Health category, Page 104
Allegheny County health officials emphasize calm with eye on likely spread of coronavirusVideo
Health officials continue to prepare locally for the likely spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 3,000 worldwide, but they cautioned that there are still no known cases in the region. “We expect to see some (cases) as we expand testing,” said Dr. Kristen Mertz, an epidemiologist with...
Coronavirus prep: Supplies dwindle at Western Pa. stores as officials urge readinessVideo
Local agencies are encouraging people not to panic as the coronavirus spreads, with over 100 confirmed U.S. cases and nine fatalities so far. The virus, which has infected more than 92,000 people and killed over 3,000 in places like China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran, has started to spread...
Health Happenings: Week of March 2
Blood drives • American Red Cross will host these blood drives: — 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Friday , Hempfield Township Athletic Complex, 220 Forbes Trail Road, Hempfield — Noon-6:30 p.m. Monday , Charter Oak Church, 449 Frye Farm Road, Unity Appointments: 800-733-2767 or redcrossblood.org; walk-ins welcome Classes/programs • Excela Health offers...
Canker sores often go away on their own, are not contagious
Dear Mayo Clinic: Every few months, my teenage son gets canker sores in the back of his throat that really bother him and last for about a week. Is there something that he can do to prevent them? Will this continue throughout his life? Answer: Canker sores rarely pose a...
Out with the bad, in with the good — cholesterol, that is
Why do we hear so much about bad cholesterol and so little about good cholesterol? It’s mostly because your good cholesterol level is largely determined by genetics, says Dr. Jose Mejia, an Excela Health primary care physician. That means there’s only so much you can do about it, he says....
New guidelines urge hepatitis C check for most adults
WASHINGTON — Most American adults need to be checked for hepatitis C, say guidelines released Monday that urge millions more people to get screened for the liver-damaging virus that can fester for decades before it’s spotted. The call for expanded screening for Americans ages 18 to 79 is the first...
Pirates address spring training health concerns after 2 coronavirus cases found in Florida
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday advised fans, players and staff at spring training “to listen to and rely upon the advice and guidance of the public health experts” after two adults tested positive for coronavirus in Hillsborough and Manatee counties. The Pirates’ spring training stadium, LECOM Park, and minor-league complex...
Allegheny County health officials emphasize calm with eye on likely spread of coronavirusVideo
Health officials continue to prepare locally for the likely spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 3,000 worldwide, but they cautioned that there are still no known cases in the region. “We expect to see some (cases) as we expand testing,” said Dr. Kristen Mertz, an epidemiologist with...
Surgeon General asks people to ‘stop buying masks’ amid coronavirus outbreak
The surgeon general made a plea to Americans to stop buying face masks, saying that they are not effective in preventing people from catching the coronavirus. But he implored that healthcare providers do need them. “Seriously people - STOP BUYING MASKS!” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams complained Saturday on...
Perspective on coronavirus: How does it stack up with the flu, historic outbreaks?Video
As figures stand now, the new coronavirus disease — Covid-19 — is 20- to 40-times more deadly than the typical flu, depending on where you are in the world. Experts agree that it will eventually spread everywhere. The case-fatality ratio also could drop as more data becomes available. Putting it...
Matter of when, not if, coronavirus reaches Western Pennsylvania but big questions remain
Pennsylvania’s hospitals, clinics, first responders and public health officials are preparing for a potential spread of coronavirus to the region as concerns mount globally. While there have been no announced cases of the COVID-19 virus in the state, infectious disease experts say it’s only a matter of time. “What’s to...
Virus’ effect on world economy grows more alarming
TOKYO — Concerns about the coronavirus outbreak’s threat to the world economy grew Saturday as authorities in the U.S. reported its first domestic death from the virus and President Donald Trump denounced criticism of his response to the threat as a “hoax” cooked up by his enemies. China’s manufacturing plunged...
Wilkes-Barre native reportedly contracts coronavirus on cruise ship in Japan
A Wilkes-Barre native is on life support in Japan after contracting the coronavirus while on vacation, according to WNEP, an ABC affiliate in Luzerne County. Dan Fisher, who graduated from Coughlin High School in 1975, was on vacation in Japan earlier this month when he fell ill, Fisher’s childhood friend,...
U.S. reports first drug shortage tied to virus outbreak
WASHINGTON — Health officials reported the first U.S. drug shortage tied to the viral outbreak that is disrupting production in China, but they declined to identify the manufacturer or the product. The Food and Drug Administration said late Thursday that the drug’s maker recently contacted officials about the shortage, which...
Mexico confirms first 2 cases of coronavirus
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s assistant health secretary announced Friday that the country now has two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. Hugo Lopez-Gatell said one of the patients is in Mexico City and the other in the northern state of Sinaloa. While a second test is still pending on that...
Pittsburgh infectious disease specialist: ‘It’s time to prepare for coronavirus surge’Video
With the continued spread of the coronavirus and misinformation about the disease, Pittsburgh-based infectious disease and critical care physician Dr. Amesh Adalja has become a highly sought after expert on the subject. A senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Adalja works on pandemic preparedness, emerging infectious...
Congress eyes billions in funding to fight coronavirus
WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill negotiations on emergency spending to combat the coronavirus outbreak are likely to produce a bill that’s double or even triple the $2.5 billion plan requested by President Donald Trump just days ago. Lawmakers and aides involved in the talks say they are proceeding well and are...
CDC infographic ranks which beards, mustaches interfere with face masks
As people worry about current COVID-19 outbreaks around the world, a three-year-old graphic illustrating the effectiveness of wearing a mask with facial hair has begun to spread across social media and appear on at least one late-night comedy show. In November 2017 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...
Seeking cure, U.S. researchers infect thousands of monkeys with coronavirus
The U.S. National Institutes of Health has infected thousands of monkeys with a strain of coronavirus in attempt to find a vaccine cure for the illness. According to United Kingdom newspaper The Daily Star, rhesus macaques have been infected with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS- CoV) and then...
Woman rejected for transplant because her bladder was brewing alcohol
The patient, a 61-year-old woman, insisted she had not been drinking, even though multiple tests found alcohol in her urine. The stakes were high. She had come to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center seeking a liver transplant. Another hospital’s transplant program had rejected her because of positive urine tests,...
Pennsylvania reports 1st child flu-related death of season
Pennsylvania health officials have reported the first pediatric flu death in the state this season — one of a dozen new flu deaths in the past week. Deaths were recorded for the week ending Feb. 22 in each of the four age groups reported by the state health department. That...
Brazil confirms 1st coronavirus case in Latin America
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s government confirmed on Wednesday that a 61-year-old Brazilian man who traveled to Italy this month has Latin America’s first confirmed case of the contagious new coronavirus. “We will now see how this virus behaves in a tropical country in the middle of summer, how its...
An increasingly isolated Iran girds for long virus battle
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran girded Wednesday for a long battle against the coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across the country and the wider Middle East, even though officials in the Islamic Republic had earlier minimized the outbreak that has now killed 19 people, the highest toll outside of...
Iran says official who played down virus fears is infectedVideo
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The head of an Iranian government task force on the coronavirus who had urged the public not to overreact about its spread has tested positive for the illness himself, authorities said Tuesday, as new cases emanating from the country rapidly emerged across the Middle East....
Animals work as healers
Pet therapy is gaining fans in health care and beyond. Animal-assisted therapy can reduce pain and anxiety in people with a range of health problems. What is pet therapy? Pet therapy is a broad term that includes animal-assisted therapy and other animal-assisted activities. Animal-assisted therapy is a growing field that...
