Officials say more areas of U.S. may see mask recommendations
WASHINGTON — Covid-19 cases are increasing in the United States – and could get even worse over the coming months, federal health officials warned Wednesday in urging areas hardest hit to consider reissuing calls for indoor masking. Increasing numbers of covid-19 infections and hospitalizations are putting more of the country...
Moms seeking formula tire of those who say, just breastfeed
As Morgan Fabry drives around Chicago looking for baby formula that is in short supply, she can’t help but be bothered by comments from people who don’t understand why she can’t breastfeed. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life by major medical entities like the World...
Traveling this summer? CDC recommends testing for covid-19 in days before flying
If you are traveling internationally or within the United States this summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you test for covid-19 in the days before flying. The agency’s recommendation for all travelers regardless of vaccination status came in an update to its covid-19 testing website on May...
1 in 9 covid hospital patients die or get readmitted within 30 days, study finds
One in 9 hospitalized covid-19 patients die or get readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of being sent home, a new study has found. Deaths were observed more often in men, older individuals, those with comorbidities and people who had a history of prior hospital stays, according to the...
Mothers searching for formula finding store shelves are bare
The Enfamil formula Katie Feola feeds her 10-month-old daughter, Grace, has been getting scarce over the last few weeks. The Delmont woman noticed four months ago that there seemed to be less available. The family would sometimes go weeks without seeing any at a store. “Now it’s like months that...
Parents swap, sell baby formula amid nationwide shortage
WASHINGTON — A baby formula shortage in the United States is driving parents to swap, sell and offer leftover supplies to each other, while President Joe Biden plans to speak with manufacturers and retailers Thursday about the plight facing families. The problem is the result of supply chain disruptions and...
The tiniest babies: Shifting the boundary of life earlier
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Michelle Butler was just over halfway through her pregnancy when her water broke and contractions wracked her body. She couldn’t escape a terrifying truth: Her twins were coming much too soon. Dr. Brian Sims entered the delivery room and gently explained that babies born so early likely...
U.S. overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
NEW YORK — More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday. The provisional 2021 total translates to roughly one U.S. overdose death every 5 minutes. It marked a 15%...
Pandemic gets tougher to track as covid testing plunges
Testing for covid-19 has plummeted across the globe, making it much tougher for scientists to track the course of the pandemic and spot new, worrisome viral mutants as they emerge and spread. Experts say testing has dropped by 70 to 90% worldwide from the first to the second quarter of...
Judge to decide how much pharmacies owe over opioid crisis
CLEVELAND — How much money should CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies pay two Ohio counties in damages to help them ease the effects of the opioid crisis? That’s the question in front of a federal judge in Cleveland, who will begin hearing testimony on Tuesday after a jury found the...
‘POGOH,’ new Bike Share Pittsburgh system, features e-bikes
Pittsburgh hills can be challenging on a bicycle, and Bike Share Pittsburgh is helping ease the stress of riding up the Burgh’s steepest inclines. On Friday, it launched “POGOH,” a replacement for the city’s Healthy Ride bike share system, which began rolling in 2015. POGOH includes a collection of new...
Rare cases of covid returning pose questions for Pfizer pill
WASHINGTON — As more doctors prescribe Pfizer’s powerful covid-19 pill, new questions are emerging about its performance, including why a small number of patients appear to relapse after taking the drug. Paxlovid has become the go-to option against covid-19 because of its at-home convenience and impressive results in heading off...
CDC probing 109 liver illnesses in kids, including 5 deaths
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials are looking into more than 100 possible cases of a mysterious and severe liver disease in children, including five deaths. About two dozen states reported suspected cases after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a call for doctors to be on...
Women of Alle-Kiski Engaging to hold session on finding work-life balance
As she wrote prescriptions for her patients, Dr. Danielle Godinez decided to pen a new script for her well-being, figuratively. She was living the hectic life of an ambulatory medicine physician: seeing patients every 15 minutes, filling out mounds of paperwork and logging long hours. Godinez walked out of that...
FDA limits use of Johnson & Johnson covid vaccine over blood clot risks, agency says
The use of Johnson and Johnson’s covid-19 vaccine, also known as Janssen, has been limited to “certain individuals” over rare blood clot risks, the Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday. It’s now limited to those 18 and older “for whom other authorized or approved covid-19 vaccines are not accessible or...
Pa. health department transitions to weekly covid updates
The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Wednesday began providing covid-19 updates on a weekly basis rather than daily. Numbers of new covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths still are being provided on the department’s online dashboard, but it now will update once a week. “The covid-19 pandemic is not over, and...
U.S. pediatricians’ group moves to abandon race-based guidance
For years, pediatricians have followed flawed guidelines linking race to risks for urinary infections and newborn jaundice. In a new policy announced Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics said it is putting all its guidance under the microscope to eliminate “race-based” medicine and resulting health disparities. A re-examination of AAP...
1st case of human bird flu infection confirmed in Colorado
A Colorado prison inmate has tested positive for bird flu in the first recent confirmed case of a human infected with the disease that has resulted in the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys, but federal officials say they still see little threat to the general public. The U.S....
‘Our little miracle’: Pitcairn couple celebrates 1st Mother’s Day after long wait
The image captures vials, needles and medicine bottles in the shape of a heart surrounding a photo of a baby’s sonogram and a onesie. It’s a photo that shows the depth of her parents’ love for baby Everly Journey. Her mom and dad waited more than a decade to hear...
Climate change may increase risk of new infectious diseases
Climate change will result in thousands of new viruses spread among animal species by 2070 — and that’s likely to increase the risk of emerging infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans, according to a new study. This is especially true for Africa and Asia, continents that have been hotspots...
FDA to issue plan banning menthol in cigarettes, cigarsVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government on Thursday released its long-awaited plan to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, citing the toll on Black smokers and young people. “The proposed rules would help prevent children from becoming the next generation of smokers and help adult smokers quit,” said Health and Human...
‘I just need a space to cry.’ How hospitals have set up places where nurses can recharge
MIAMI — Caring for very sick children daily can be emotionally taxing, even for professionals with years of experience. As front-line workers who also support grieving parents, nurses often cope with chronic stress. To help support their nurses, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital recently created two serenity spaces in the oncology and...
Daily aspirin to prevent heart disease, stroke no longer recommended for people 60 and older
This might be a tough pill to swallow. People aged 60 and older are no longer recommended to take aspirin medication as a way of avoiding heart disease because of the potential health risks, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced Tuesday. The new stance by the leading task force...
Survey: 93% of Pittsburgh hospital workers are thinking about leaving profession
The pandemic has been extremely hard on health care workers, with hospitals facing record high patient numbers during the past two years. Many workers have reported burnout, long hours, and feeling hopeless. A new survey from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh confirms those reports. So much so that among...
Overcoming the odds: Born premature, baby at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in need of a liver
His eyes light up when you say his name. He smiles when he’s being held, when visitors talk to him, and definitely when his family members kiss his forehead. Chance William Kacin Halloran is 15.2 pounds of one happy infant — despite his challenging arrival into this world. “There were...
