health
ReutersPotential new malaria vaccine shows promise in Burkina Faso trial
A potential new malaria vaccine has proved highly effective in a trial in babies in Africa, pointing to it one day possibly helping reduce the death toll from the mosquito-born disease that kills up to half a million young children a year. The candidate vaccine, developed by scientists at Britain's University of Oxford and called R21/Matrix-M, showed up to 77% efficacy in the year-long trial of 450 children in Burkina Faso, researchers leading the trial said in a statement. The scientists, led by Adrian Hill, director of Oxford's Jenner Institute and also one of the lead researchers behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, said they now plan to conduct final stage trials in some 4,800 children aged between 5 months and 3 years in four African Countries.
Associated PressAsia Today: Thailand's new cases exceed 2,000, set record
Thailand’s health authorities announced Friday they have confirmed 2,070 new COVID-19 cases, a new daily record that brings the country's total to 50,183. The rising numbers are severely straining the supply of hospital beds and ICU capacity. Four more deaths were announced Friday, bringing Thailand's total to 121.
USA TODAY'The benefits outweigh the risks': It's time to allow J&J's COVID-19 vaccine again, public health experts say
A government advisory committee will meet Friday to determine whether to lift the hold on the single-dose vaccine hailed as a "game-changer."
NBC NewsHeavy marijuana use during pregnancy linked to premature birth, early infant death
As more states legalize adult use of recreational marijuana, researchers are trying to determine the drug's impact on developing brains.
NBC NewsTiny smoke particles could make wildfires particularly harmful to human health
Scientists are particularly concerned about a type of particulate matter in wildfire smoke known as PM2.5.
Good Morning AmericaWhy is infertility so painful?: Doctor and patient break down taboo women's health topic
More than 6 million women of childbearing age in the United States have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, yet infertility, and specifically the emotional and physical pain that comes with it, is still a taboo topic, even among some women. L'Oreal Thompson Payton, a 33-year-old from Chicago, said she never heard discussions about infertility and infertility treatments when she was growing up.
Good Morning America53-year-old woman carries baby for daughter, who also becomes pregnant after years of infertility
A Minnesota couple that suffered through three years of infertility welcomed two daughters over the past two months. Kelsi Pierce, 31, gave birth to her daughter, Ava, on Nov. 23, in Minnesota. Everly was delivered by Pierce's mother, Lisa Rutherford, who was the gestational carrier for the Pierces, who are Everly's biological parents.
Good Morning AmericaPandemic pregnancy fears may be sparking boom in egg freezing
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to halt plans for people around the world, women are thinking about their fertility future and taking family planning into their own hands. When the pandemic hit, Stuckless said she was able to take the time needed for the process. Stuckless joins the many women who have turned to egg freezing amid the pandemic.
ReutersOxygen gets armed escort in India as supplies run low in COVID crisis
Sirens wailing, a police convoy escorting a tanker carrying oxygen reached a hospital in India's capital just in time, to the huge relief of doctors and relatives of COVID-19 patients counting on the supply to stave off death. India on Friday posted the world's largest daily COVID-19 caseload for a second day, with 332,730 new cases and 2,263 deaths, as the pandemic spiralled out of control. A dire shortage of oxygen - essential for the survival of critical COVID patients - has meant states are closely guarding their supplies and even posting armed police at production plants to ensure security.
Associated Press'Look after my babies': In Ethiopia, a Tigray family's quest
The violence had broken out in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region at the worst possible time for Abraha and his family. Abraha pleaded with his wife, writhing from post-childbirth complications, to be silent, fearful any noise would bring gunmen to his door. “I prayed and prayed,” Abraha said.
ReutersWhat you need to know about the coronavirus right now
India reported the world's highest daily tally of coronavirus cases for a second day on Friday, surpassing 330,000 new cases, as it struggles with a health system overwhelmed by patients and plagued by accidents. The surge in cases came as a fire in a hospital in a suburb of Mumbai treating COVID-19 patients killed 13 people on Friday, the latest accident to hit a facility crowded with people infected with the coronavirus. Thailand needs to add more intensive care unit beds at hospitals to tackle an influx of COVID-19 patients, an official said on Friday, as the country struggles with a third wave of infections, the most severe it has faced up to now.
Associated PressThe Latest: 1st climber tests positive for virus on Everest
A Norwegian climber became the first to be tested for COVID-19 in the Mount Everest base camp and was flown by helicopter to Kathmandu, where he was hospitalized. Mountain guide Lukas Furtenbach, warned that if safety measures are not taken, the virus could spread among the hundreds of other climbers, guides and helpers who are now camped on the base of Everest. Furtenbach, leading a team of 18 climbers to Mount Everest and its sister peak Mount Lhotse, said there could be more than just one case on the mountain as the Norwegian had lived with several others for weeks.
ReutersJ&J COVID-19 vaccine expected to be imported to India by July - report
Johnson & Johnson's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be imported to India for "fill and finish" by June or July, financial daily Mint reported on Friday, citing ANI. Fill and finish is the final step in the manufacturing process of putting the vaccine into vials or syringes, sealing them and packaging them up for shipping. India has said it would fast-track emergency approvals for COVID-19 vaccines authorised by Western countries and Japan, paving the way for possible imports of Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna shots.
