health
NBC News‘Left behind’: For those with weakened immune systems, vaccines have not provided same freedoms
For many people with weakened immune systems, vaccines have not offered the same degree of relief and return to normalcy as they have for those with no underlying health conditions.
CBS NewsFDA weighs myocarditis risk in review of Pfizer COVID vaccine for kids
The analysis was posted late Friday ahead of a meeting of the agency's vaccine advisers to discuss the benefits and risks of vaccinating younger children.
USA TODAYCDC adds mental health disorders to list of conditions linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19. Here's why.
The CDC added mental health disorders last week to the list of underlying medical conditions associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19.
USA TODAYWhy is fentanyl so dangerous? The illicit drug has ruined lives during COVID pandemic
Overdose deaths tied to fentanyl have increased in the last five years and since the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's why the drug is so dangerous.
Business InsiderPregnant women pass fewer coronavirus antibodies to unborn boys than girls - a clue as to why men are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19
The researchers also found that pregnant women carrying baby boys had fewer antibodies to the virus than pregnant women carrying baby girls.
NBC NewsNew variant? No masks? The U.K. is a Covid outlier again — here's what's driving the surge
NBC News investigated the factors driving Britain's surge and the lessons that can be gleaned from the country's experience of vaccinating and reopening early.
Associated PressRussian COVID spike persists, setting new death record
Russia is reporting a record high number of coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths as the country approaches a week of nonworking days aimed at stemming the sharp surge in cases. The national coronavirus task force said Saturday that 1,075 people had died from the virus in the past day and that 37,678 new infections were tallied — the largest single-day numbers of the pandemic. The daily death toll is about 33% higher than that recorded in late September and infection cases have risen by about 70% in the past month.
ReutersGerman COVID-19 infections at highest since mid-May
Germany recorded the highest incidence of coronavirus infections since mid-May on Saturday, reaching the threshold of 100 cases per 100,000 in the past seven days that used to be the yardstick for imposing a strict lockdown. However, Health Minister Jens Spahn noted that Germany could cope much better now due to vaccination, although he said restrictions like mask wearing and limits on indoor activity for unvaccinated people would stay until next spring. The seven-day incidence rate of cases - which until August was used to decide whether to impose more stringent COVID-19 curbs - rose to 100 on Saturday from 95 on Friday, the Robert Koch Institute responsible for disease control said.
CBS NewsLawmaker tests positive for COVID hours after voting on House floor
He was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center "out of an abundance of caution," his office said.
ABC NewsWalmart recalls aromatherapy spray linked to rare bacterial illness, 2 deaths
Walmart has recalled an aromatherapy spray after it identified a bacteria in the product that has now been linked to four illnesses and two deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it had identified the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei in the aromatherapy spray. The spray, “Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones," was found Oct. 6 in the home of a Georgia resident who became ill with melioidosis in late July, according to the CDC.
ReutersTunisia imposes COVID-19 vaccine pass on Tunisians and all foreign visitors
TUNIS (Reuters) -Tunisia is imposing COVID-19 vaccine passes on Tunisians and all foreign visitors, a presidential decree showed on Friday. The pass will also be required to enter cafes, restaurants, hotels and tourist establishments, it said. The decree showed that the jobs of employees who did not receive vaccination in the public and private sectors will be suspended until the vaccine pass is presented.
Associated PressCOVID takes a bite from Bazoulé’s cult of sacred crocodiles
BAZOULÉ, Burkina Faso (RNS) — The small live chicken, offered as a lure to get the crocodile to come out of the lake, barely convinced the massive male reptile to the water’s edge. The croc, himself the lure for the sprinkling of visitors who had come 20 miles from the capital, Ouagadougou, to pose with the beings held sacred by locals, seemed disinterested in tourists and chicken alike. A recent visit confirmed that there were more crocodiles lounging on the shore of the holy lake than cars in the parking lot.
ReutersU.S. administers nearly 412 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC
Those figures are up from the 411,010,650 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Thursday out of 498,702,405 doses delivered. The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech, as well as Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine. About 12 million people received a booster dose of either Pfizer or Moderna's vaccine since Aug. 13, when the United States authorized a third dose of the vaccines for people with compromised immune systems who are likely to have weaker protection from the two-dose regimens.
ReutersCOVID-19 vaccines not linked to pregnancy loss; mixing vaccines may confer greater protection
Two studies in major medical journals add to evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are safe before and during pregnancy. One study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, tracked nearly 18,500 pregnant women in Norway, including about 4,500 who had miscarriages. Researchers found no link between COVID-19 vaccines and risk of first-trimester miscarriage, regardless of whether the vaccines were from Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech, or AstraZeneca.
