• Health Highlights: Feb. 26, 2021

    Single Dose of Pfizer COVID Vaccine Highly Effective in Previously Infected People A single dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine provides strong protection against the new coronavirus in people who’ve already been infected, two new British studies...

    • Posted February 26, 2021
    • 11
  • Pandemic Is Hitting Hospitals Hard, Including Their Bottom Line

    U.S. hospitals are expected to lose billions again in 2021, leaving them in dire financial shape as the COVID-19 pandemic guts the industry for a second year. Hospitals could lose $53 billion to $122 billion in revenue...

    • Posted February 26, 2021
    • 15
  • Common Antidepressants Won’t Raise Risk for Bleeding Strokes: Study

    The most widely prescribed antidepressants in the United States don’t appear to increase the risk of the deadliest type of stroke, according to a new preliminary study. It examined the association between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)...

    • Posted February 26, 2021
    • 5
  • Hair Salon Talk Can Spread COVID, But Face Shields Cut the Danger

    Just having a chat in a hair salon can spread the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, a new study finds. The same is likely true in many health care settings, the same research showed. Most research on exhaled...

    • Posted February 26, 2021
    • 0
  • Menthols Lured 10 Million Americans to Smoking Since 1980: Study

    Menthol cigarettes helped lure about 10 million extra Americans into smoking over 38 years, with often deadly results, according to a new study. Researchers also concluded that menthol cigarettes were responsible for 378,000 premature deaths in the...

    • Posted February 26, 2021
    • 11
  • As Climate Change Lengthens Allergy Season, Pollen Travels Farther

    If you suffer the itchy, sneezy, wheezy consequences of seasonal allergies, you’re probably painfully aware that pollen season is starting earlier and lasting longer than ever. It’s an upshot of climate change, and new research from Germany...

    • Posted February 25, 2021
    • 14
  • Masks Vital to Stopping COVID at Gyms, Studies Show

    If you think you can safely exercise without your mask in a gym during the pandemic, two new government reports show you are mistaken. Coronavirus outbreaks at fitness centers in Chicago and Honolulu last summer were likely...

    • Posted February 25, 2021
    • 5
  • Alzheimer’s May Strike Women and Men in Different Ways

    The ravages of Alzheimer’s may strike later in women than men, but once it takes hold women tend to deteriorate far faster than men, according to a new study. Something known as cognitive reserve helps the aging...

    • Posted February 25, 2021
    • 5
  • Mediterranean Diet Could Keep Aging Brains Sharp

    Helping your brain stay sharp with age may be as simple as changing up the food on your plate at dinnertime, a new study suggests. The study focused on the healthy “Mediterranean” diet, a regimen reliant on...

    • Posted February 25, 2021
    • 17
  • Why Is Liver Cancer More Lethal for Black Patients?

    Black people with hepatitis C develop liver cancer sooner than people in other racial groups and the cancer is often more aggressive, but current screening guidelines may not be broad enough to catch these cases early, according...

    • Posted February 25, 2021
    • 9