As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe in 2020, musicians around the world were desperate for the answers to two pressing questions: Can playing musical instruments transmit COVID-19? And if so, what can be done? Now, halfway through 2021, the first official research results are in—and it’s good news: The show can go on. Published...
Health
One in Three Americans Had Covid-19 by the End of 2020
A new study published in the journal Nature estimates that 103 million Americans, or 31 percent of the U.S. population, had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by the end of 2020. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health researchers modeled the spread of the coronavirus, finding that fewer than one-quarter of infections (22%) were accounted for in cases...
Wuhan Covid-19 Study Finds Some Hospitalized Patients Still Have Health Problems After One Year
Study assessed health outcomes at six and 12 months for 1,276 COVID-19 patients who had been discharged from a hospital in Wuhan (China) between January and May 2020. Though most symptoms had resolved by 12 months, around one half of survivors still experienced at least one ongoing symptom (most commonly fatigue or muscle weakness), and...
Young Age, Housing Insecurity Primary Factors in Vaccine Hesitancy Among African Americans
A survey of mostly African American adults living in and around one of Georgia’s largest cities found that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was greatest among those age 18 to 29, investigators say. “Age is the main driver,” says Dr. Justin Xavier Moore, epidemiologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, with those 18- to 29-year-olds surveyed having 21-fold...
After India’s Brutal Coronavirus Wave, Two-Thirds of Population Has Been Exposed to SARS-CoV2
Cases of COVID-19 are surging around the world, but the course of the pandemic varies widely country to country. To provide you with a global view as we approach a year and a half since the official declaration of the pandemic, The Conversation’s editors from around the world commissioned articles looking at specific countries and...
Opioid Lawsuit Payout Plans Overlook a Vital Need: Pain Management Care and Research Focused on Smarter Use of Addictive Drugs
The opioid crisis has resulted in more than 500,000 overdose deaths over the past two decades. The federal government, states and other entities have filed litigation against drug manufacturers, suppliers and pharmacies as one approach to address the harm and suffering caused by inappropriate opioid prescribing practices. Billions of dollars of funds have since been...
Hospitals Often Outsource Important Services to Companies That Prioritize Profit Over Patients
Hospitals have long embraced the practice of outsourcing some services to specialized companies. Much of this outsourcing is for nonclinical tasks such as laundry, information technology and cybersecurity, and outsourcing those types of services can boost efficiency and quality. However, over the past few years there has been a fast-growing trend of hospitals outsourcing clinically...
How Well Did the EU Respond to the First Wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic? Experts Now Give Their Verdict
A new study in Frontiers in Public Health presents a review of expert opinions on the achievements and shortcomings of the European Union’s (EU) COVID-19 response. The aim: to draw lessons for future pandemics. In 2004, the EU created the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), precisely with the goal of coordinating cross-border...
Pfizer CEO to Public: Just Trust Us on the Covid Booster
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was confident in June about the ability of his company’s vaccine to protect against the highly contagious delta variant, as it marched across the globe and filled U.S. hospitals with patients. “I feel quite comfortable that we cover it,” Bourla said. Just weeks later, Pfizer said it would seek authorization for...
Eating for Hunger or Pleasure? Regulating These Feeding Behaviors Involves Different Brain Circuits
Many times we eat, not because we are hungry, but because of social pressures or because the food is so appetizing, that, even though we are full, we just want another bite. Overeating, whether it is guided by hunger or pleasure, typically leads to obesity, which affects about 42% of the adults in the U.S.,...