The ConversationAn infectious disease expert explains new federal rules on 'mix-and-match' vaccine booster shots
Discuss with your doctor whether or not you need a booster – and if so, which vaccine will work best for you. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News via Getty ImagesMany Americans now have the green light to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster – and the flexibility to receive a different brand than the original vaccine they received. On the heels of the Food and Drug Administration’s Sept. 22, 2021, emergency use authorization of a third dose – or “booster shot” – of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine for certai
Yahoo LifeMiami private school asks vaccinated students to stay home for 30 days, Tennessee school gets 'anti-COVID' entry tunnels
Miami's Centner Academy is facing scrutiny for its reported policy toward vaccinated students, and a Tennessee school plans to install "anti-COVID entry tunnels" after a gift from an alumnus.
Associated PressAromatherapy spray linked to US deaths faces recall
U.S. health officials may have solved the mystery of how four people in different states came down with a serious tropical disease even though none had traveled internationally: an aromatherapy spray imported from India. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that investigators found the same type of bacteria that causes the disease, melioidosis, in a spray bottle found in one of the patients' homes. The contaminated product is labeled “Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones,” the CDC said.
ReutersRoche's implant for chronic eye disorder wins U.S. approval
(Reuters) -Roche Holding AG on Friday won approval from the U.S. health regulator for its eye implant to treat a chronic disorder causing blurred vision, giving patients an alternative to receiving monthly eye injections with existing treatments. The surgically implantable device Susvimo is intended to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a disorder caused by the leak of fluid or blood from abnormal blood vessels into an area near the retina called the macula. The device is designed to continuously deliver a customized version of the Swiss company's drug ranibizumab, branded as Lucentis, which is an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy.
Associated PressRomania revives restrictions as hospitals struggle, jabs lag
Doctor Petruta Filip is working 100-hour weeks at a Bucharest hospital which, like hospitals throughout Romania, is struggling under an onslaught of COVID-19 patients in a country with worryingly low vaccination rates. The European Union country of around 19 million has only 35% of its adults fully inoculated against COVID-19 compared to an EU average of 74%, and is the second-least vaccinated nation in the 27-nation bloc in front of Bulgaria. In an attempt Friday to curb the deadly surge and relieve pressure on hospitals, authorities approved tighter restrictions set to take effect on Monday.
ReutersExplainer-Americans wonder: Which COVID-19 booster is best?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday said individuals who qualify could choose a different vaccine from the one they received for their initial inoculation. The CDC now recommends that everyone 18 and older who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months earlier should receive any one of the authorized COVID-19 boosters. Those who got either of the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna who are 65 or older are eligible for a booster.
ReutersWalmart recalls 3,900 room sprays due to possible dangerous bacteria
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tested a version of the Better Homes and Gardens-branded spray and found Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes the potentially fatal condition melioidosis. The CDC has been investigating four confirmed cases of melioidosis, including two deaths, the CPSC said https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Walmart-Recalls-Better-Homes-and-Gardens-Essential-Oil-Infused-Aromatherapy-Room-Spray-with-Gemstones-Due-to-Rare-and-Dangerous-Bacteria-Two-Deaths-Investigated.
CBS NewsPfizer says COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5-11 was over 90% effective
A panel of the FDA's vaccine advisers will be discussing the data on Tuesday.
Associated PressBelarus scraps short-lived mask mandates amid virus surge
Belarusian authorities on Friday abolished mask mandates, less than two weeks after their introduction for the first time during the pandemic and a day after the country registered a record number of new coronavirus infections. The decision came after Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed the measures as unnecessary during a meeting with officials earlier this week. “It’s just over the top to send police to track down those who aren’t wearing masks,” Lukashenko said.
ReutersWalmart, Walgreens U.S. stores roll out Moderna, J&J COVID-19 booster shots
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday recommended J&J and Moderna's booster shots and said Americans can choose a different shot from their original inoculation as a booster. CVS Health Corp also said booster shots of Moderna's vaccine were available at select stores, but not J&J's. In August, the company stopped offering J&J shots at its pharmacies.
Business InsiderAll the differences between COVID-19 vaccines, summarized in a simple table
This table shows the important differences between COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca.
“Like tobacco, Facebook is a dangerous product one uses at one’s own risk.”
“A key reason why this latest scandal feels more significant is that politicians on both sides of the aisle feel deceived.”
“These are clearly problems of scale, which Facebook has had many years to deal with and has been fundamentally unable to.”
“We need to recognize the danger we’re in. We need to shake the notion that Facebook is a normal company.”
“Facebook is in trouble … It’s a cloud of existential dread that hangs over an organization whose best days are behind it.”