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Global measles cases increase to 869,770 in 2019

Measles surged worldwide in 2019 reaching highest number of reported cases in 23 years. Highlighted in a publication by the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles cases worldwide increased to 869,770 in 2019, the highest number reported since 1996 with increases in all WHO regions.

12 Nov 2020

Researchers assess risks posed by SARS-CoV-2 to Antarctica wildlife

Researchers have assessed risks posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Antarctica wildlife.

12 Nov 2020

"Cat's claw" extract inhibits replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Researchers in Columbia and Peru have shown that Uncaria tomentosa – a woody vine native to South America known of as "Cat's claw" – exerts in vitro antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

12 Nov 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Transition interrupted

Five days after the election was called for President-elect Joe Biden, President Donald Trump has not conceded — and instead ordered his administration not to begin the transition of power.

12 Nov 2020

Common spike mutation may make SARS-CoV-2 more susceptible to a vaccine

A new study published in Science confirms that SARS-CoV-2 has mutated in a way that's enabled it to spread quickly around the world, but the spike mutation may also make the virus more susceptible to a vaccine.

12 Nov 2020

Time to discuss potentially unpleasant side effects of COVID shots? Scientists say yes.

Drugmaker Pfizer is expected to seek federal permission to release its COVID-19 vaccine by the end of November, a move that holds promise for quelling the pandemic, but also sets up a tight time frame for making sure consumers understand what it will mean to actually get the shots.

12 Nov 2020

Nursing homes still see dangerously long waits for COVID test results

Nursing homes are still taking days to get back COVID-19 test results as many shun the Trump administration's central strategy to limit the spread of the virus among old and sick Americans.

12 Nov 2020

Listen: COVID stresses rural hospitals already ‘teetering on the brink’

When KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal heard a sample of the voices that correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble brought back from her reporting trip to rural Kansas, Rosenthal said she knew the story needed to be told through audio.

12 Nov 2020

Beckman Coulter introduces new SARS-CoV-2 IgM assay in countries accepting the CE Mark

Beckman Coulter, a clinical diagnostics leader, today announced the launch of its Access SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin M assay in countries accepting the CE Mark.

From Beckman Coulter Diagnostics 12 Nov 2020

BMA: Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough brings widespread protection a step closer

BMA encouraged by vaccine ‘breakthrough’ which brings ‘widespread protection a step closer’

12 Nov 2020

Study demonstrates positive effects of ACA's Medicaid expansion on early cancer diagnosis

In an analysis published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health demonstrate positive effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion on rates of early cancer diagnosis.

12 Nov 2020

National study reveals incidents of avoidable harm in primary care

A national study* of general practices in England has revealed the frequency of incidents of significant avoidable harm in primary care, and also important new details.

12 Nov 2020

Study finds link between children's gut microbiomes and household chemicals

A team of researchers for the first time has found a correlation between the levels of bacteria and fungi in the gastrointestinal tract of children and the amount of common chemicals found in their home environment.

12 Nov 2020

Simple cloth mask significantly reduces the spread of COVID-19 respiratory droplets

A study led by UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Professor Yifang Zhu has determined that even a simple cloth mask provides significant protections against COVID-19 transmission, reducing the spread of respiratory droplets by as much as 77%.

12 Nov 2020

$Reduced lead exposure may explain the declining rates of hip fracture$

Reduced lead exposure may explain the declining rates of hip fracture

Hip fractures are one of the leading causes of hospitalization among older adults and are a strong predictor of mortality.

12 Nov 2020

New evidence shows link between finasteride and suicidality

In the last decade, concerns have emerged around finasteride, a drug used for treating male-pattern baldness and prostate gland enlargement.

11 Nov 2020

Disinfectants with "virucidal activity against enveloped viruses" effective against SARS-CoV-2

A recent study demonstrated that two commercially available surface disinfectant formulations and one hand disinfection formulation that claim "virucidal activity against enveloped viruses" are effective in inactivating the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Their study has been published on the preprint server bioRxiv.

11 Nov 2020

Host genetic "super-variants" may increase COVID-19 death risk

Researchers at Yale University have identified genetic variants among people of white British ancestry that may increase the risk of dying from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – the illness caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

11 Nov 2020

Five important questions about Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

Pfizer's announcement on Monday that its COVID-19 shot appears to keep nine in 10 people from getting the disease sent its stock price rocketing. Many news reports described the vaccine as if it were our deliverance from the pandemic, even though few details were released.

11 Nov 2020