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In a time of COVID-19, ‘Obamacare’ still part of the action

COVID-19 could have stamped a person “uninsurable” if not for the COVID-19 and tried to purchase an individual health insurance policy could be turned down, charged higher premiums or have follow-up care excluded from coverage. Those considered vulnerable because of conditions such as respiratory problems or early-stage diabetes would have run into a wall of

Fears of virus seem far away as stores reopen in rural US

Traffic got a little busier along Main Street, but otherwise, it was hard to tell that coronavirus restrictions were ending in the tiny Montana town of Roundup. That’s because it’s largely business as usual in the town of 1,800 people. Nonessential stores could reopen as a statewide shutdown ended this week, but most shops in

What I Learned as a 17-Year-Old Girl in Boy Scouts of America

Back in 2017, the Boy Scouts of America announced that they would begin allowing girls to join; in 2018, they announced their decision to remove the word “Boy” from their common program name. At the time, Michelle Harris, whose daughter Mackenzie Harris made history in the very first class of girls to join the historically

This Is Newborn Photography in the Age of Social Distancing

Photographer Alison Reynolds was supposed to be photographing the birth of her best friend’s second child last week. As you can probably guess, those plans had to change, due to social-distancing and new hospital rules. But sometimes, the most beautiful portraits happen in unexpected ways. Shelle Whisenhunt welcomed baby Paulson Riggs into a difficult world.

Reducing the risk to children’s health in flood-prone areas of India

Monsoon rainfall has become more unpredictable in India. Floods and droughts have become more common and pose multiple risks to human health and wellbeing, with children under five being particularly vulnerable. New research finds that more assistance needs to be provided to communities in flood-prone areas to protect children under five from undernutrition. Little is

Love in the time of coronavirus: 5 tips for communicating with your partner while stuck at home

Many of us are several weeks into stay-at-home directives from our governments and health officials. For many, social distancing means sharing a confined space with romantic partners while navigating new stressful issues including sudden unemployment, working from home, child care and the never ceasing uncertainty. Unsurprisingly, there are reports of divorce rates skyrocketing in China

How effective is quarantine alone or in combination with other public health measures to control coronavirus (COVID-19)?

Today, Cochrane publishes a new Rapid Review looking at quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The review summarizes evidence available from modelling studies that show how quarantining affects the spread of COVID-19. The studies included in the review consistently conclude that quarantine can play a role in controlling the spread of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. While early implementation

Hydroxychloroquine can shorten time to recovery in COVID-19: study

(HealthDay)—Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) can shorten time to clinical recovery and promote pneumonia absorption among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to a study that has not yet been peer reviewed and was posted online March 31 at medRxiv.org. Zhaowei Chen, from the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University in China, and colleagues examined the efficacy of

Care for the caregiver in the age of coronavirus

While staying at home to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 can be challenging, doing so as someone who’s providing in-home care for vulnerable adults comes with added complications. There are more than 43 million caregivers in the U.S. providing unpaid care for those 65 and older with a variety of physical and cognitive limitations.

Suspect cells’ ‘neighbor’ implicated in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer kills more than 50,000 people a year in the United States alone, but scientists have struggled to find the exact mechanisms that trigger the growth of tumors in the intestine. Cancer researchers have zeroed in on a tightly sequestered group of stem cells within the intestine as suspects in the development of colon

Virus prevention measures turn violent in parts of Africa

Police fired tear gas at a crowd of Kenyan ferry commuters as the country’s first day of a coronavirus curfew slid into chaos. Elsewhere, officers were captured in mobile phone footage whacking people with batons. Virus prevention measures have taken a violent turn in parts of Africa as countries impose lockdowns and curfews or seal

Gene mutation enhances cognitive flexibility in mice, study suggests

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered in mice what they believe is the first known genetic mutation to improve cognitive flexibility—the ability to adapt to changing situations. The gene, KCND2, codes for a protein that regulates potassium channels, which control electrical signals that travel along neurons. The electrical signals stimulate chemical messengers

2009 to 2015 saw increase in hyperglycemic events

(HealthDay)—From 2009 to 2015, there were increases in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS) events among adults, according to a study published online March 11 in Diabetes Care. Stephen R. Benoit, M.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues characterized emergency department visits and inpatient admissions with

Pets may protect against suicide in older people

It’s a sad fact that suicide rates among people over 60 are the highest of any age group in Australia, but a new study published today from the University of South Australia has found an unexpected savior—pets. The mere presence of a dog, cat, or even birds can be enough to stop some older people