Health

Initiating peanut oral immunotherapy in peanut-allergic children under age four may be more effective, first long term study suggests

Editorial Bureau January 20, 2022

The study included 146 peanut-allergic children and measured desensitisation (safe consumption of 5000mg peanut protein powder in a food challenge supervised by researchers after two and a half years of daily treatment) and remission (ability to repeat this food challenge 26 weeks after

Health

Global dementia cases set to triple by 2050 unless countries address risk factors

Editorial Bureau January 7, 2022

First comprehensive analysis forecasts dementia prevalence in 195 countries and territories and examines the impact of expected trends in exposure to four important risk factors—smoking, obesity, high blood sugar, and low education. By 2050, 153 million people are expected to be living with dementia worldwide, up from 57 million in 2019, largely due to population

Health

Alaska Air trims January flights to cope with virus outbreak

Editorial Bureau January 7, 2022

Alaska Airlines said Thursday it will trim its schedule by about 10% for the rest of January as it deals with “unprecedented” numbers of employees calling in sick during the current COVID-19 surge. The move by Alaska is similar to a decision last week by JetBlue Airways to cut about 1,300 flights through mid-January. Alaska’s […]

Health

The Lancet: Phase 3 trial reports one dose of Ad5-nCoV COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, including against severe disease

Editorial Bureau December 23, 2021

The Ad5-nCoV vaccine, developed in China, is 57.5% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 infection and 91.7% effective against severe COVID-19 beginning 28 days post-vaccination, according to a phase 3 randomised control trial analysis. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported, and most adverse events, including injection-site pain, headache, drowsiness,

Health

Deadline time for HealthCare.gov coverage that starts Jan. 1

Editorial Bureau December 15, 2021

WASHINGTON — Consumers seeking government-subsidized health insurance for next year have through Wednesday to sign up if they want their new plan to start Jan. 1. Independent experts say HealthCare.gov’s sign-up season doesn’t seem to be drawing as many new customers this year — 8% to 9% fewer than last year— but it’s too early […]

Health

A retro feel to Biden’s plan for covering OTC virus testing

Editorial Bureau December 15, 2021

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration’s plan for health insurers to reimburse consumers for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests echoes a bygone era when the companies processed large volumes of claims from individuals — with paper receipts. It’s unclear if the buy-first, get-paid-later approach will spur people to go out and get the tests, even with new urgency […]

Health

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine: Children with poorly controlled asthma at higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalisation and should be prioritised for vaccination

Editorial Bureau November 30, 2021

Scottish study of over 750,000 school-aged children finds 5–17 year olds with poorly controlled asthma (who have been hospitalised with asthma or prescribed two or more courses of oral steroids for asthma within the past two years) are between three to six times more likely to be hospitalised with COVID-19 compared to those without asthma. […]

Health

EU regulator authorizes Pfizer’s COVID vaccine for kids 5-11

Editorial Bureau November 26, 2021

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The European Union’s drug regulator on Thursday authorized Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for use on children from 5 to 11 years old, clearing the way for shots to be administered to millions of elementary school pupils amid a new wave of infections sweeping across the continent. It is the first time the […]

Health

THE LANCET: COVID-19 pandemic led to stark rise in depressive and anxiety disorders globally in 2020, with women and younger people most affected

Editorial Bureau October 7, 2021

First global estimates of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in 2020 suggests additional 53 million cases of major depressive disorder and 76 million cases of anxiety disorders were due to the pandemic. Women and younger people were the most affected by major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders in 2020. Countries hit hardest […]

Health

THE LANCET: Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are highly effective against COVID-19 hospitalizations for at least six months

Editorial Bureau October 5, 2021

The Lancet: Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are highly effective against COVID-19 hospitalizations for at least six months Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization for all variants, including delta, remains high (90%) for at least six months. Vaccine effectiveness against all infections of BNT162b2 waned during the six-month study