Health News

Climate crisis is ‘single biggest health threat facing humanity,’ WHO says, calling on world leaders to act
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Climate crisis is ‘single biggest health threat facing humanity,’ WHO says, calling on world leaders to act

Oct 11, 2021 5:00 am
By Jacqueline Howard and Rachel Ramirez, CNN

The World Health Organization, in a new special report, is calling for governments and policymakers to “act with urgency” on the climate and health crises. The report describes climate change as the “single biggest health threat facing humanity,” and outlines 10 recommended climate and health actions along with the research in support of why each…

Merck seeks FDA emergency use authorization for antiviral Covid-19 treatment molnupiravir
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Merck seeks FDA emergency use authorization for antiviral Covid-19 treatment molnupiravir

Oct 11, 2021 12:01 am
By Jamie Gumbrecht and Maggie Fox, CNN

Merck said Monday it is seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for its experimental antiviral Covid-19 treatment, molnupiravir. If authorization is granted, the drug, made by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, would be the first oral antiviral treatment to fight Covid-19. It comes in capsule form. Merck said it is asking for authorization…

Covid-19 vaccine mandates work, Dr. Anthony Fauci says
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Covid-19 vaccine mandates work, Dr. Anthony Fauci says

Oct 10, 2021 7:20 pm
By Madeline Holcombe, Maggie Fox and Holly Yan, CNN

The nation’s top infectious disease expert says vaccine mandates work and they’ll help get more people vaccinated against Covid-19. About a quarter of the eligible US population remains unvaccinated against coronavirus and the rate of people getting booster shots is now outpacing the rate of people getting their first doses. Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s…

Studies show Covid-19 worsens pregnancy complication risk
Hannah Beier/Reuters

Studies show Covid-19 worsens pregnancy complication risk

Oct 10, 2021 1:07 pm
By Jen Christensen, CNN

Pregnant women who develop Covid-19 symptoms risk emergency complications and other problems with their pregnancies, according to two new studies. The disease also puts their children at risk. The first study showed that pregnant women with symptomatic Covid-19 had a higher percentage of emergency complications when compared to those who tested positive but didn’t have…

These simple ways to focus on your mental health can make a huge difference

These simple ways to focus on your mental health can make a huge difference

Oct 10, 2021 12:11 am
By John Duffy, CNN

On this World Mental Health Day, the second of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is clear that people — most people — are struggling. Across cultures, we were experiencing plenty of mental health issues well before the pandemic, including — but not limited to — undue stress and anxiety, poor self-esteem, eating issues, and family strife.…

The rate of Covid-19 cases is dropping nationally but rising in these 5 states
CNN

The rate of Covid-19 cases is dropping nationally but rising in these 5 states

Oct 9, 2021 10:00 pm
By Aya Elamroussi and Holly Yan, CNN

The big picture for Covid-19 in the US is looking a little brighter as new infections and hospitalizations decline. “That’s the good news. And hopefully it’s going to continue to go in that trajectory downward,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “But we just have to be…

Is it safe to go trick-or-treating this Halloween? An expert weighs in
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Is it safe to go trick-or-treating this Halloween? An expert weighs in

Oct 9, 2021 12:02 am
By Katia Hetter, CNN

The pandemic is making me think about Halloween costumes and candy earlier than ever. I am also wondering what my busy block will be doing. Will the couple at the end of my street have the player piano going as they hand out treats? Or will they go dark, as they did last year, worried…

With more Covid-19 booster shots on the horizon, one expert says mixing and matching doses may be an effective approach
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With more Covid-19 booster shots on the horizon, one expert says mixing and matching doses may be an effective approach

Oct 8, 2021 9:31 pm
By Aya Elamroussi, CNN

Amid the growing prospect of more Covid-19 booster shots becoming available, an expert has suggested that some people could receive a dose of a different vaccine from the one they initially received. “I hope that when the FDA and CDC review data around Moderna and Johnson & Johnson that they will allow a mix-and-match approach,”…

Don’t panic if you get swollen lymph nodes after a vaccine booster. But be aware if you’re due for a mammogram, doctors say
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Don’t panic if you get swollen lymph nodes after a vaccine booster. But be aware if you’re due for a mammogram, doctors say

