu has been detected for the first time in a pig on a small farm in Crook County in central Oregon.
Deaths linked to chatbots show we must urgently revisit what counts as ‘high-risk’ AI
Last week, the tragic news broke that US teenager Sewell Seltzer III took his own life after forming a deep emotional attachment to an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot on the Character.AI website.
As his relationship with the companion AI became increasingly intense, the 14-year-old began withdrawing from family and friends, and was getting in trouble at school.
Americans own guns to protect themselves from psychological as well as physical threats
Contemporary American gun ownership may have conflicting messages embedded within it. First, a gun is a thing you can use to bolster your fundamental psychological needs to feel safe, to feel in control and to feel like you matter and belong. Second, having a gun focuses your attention on the dangers of the world.
A Woman Died After Being Told It Would Be a “Crime” to Intervene in Her Miscarriage at a Texas Hospital
Josseli Barnica is one of at least two pregnant Texas women who died after doctors delayed emergency care. She’d told her husband that the medical team said it couldn’t act until the fetal heartbeat stopped
What you need to know about clonazepam, the drug found in Liam Payne’s hotel room
Although there has been a general fall in the use of benzodiazepines, clonazepam has bucked that trend. The reason for this is unclear, but it could be the drug’s potency. It is not without reason that on the street it is sometimes referred to as “super Valium”.
Playing in mud and dirt can boost your child’s immune system – here’s how
Evidence suggests that exposure to the microbes in dirt might actually help children develop stronger immune systems – and may even decrease their risk of developing allergies and autoimmune diseases.
What are house dust mites and how do I know if I’m allergic to them?
House dust mite allergy symptoms often build up over months, or even years before people seek help. But an accurate diagnosis means you can not only access the right treatment – it’s also vital for minimising exposure.