Category: Health News

Study finds weight loss surgery cost disparity

A new study from the University of Georgia finds that users of public insurance are paying more for bariatric weight loss surgery compared to private insurance patients. The study, which published recently in Clinical Obesity, is the first to break down surgeries by insurance payer type—public versus private insurance—to better understand the economic burden on

Emphasizing severity of COVID-19 important for teen behaviors

(HealthDay)—For adolescents, understanding the severity of COVID-19 and valuing social responsibility are associated with acting in socially responsible ways, including more social distancing and disinfecting, according to a study published online June 29 in JAMA Pediatrics. Benjamin Oosterhoff, Ph.D., and Cara A. Palmer, Ph.D., from Montana State University in Bozeman, examined psychological factors associated with

International recommendations for nontuberculous mycobacteria

NTMs are closely related to tuberculosis bacteria and can (but do not need to) cause infectious diseases in humans. They are called “nontuberculous mycobacteria” (NTMs) to distinguish them from tuberculosis bacteria. There are approximately 200 different species and subspecies of these bacteria. Patients with bronchiectasis (dilation of the airways) are particularly affected. It is not

New PET radiotracer proven safe and effective in imaging malignant brain tumors

A first-in-human study presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2020 Annual Meeting has demonstrated the safety, favorable pharmacokinetic and dosimetry profile of 64Cu-EBRGD, a new, relatively long-lived PET tracer, in patients with glioblastomas. The radiotracer proved to be a superior, high-contrast imaging diagnostic in patients, visualizing tumors that express low or

Coronavirus: less and less people want to be vaccinated

In the fight against the novel Coronavirus, a vaccine is considered to be crucial. But the population would benefit from this also? While in April 2020, 70 percent of the people in Germany were willing to be vaccinated, the number dropped in June to 61 percent. Many people are particularly concerned with possible side effects.

Again, output restrictions in Spain due to Corona

The Corona-pandemic keeps the world in breath. More than 12 million people were infected with the novel Coronavirus, 198.546 of them in Germany. The United States reported almost daily new record numbers. The latest news on Corona-crisis in Germany, Europe and the world read in the News-Ticker of FOCUS Online. Corona-News from Germany and around

COVID-19-patient with new artificial respiration saved – Naturopathy naturopathy specialist portal

German COVID-19-patient treated for the first time with a diaphragm-therapy It comes to serious COVID-19-gradients, can be a mechanical ventilation will be required. During such ventilation, the risk of dying is particularly high. The so-called diaphragm-therapy aims to make breathing safer now. The medical staff of the University hospital of Greifswald, Germany successfully tested a

Virologists select SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate for clinical trials

Virologists at the Rega Institute at KU Leuven (Belgium) have developed a vaccine candidate that protects hamsters from infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Theirs is one of the first vaccine candidates that is proven to protect lab animals from infection. The team aims to start clinical trials next Winter. Their findings are pending peer review,

Racial minorities experience higher COVID-19-related discrimination

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, marginalized racial groups and those who wore face masks reported an increase in discrimination from people who thought they might have the virus. The online survey of people living in the United States suggests that between March and April 2020, the percentage of people who experienced discrimination related to COVID-19

Researchers study if nerve cells evolved to talk to microbes

Various diseases of the digestive tract, for example severe intestinal inflammation in humans, are closely linked to disturbances in the natural mobility of the intestine. What role the microbiome—i.e. the natural microbial community colonizing the digestive tract—plays in these rhythmic contractions of the intestine, also known as peristalsis, is currently the subject of intensive research.

Coronavirus: Tuberculosis vaccine may help in reducing Covid-19 deaths

A century-old tuberculosis vaccine may play a role in reducing death due to Covid-19 infection, a preliminary study has suggested. Researchers from the US-based the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health made the link to Bacille Calmette-Guerin, or BCG, after comparing data on Covid-19 mortality rates across the

Researchers identify possible immune targets in the SARS-CoV-2 genome

Otago researchers studying the COVID-19 virus (SARS-2) have discovered potential target points on its genome, which may contribute to future treatments for the virus. While their laboratory was locked down during the Level 4 period, Ph.D. student Ali Hosseini and Professor Alex McLellan from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology worked from their homes to

Helping children with cancer spend more time IV-pole-free

Children being treated for cancer often spend long days receiving chemotherapy intravenously or through a port. They also often require regular blood transfusions, including platelets (which are involved in clotting, and produced in bone marrow), to maintain stability and health. But the platelet administration process is often agonizingly slow, typically taking hours, which means children

COVID-19 study: face masks and coverings work – act now

Cloth face coverings, even homemade masks made of the correct material, are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19—for the wearer and those around them—according to a new study from Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science. A comprehensive study, the report investigates the effectiveness of different face mask types and coverings, including an international comparison