Oct 8, 2021 2:11 pm
By Holly Yan, CNN

Some people who recently got a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine are noticing swollen lymph nodes. Don’t panic, doctors say. Swollen lymph nodes caused by vaccination are temporary, harmless and a sign that the vaccine is working. But to avoid unnecessary anxiety and uncertainty, women planning to get a mammogram should know that swollen lymph…

CDC vaccine advisers schedule meetings to discuss booster shots, vaccines for kids
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CDC vaccine advisers schedule meetings to discuss booster shots, vaccines for kids

Oct 8, 2021 8:09 am
By Maggie Fox, CNN

Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have planned two meetings in the coming weeks to discuss more Covid-19 vaccine boosters, as well as Pfizer’s application for emergency use authorization for its vaccine for children 5-11. “CDC’s independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) plans to meet on Wednesday and Thursday…

Facebook went offline this week. Experts say we should log out, too
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Facebook went offline this week. Experts say we should log out, too

Oct 8, 2021 12:35 am
By Francesca Giuliani-Hoffman, CNN

For nearly six hours on Monday, the world experienced a forced break from Facebook’s social networking tools. We lived to tell the tale. But how did we feel in the process? Although relatively short, the Facebook outage showed “how reliant we are on social media in different ways to distract ourselves, to escape, to connect,…

These Southern states have fully vaccinated less than a third of eligible adolescents. That gap could widen with younger children, expert says
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These Southern states have fully vaccinated less than a third of eligible adolescents. That gap could widen with younger children, expert says

Oct 7, 2021 9:51 pm
By Aya Elamroussi and Maggie Fox, CNN

With federal health officials set to consider Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 years and older, most Americans are slated to qualify for a shot soon. But a widening gap between vaccination rates could slow the country’s progress in its fight against Covid-19, an expert warned Thursday. For 12- to 17-year-olds, a key demographic that…

More people are getting Covid-19 vaccine boosters than getting their first shots, CDC data shows
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More people are getting Covid-19 vaccine boosters than getting their first shots, CDC data shows

Oct 7, 2021 3:26 pm
By Virginia Langmaid and Naomi Thomas, CNN

Mark Warschauer, a professor of education at the University of California, Irvine, was “tremendously excited” about the authorization of Covid-19 vaccines, and happy when he became eligible to get his first doses. And he was at the front of the line to get a booster, too. “We were very concerned about Covid,” he told CNN.…

Covid-19 caused nine times more deaths in those with learning difficulties, study finds
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Covid-19 caused nine times more deaths in those with learning difficulties, study finds

Oct 7, 2021 1:02 pm
By Jack Guy, CNN

People with learning difficulties died from Covid-19 at a rate nine times higher than the general population during the first wave of the pandemic in the UK, worsening existing inequalities, according to a new study. In fact people with nine different mental health conditions and intellectual disabilities experienced higher mortality from Covid-19 during the period,…

Fewer Covid-19 hospitalizations, more vaccinations show US may be turning corner in pandemic but experts warn: ‘We’re still in two Americas’
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Fewer Covid-19 hospitalizations, more vaccinations show US may be turning corner in pandemic but experts warn: ‘We’re still in two Americas’

Oct 7, 2021 12:20 pm
By Jacqueline Howard, CNN

More than 100,000 hospital beds were filled with Covid-19 patients across the United States, with patients occupying more than 30% of the beds in intensive care units nationwide. An average of 159,000 coronavirus infections was recorded each day and physical brawls broke out over vaccine requirements and mask mandates. That was America about a month…

Here’s what having a Covid-19 vaccine for children might mean for your kids
Matt Rourke/AP

Here’s what having a Covid-19 vaccine for children might mean for your kids

Oct 7, 2021 12:10 pm
By Maggie Fox, CNN

Pfizer said Thursday it’s asked the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize use of a low-dose version of its Covid-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11. It would be the first Covid-19 vaccine for younger children. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is approved for people age 16 and older and has emergency use authorization for children…

Here’s how one college system kept Covid-19 cases down as they surged throughout the state
Courtesy University of Maine

Here’s how one college system kept Covid-19 cases down as they surged throughout the state

Oct 7, 2021 2:48 am
By Mallory Simon, CNN

Students began flocking back to the six campuses of the University of Maine this fall hoping for a more normal college experience, one without shutdowns or Zoom classes. As those tens of thousands of students returned to residence halls and into full classrooms, university leaders hoped the measures they put in place would keep Covid-19…