$2.2M federal grant to advance Duquesne’s new college of osteopathic medicine
The first entering class of students at Duquesne University’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine will be outfitted with devices to aid patient examinations in remote areas under an award from the federal government. Money for the portable ultrasound handheld devices is included in a $2.2 million grant to help finance...
China to scrap covid-19 quarantine for incoming passengers
BEIJING — China will drop a COVID-19 quarantine requirement for passengers arriving from abroad starting Jan. 8, the National Health Commission announced Monday in the latest easing of the country’s once-strict virus-control measures. Currently, arriving passengers must quarantine for five days at a hotel, followed by three days at home....
Pitt committee approves up to $10M for land deal in BioForge project
A panel of University of Pittsburgh trustees on Wednesday authorized spending up to $10 million to acquire a piece of property in Hazelwood Green to develop a cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility. The three-acre property known as Lot 18 would become home to BioForge. “BioForge will be designed to...
How are Pa. hospitals handling the worst flu season in years as covid-19 cases rise?
Hospitals around the United States are feeling pressure from multiple fronts: RSV cases among children have been up for months, overloading some pediatric units. The nation, including Pennsylvania, is in the midst of its worst flu season in years. Most recently, covid-19 cases have begun to climb. PennLive has been...
U.S. starts grappling with untreated hepatitis C virus
WASHINGTON — Too many Americans are missing out on a cure for hepatitis C, and a study underway in a hard-hit corner of Kentucky is exploring a simple way to start changing that. The key: On-the-spot diagnosis to replace today’s multiple-step testing. In about an hour and with just a...
Children’s medicine shortage hits as flu season starts fast
Caring for sick children has become extra stressful recently for many U.S. parents due to shortages of Children’s Tylenol and other medicines. Doctors and other experts say the problem could persist through the winter cold-and-flu season but should not last as long as other recent shortages of baby formula or...
Loved or hated, Fauci’s parting advice: Stick to the science
WASHINGTON — Long before the bobbleheads and the “Fauci ouchie,” Dr. Anthony Fauci was a straight-shooter about scary diseases — and “stick with the science” remains his mantra. Fauci steps down from a five-decade career in public service at the end of the month, one shaped by the HIV pandemic...
2 covid-19 deaths reported in Beijing as virus surges
BEIJING — China’s health authorities on Monday announced two covid-19 deaths — the country’s first reported fatalities in weeks — amid an expected surge of illnesses after it eased its strict “zero-covid” approach. Unofficial reports point to a widespread wave of new coronavirus cases, and relatives of victims and people...
ALS patients contend with $158K price tag on new drug
WASHINGTON — For two years, Becky Mourey pushed the Food and Drug Administration to approve an experimental drug for her Lou Gehrig’s disease. She went to members of Congress and health regulators to make the case for Relyvrio, until patient-advocates finally prevailed. In September, Relyvrio became only the third drug...
Health providers advise caution around illness as holidays approach
Home for the holidays? Amid a seasonal squall of viruses that doctors say arrived early and may stay late, there are simple ways to improve your chances of staying healthy. Basic health precautions — wearing a mask when around large groups of people, washing your hands, staying home when sick...
Want to email your doctor? You may be charged for that
WASHINGTON — The next time you message your doctor to ask about a pesky cough or an itchy rash, you may want to check your bank account first — you could get a bill for the question. Hospital systems around the country are rolling out fees for some messages that...
Tensions boil over in UPMC hearing over secret recording
A court hearing over a secretly recorded conversation between two UPMC physicians on Thursday devolved into shouting and threats to have an attorney jailed before cooler heads prevailed. Dr. James Luketich, the head of cardiothoracic surgery for UPMC, filed a motion for an injunction to prohibit the use of the...
U.S. death toll tied to long covid exceeds 3,500, CDC report says
The health challenges that a bout of covid-19 sometimes leaves in its wake can be troublesome, scary and quite mysterious. New research confirms they can be deadly as well. A study released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between January 2020 and June 2022, long...
Respiratory virus surge impacting local schools
As respiratory viruses surge, schools and parents have differing opinions on how to handle sick students. With illness on the rise, particularly respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, some schools are sending students home on a daily basis — much to the frustration of some parents, nurses say. Meanwhile, as those...
Huge U.S. study starts sharing gene findings with volunteers
More than 155,000 Americans who shared their DNA for science are about to learn something in return: Do they have some particularly worrisome genes? It’s part of a massive project to unravel how people’s genetics, environments and habits interact to determine their overall health. The National Institutes of Health said...
China students return home amid fears of covid-19 spread
BEIJING — Some Chinese universities say they will allow students to finish the semester from home in hopes of reducing the potential for a bigger covid-19 outbreak during the January Lunar New Year travel rush. It wasn’t clear how many schools were participating, but universities in Shanghai and nearby cities...
Merck, Moderna detail potential skin cancer vaccine progress
Shares of Merck and Moderna jumped Tuesday after the drugmakers said a potential skin cancer vaccine they are developing using the same technology behind Covid-19 preventive shots fared well in a small study. The drugmakers said a combination of the vaccine and Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda led to a statistically significant...
Supreme Court won’t block California flavored tobacco ban
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday refused a request from tobacco companies to stop California from enforcing a ban on flavored tobacco products that was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November. R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies sought the high court’s intervention to keep the ban from taking effect...
Hospitalizations signal rising covid-19 risk for U.S. seniors
Coronavirus-related hospital admissions are climbing again in the United States, with older adults a growing share of U.S. deaths and less than half of nursing home residents up to date on covid-19 vaccinations. These alarming signs portend a difficult winter for seniors, which worries 81-year-old nursing home resident Bartley O’Hara,...
China struggles with covid infections after controls ease
BEIJING — A rash of Covid-19 cases in schools and businesses were reported Friday in areas across China after the ruling Communist Party loosened anti-virus rules as it tries to reverse a deepening economic slump. While official data showed a fall in new cases, they no longer cover large parts...
Penn scientists made a universal flu vaccine using mRNA, and they plan to test it in humans
For years, scientists have tried, and failed, to make a one-and-done vaccine that would provide at least partial protection against all types of the flu. A University of Pennsylvania scientist now thinks he has cracked the case, using the same technology that was the basis for the Pfizer and Moderna...
Hopeful glimmers in long war on Alzheimer’s disease
After decades of failure in Alzheimer’s disease research, scientists are buoyed by new findings that could mark a turning point in the field, offering hope that treatment may someday slow the grim deterioration of the brain. The data, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine and presented to...
8 million cleaning, laundry products recalled
About 8 million bottles of laundry detergent, fabric conditioners and cleaning products have been recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with bacteria. The Laundress products were sold at major retailers nationwide including Bloomingdale’s, Target, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and online at Amazon through September 2022, for between...
Frozen raspberries recalled because they may be contaminated
Exportadora Copramar has recalled 1,260 cases of James Farm frozen raspberries because of the potential that the fruit is contaminated with hepatitis A. Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, its testing indicated hepatitis A in the raspberries with UPC code 76069501010...
Keep covid military vaccine mandate, defense chief says
ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he wants to keep the military’s covid-19 vaccine mandate in place to protect the health of the troops, as Republican governors and lawmakers press to rescind it. This past week more than 20 Republican governors sent a letter to...
