Health category, Page 107
Fighting the coronavirus with disinfecting sprays and solutions: What works?
Brand-name disinfectants are flying off store shelves, snatched up by shoppers looking for effective weapons against the novel coronavirus. But some disinfectants are better than others; some probably aren’t necessary at all; and some can actually be harmful, spawning antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We reviewed recommendations for the general population from the...
Quinn on Nutrition: Take care of yourself, now more than ever
My daughter called to tell me she was sent home from work when she told her boss she was not feeling well. “I hope I don’t have the ‘virus’,” she said. (She doesn’t.) Still, in motherly fashion, I reminded her to follow her physician’s instructions to stay home until she...
Long-term benefits and risks of intermittent fasting aren’t yet known
Dear Mayo Clinic: Is intermittent fasting for weight loss safe? What are the risks of short-term diets that are very low-calorie? Answer: Recent research has found that using intermittent fasting for weight loss may have some benefits in the short term. But at this point, the long-term effects of this...
AHN Neighborhood Hospital opening in Brentwood
At a time when emergency rooms are strained and hospital beds could become scarce, the Allegheny Health Network Brentwood Neighborhood Hospital is a welcome addition to the South Hills. The hospital, which is a partnership between AHN and Emerus (a nationwide developer and operator of neighborhood hospitals), opens 9 a.m....
Are play dates OK during coronavirus outbreak? Health expert weighs in.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease expert and a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, has been answering our questions throughout the coronavirus pandemic. We asked him six more on Sunday. Adalja, who has published papers on pandemic preparedness in the New England Journal of Medicine, stresses...
Nursing home outbreaks lay bare chronic industry problems
NEW YORK — Burgeoning coronavirus outbreaks at nursing homes in Washington, Illinois, New Jersey and elsewhere are laying bare the industry’s long-running problems, including a struggle to control infections and a staffing crisis that relies on poorly paid aides who can’t afford to stay home sick. That came into clear...
Worry and anxiety while planning for birth of baby during coronavirus outbreak
The world can change a lot in nine months. Last fall, everything seemed normal. Summer was drawing to a close. Work was good. My family took a short trip to Lake Erie. Football season was starting. Relatives visited. And my wife and I found out there was an addition to...
Hospitals stockpile malaria drug Trump says could treat covid-19
NEW YORK — Hospitals have been rushing to stockpile a decades-old antimalarial drug touted by President Donald Trump and others as a treatment for the new coronavirus. Hydroxychloroquine is being snapped up by medical systems at more than twice the typical pace as U.S. hospitals seek to build large inventories...
Environmental groups urge Americans to eat more fish while hunkering down against virus
Environmental groups have long fought for animal rights, rallied against pollution and pushed back on overfishing, but a new message this week urged the nation to eat more seafood as it hunkers down during the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, many are asking you to please buy American-caught seafood. “Over the past...
California governor orders statewide stay-at-home order
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday ordered the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home, restricting non-essential movements to control the spread of the coronavirus that threatens to overwhelm the state’s medical system. “This is a moment we need to make tough decisions,” Newsom said. “We...
‘Significant hospitalization rates’: Coronavirus taking a toll in Pa.
As coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly across Pennsylvania, the state is seeing “significant hospitalization rates,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Thursday. “It really is varying day to day,” Levine said during a daily covid-19 update. The reported average hospitalization rate is about 10%. Levine said Pennsylvania’s rate...
Sick staff fueled outbreak in Seattle-area care centers
SEATTLE — Staff members who worked while sick at multiple long-term care facilities contributed to the spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable elderly in the Seattle area, federal health officials said Wednesday. Thirty-five coronavirus deaths have been linked to Life Care Center in Kirkland. A report Wednesday from the U.S. Centers...
Excela chief medical officer discusses coronavirus testing, protecting medical personnel, worst-case scenarioVideo
As covid-19 cases continue to increase in Western Pennsylvania, the Tribune-Review spoke with Excela Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox about some of the questions we have about the new coronavirus. The text of this interview has been edited for length and clarity. Question: When should patients call for...
Millions in San Francisco area cope with virus restrictions
SAN FRANCISCO — Millions in the San Francisco Bay Area found empty highways, shuttered stores and vacant streets Tuesday as officials began enforcing an order for residents to stay at home and only leave for “essential” reasons in a desperate attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Miguel Aguirre,...
Influenza deaths increase in history-setting season, state reports
Ten more people died from influenza in Pennsylvania in the last week, increasing the total number of flu deaths this season to 93, the state Department of Health reported Tuesday. As of the week ending March 14, most of the people who died — 64 — were 65 or older....
The startling inequality gap that emerges after age 65
In an era when “deaths of despair” — from substance abuse and suicide — are on the rise among middle-aged Americans, those who reach age 65 are living longer than ever. But there’s a catch: Seniors in urban areas and on the coasts are surviving longer than their counterparts in...
Does your child have diabetes? Symptoms to watch for
Cases of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are on the rise among those 20 and under in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Ana Creo, a Mayo Clinic pediatric endocrinologist, explains what signs and symptoms parents should be aware...
Quinn on Nutrition: Full fat dairy … really?
A column I wrote last May about whole milk dairy foods generated quite a response from a reader in Illinois: “Wow. Telling people that high fat foods are good for their heart is a travesty. The one study you mentioned is greatly flawed. Hundreds of other studies show the exact...
Taking strides to better cardiovascular health
Running a marathon may sound overwhelming, but it could be the key to better health. First-time marathon runners significantly improved their cardiovascular health during training for a 26.2-mile race, according to a recent study. “This study showed participants had improvements in overall cardiovascular health, but particularly related to the stiffness...
Treating gout involves combination of lifestyle changes, medication
Dear Mayo Clinic: Years ago, I had gout in my toe, but I didn’t need medication other than ibuprofen. After it went away, I never had any other issues. But over the past few weeks, it has come back and is painful. Is there anything that I can do to...
Coronavirus vaccine test opens with 1st dosesVideo
SEATTLE — U.S. researchers gave the first shots in a first test of an experimental coronavirus vaccine Monday, leading off a worldwide hunt for protection even as the pandemic surges. With careful jabs in the arms of four healthy volunteers, scientists at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Research Institute in Seattle...
Here are some tips to healing your hands from excessive handwashing
Frequent handwashing, while necessary as protection from the coronavirus that causes covid-19, can lead to dry skin and irritation. “I’ve been noticing it myself,” said Dr. Laura Ferris, a UPMC dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh. It’s especially a problem for people who work in...
Allegheny County records 4th coronavirus case; 1 person hospitalized
A fourth case of coronavirus has been recorded in Allegheny County, the county’s Department of Health announced Sunday afternoon. The revelation came about an hour after the state Health Department announced a third case in the county. The two latest patients are adults, both in their 60s, according to a...
9 things to know about coronavirus spreading, testing and symptoms
The medical impact of the new coronavirus is coming into sharper focus as it continues its spread in what is now officially recognized as a pandemic. Its true fatality rate isn’t yet known, but it seems 10 times higher than the flu, which kills hundreds of thousands around the world...
Q&A: An explanation of ‘community spread’
The spread of the novel coronavirus is reaching communities across the country and experts say the cases of covid-19 will spike exponentially. What does community spread mean, and how do you stop it? Here’s what you need to know: Q: What is community spread? A: Community spread means that someone...
