Health News

More new SARS-CoV-2 variants are highly likely

In a recent report posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers from the United Kingdom and Uganda reveal unique protein features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) relative to other representatives of Sarbecoviruses. The causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), SARS-CoV-2, belongs to the Betacoronavirus genus and Sarbecovirus subgenus of the […]

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Did COVID-19 Stress, Uncertainty Stall Anti-smoking Push?

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year after COVID-19 upended life for millions of Americans, there are troubling signs that the coronavirus may have also slowed progress against another deadly health threat: smoking. Fewer smokers called quit-smoking hotlines last year and some smoked more, contributing to an unusual bump in cigarette sales — all in the middle […]

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Scientists Seek COVID Treatment Answers in Cheap, Older Drugs

Editor’s note: Find the latest COVID-19 news and guidance in Medscape’s Coronavirus Resource Center. Could a decades-old antidepressant be a secret weapon against COVID? A few scientists think so, after two small studies showed that fluvoxamine, typically prescribed for obsessive-compulsive disorder, prevented serious illness in all participants who took the pills soon after developing symptoms. […]

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COVID-19 patients have higher risk of stroke, finds study

New research found patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had a higher risk of stroke, compared with patients who had similar infectious conditions such as influenza and sepsis in prior studies. Those who had an ischemic stroke were more likely to be older, male, Black race, or have high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes or an irregular […]