Category: Health News

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: The role of mental health experts

Mental health professionals may be uniquely positioned to address a wide range of concerns, including vaccine hesitancy. This hesitancy must be overcome to boost vaccination rates and recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Without adequate vaccination, it is not possible to achieve herd immunity. Given that uptake of vaccines is low among young adults —

SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant may be less severe than the delta variant

A team of scientists from South Africa has recently demonstrated that individuals infected with the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are less likely to develop severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to those infected with the beta or delta variant. The study is currently available on the Lancet preprint server.

New neural network for more accurate DNA editing

Russian bioinformaticians have proposed a new neural network architecture capable of evaluating how well a guide RNA has been chosen for a gene editing experiment. Their approach will facilitate more efficient DNA modification with the popular CRISPR/Cas method and therefore will help develop new strategies for creating genetically modified organisms and find ways of treating

Promoting exercise rehabilitation as new and powerful tool for managing symptoms of multiple sclerosis

Citing recent evidence, experts in rehabilitation research advocate for integrating exercise into the care plans of persons with multiple sclerosis. The central role of neurologists in clinical care offers an opportunity for them to promote exercise as fundamental for managing the physical and cognitive symptoms of MS. The article, “The neurologist as an agent of

SARS-CoV-2 infection can produce self-attacking autoantibodies

Infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 can trigger an immune response that lasts well beyond the initial infection and recovery-;even among people who had mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, according to Cedars-Sinai investigators. The findings are published in the Journal of Translational Medicine. When people are infected with a virus or other

Investigating climate change and mental health

Researchers have explored the relationship between climate change and mental health in a major literature review. The authors found a significant amount of research demonstrating how climate change poses risks to mental health. However, they conclude that more research is needed to explore how to mitigate these risks. A major literature review highlights the connections

Keeping the aging brain connected with words and music

In an era of seemingly endless panaceas for age-based mental decline, navigating through the clutter can be a considerable challenge. However, a team of Duke researchers, led by cognitive neuroscientist Edna Andrews, Ph.D., think they may have found a robust and long-term solution to countering this decline and preventing pathologies in an aging brain. Their

A gardening columnist’s three garden resolutions for 2021

This New Year, I’m skipping the traditional triumvirate – get fit, lose weight, drink less – to focus on the garden. My resolutions are these: Quit feeling guilty All too often plants and plantings don’t turn out the way we’d hoped. They are too big, too small, wrong colour, wrong habitat, sick – and sometimes

Access to basic integrative healthcare services increases breast cancer patient's chance of survival

Breast cancer patients treated at hospitals and health systems that educate patients and provide integrative health services have a better chance of survival compared to those treated at institutions with few of these resources, according to a new study published in the Journal of Oncology. Integrative health services include complementary and lifestyle therapies, such as

Kintor Says Interim Analysis of COVID-19 Trial Misses Criteria

(Reuters) – China’s Kintor Pharmaceutical Ltd said data from a Phase III clinical trial for its potential COVID-19 treatment proxalutamide in non-hospitalised patients did not meet statistical criteria in the interim analysis due to the low number of hospitalisations. “In a trial that had enrolled 384 people for interim analysis, a limited number of participants

Hard-hit by COVID, Israel’s ultra-Orthodox slow to get shots

Yossi Levy has repeatedly booked and canceled his coronavirus vaccine appointment. The 45-year-old ultra-Orthodox Jew recovered from the virus earlier this year, as have his eight children and wife. But a combination of lethargy and procrastination has prevented him from following through and getting inoculated. “It isn’t something pressing. I’m not opposed to it. It’s