Associated PressUS drop in vaccine demand has some places turning down doses
Louisiana has stopped asking the federal government for its full allotment of COVID-19 vaccine. About three-quarters of Kansas counties have turned down new shipments of the vaccine at least once over the past month. As the supply of coronavirus vaccine doses in the U.S. outpaces demand, some places around the country are finding there's such little interest in the shots, they need to turn down shipments.
ReutersThailand says to add ICU beds after reporting record COVID-19 tally
Thailand needs to add more intensive care unit (ICU) beds at hospitals to tackle an influx of COVID-19 patients, an official said on Friday, as the country struggles with a third wave of infections, the most severe it has faced up to now. Based on a daily rate of 1,500 new cases, Thailand will only have enough ICU beds for around one more week in Bangkok and just under three weeks nationwide, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's COVID-19 task force. His warning came after Thailand reported 2,070 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest number of daily cases since the pandemic started.
Associated PressIndian hospitals plead for oxygen, country sets virus record
India put oxygen tankers on special express trains as major hospitals in New Delhi on Friday begged on social media for more supplies to save COVID-19 patients who are struggling to breathe. India’s underfunded health system is tattering as the world’s worst coronavirus surge wears out the nation, which set another global record in daily infections for a second straight day with 332,730. India has confirmed 16 million cases so far, second only to the United States in a country of nearly 1.4 billion people.
Associated PressCalifornia goes from worst to first in virus infections
Just a few months ago, California was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. Hospitals in Los Angeles were drowning in patients, and ambulances were idling outside with people struggling to breathe, waiting for beds to open. Now as cases spike in other parts of the country, California has gone from worst to first with the lowest infection rate in the U.S. even as it has moved quickly to reopen more businesses with greater customer counts and allow larger gatherings. Where people lined up hours and counties struggled to get doses, there now appears to be a glut of the shots in many locations.
ABC NewsStudy finds pregnant women with COVID-19 have higher risk of complications, death
Pregnant women with COVID-19 had a higher risk of complications and death than those who did not contract the virus, adding further evidence to the increased risks the virus poses during pregnancy, according to a new study. The global study, published Thursday in JAMA Pediatrics, found that pregnant women who contracted COVID-19 were 22 times more likely to die than pregnant women who did not contract the virus. Individuals who were symptomatic or had comorbidities, such as diabetes or were overweight, had a greater risk of complications and death, researchers said.
Business InsiderThe CDC is investigating the death of an Oregon woman who developed a rare blood clot after receiving Johnson & Johnson's vaccine
Until the investigation is complete, it cannot be concluded that her death is related to the vaccine.
Associated PressEarth Day: Rehabilitated sea turtle released in Florida Keys
Staff from the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital released a rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtle back to the ocean on Thursday to mark Earth Day. Nicknamed “Sparb,” the 125-pound (57-kilogram) sub-adult sea turtle was rescued in late January after being discovered floating offshore, unable to dive, with severe wounds and a missing front right flipper. Typically, sea turtles admitted to the facility are named by their rescuers.
Associated PressOregon: CDC investigating woman's death after J&J vaccine
Oregon health officials said Thursday that federal officials are investigating the death of a woman in her 50s who developed a rare blood clot and low platelets within two weeks of receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19. The Oregon Health Authority learned of the probe on Tuesday, two days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began the investigation, the agency said. The woman, whose name was not released, received the dose before the CDC ordered a pause on the vaccine amid concerns it could cause dangerous clots.
Business InsiderOne dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer's vaccine provides protection against COVID-19 that lasts at least 10 weeks
One dose of a Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine reduced COVID-19 infections by 65%. Two doses of Pfizer's shot reduced infections by 90%.
USA TODAYSleeping 6 hours or less per night linked to an increased risk of developing dementia later in life, study finds
Out of nearly 8,000 study participants, researchers found 521 had been diagnosed with dementia by 2016 at an average of 77.
USA TODAYBiden urges paid time off for vaccinations; Pfizer and Moderna vaccines safe for pregnant women, CDC study says: Live COVID-19 updates
About 1.8 million vaccination jabs were reported Tuesday, the lowest one-day number in two weeks. Latest COVID-19 news.
Associated PressPsychiatrist's testimony limited in newspaper shooting case
A psychiatrist at a detention center where the man who killed five people at the Capital Gazette newspaper has been held will be limited to testifying about her personal observations and won't be able to provide her opinion to jurors that he doesn't suffer from autism or show signs of needing mental health treatment, a judge ruled Thursday. Attorneys in the case of Jarrod Ramos, who has pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible due to insanity, have long been arguing over the scope of what key witnesses can testify about to jurors in the second phase of his trial, which is now scheduled for late June — three years after the attack. Dr. Andreea Adiaconitei testified during a pretrial hearing that Ramos did not show signs of mental illness or autism when he first came to the detention center.
“High-speed rail is bold and attention-grabbing, but the scale of the project makes it near impossible.”
“While a long, slow train ride across the country can be a great thing, the US needs real high-speed rail too.”
“Liberals are right that America has a car problem — but it's commutes, not road trips, that suck.”
“Investments into a high-speed rail system wouldn’t just improve the railroads — automobile traffic could also see some relief.”
“Big cities that are reasonably close together is pretty much a prerequisite for high-speed rail.”