MONDAY, Aug. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The wildfire smoke now smothering wide portions of the United States isn’t just stinging eyes and tightening chests — it also might be contributing to the current surge of severe COVID-19 cases. Data from three Western states subject to frequent wildfires shows thatContinue Reading

MONDAY, Aug. 16, 2021 (HealthDay News) — COVID-19 vaccination triggers a strong immune response in people with HIV, meaning they’re likely protected against the coronavirus, a new, small study shows. “Previous research has suggested a suboptimal response to COVID-19 vaccines in people living with HIV; however, these studies did notContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Aug. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Masks are making an unwanted comeback in many parts of the United States, after new data showing that fully vaccinated people with “breakthrough” coronavirus infections carry enough virus in their bodies to pose a potential risk to the unvaccinated. But these breakthrough infectionsContinue Reading

FRIDAY, Aug. 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for teachers now has the support of the United States’ largest teachers’ union. “It is clear that the vaccination of those eligible is one of the most effective ways to keep schools safe,” Becky Pringle, president of the National EducationContinue Reading

THURSDAY, Aug. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — People fully vaccinated with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine appear to have a lower risk of a “breakthrough” infection caused by the Delta variant than those who received the Pfizer vaccine, a new, preliminary report suggests. The researchers emphasized that both vaccines still “stronglyContinue Reading

THURSDAY, Aug. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — When the antiretroviral regimen known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, was launched nearly a decade ago, patients were suddenly able to achieve near-complete protection against contracting HIV by taking just one pill a day. But there’s a big hitch: Not everyone is equallyContinue Reading