Scientists manage to successfully reverse age-related memory loss in mice
A group of scientists at the University of Cambridge and the University of Leeds managed to successfully reverse memory loss in aging mice. While this may seem like an insignificant blip on the scientific radar, this breakthrough is very importantly indicative of how the same methods may be used in...
UPMC touts growing North Hills hospital hub, $12B in midyear revenue
UPMC executives boasted Thursday of “transforming” the health system’s North Hills footprint into a hub of innovative, high-demand health care services — such as robotic lung cancer detectors, more options for women and children, and a new mobile unit set to hit the streets next week. “We’ve added an extremely...
California looking to pay drug addicts to stay sober
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Frustrated by out-of-control increases in drug overdose deaths, California’s leaders are trying something radical: They want the state to be the first to pay people to stay sober. The federal government has been doing it for years with military veterans and research shows it is one of...
Pa. opioid disaster declaration is coming to an end
Pennsylvania’s opioid disaster declaration, which was first put in place more than three years ago, is now coming to an end. Gov. Tom Wolf issued the disaster declaration for the opioid crisis in January 2018 and renewed it 15 times. The Democratic governor sought to renew it again this month....
Johnson & Johnson reports its booster shot increases antibodies ninefold
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson says a booster shot of its covid-19 vaccine appears to produce “a rapid and robust” increase in antibodies needed to fight the coronavirus. The drugmaker says researchers saw a ninefold increase in antibodies than levels seen about a month after the first dose...
Earlier diabetes tests recommended for overweight U.S. adults
Overweight and obese Americans should start getting screened for diabetes earlier, at age 35 instead of 40, according to updated national guidelines published Tuesday. The new advice stems from rising rates of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and research showing health benefits of prevention methods and early treatment. Three...
West Virginia’s largest private employer issues worker vaccine mandate
CHARLESTON — The West Virginia University Health System, the state’s largest private employer, announced Monday that it will require all employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Oct. 31 as covid-19 cases continue to grow exponentially statewide. The mandate applies to workers at all of the WVU Health...
5 things to know about the Pfizer covid vaccine approvalVideo
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued its full approval of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine Monday. The move comes eight months after the Pfizer vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the United States. Infectious disease experts hope the full approval will inspire those wary of the vaccine to now...
WHO head calls for 2-month vaccine booster moratorium
BUDAPEST, Hungary — The head of the World Health Organization on Monday called for a two-month moratorium on administering booster shots of covid-19 vaccines as a means of reducing global vaccine inequality and preventing the emergence of new coronavirus variants. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Hungary’s capital,...
U.S. regulators give full approval to Pfizer covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine on Monday, a milestone that may help lift public confidence in the shots as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutant yet. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the...
Poll: School mask, vaccine mandates supported in U.S.
As covid-19 cases surge around the country, a majority of Americans say they support mask mandates for students and teachers in K-12 schools, according to a new poll, but their views are sharply divided along political lines. About 6 in 10 Americans say students and teachers should be required to...
Pittsburgh serves as research site for new test to detect Lyme disease
The difficulty of diagnosing early acute Lyme disease makes things doubly frustrating for Pennsylvanians, who live in a state that has consistently ranked highest in the nation for Lyme cases. But Seattle-based Adaptive Biotechnologies is working with clinical researchers across the country — including in the Pittsburgh area — to...
As covid-19 vaccination mandates gain momentum, Pa. health care workers remain largely free to decide
Only one major Pennsylvania health care employer, Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine, has required employees to get vaccinated against covid-19. But mandates are under consideration at others. “We haven’t gotten to the mandate yet. We think about it and we assess where we’re at, but we haven’t made that decision yet,” said...
Westmoreland County free of West Nile virus as 2021 season nears end; Allegheny spraying set
No cases of West Nile virus have been found so far this year in Westmoreland County, which means officials haven’t had to apply spray to combat the mosquitoes that can transmit the disease. The Westmoreland Conservation District, which traps mosquitoes to be tested for signs of the disease, reports that...
Canine comfort: Therapy dogs at UPMC cancer center bring soothing and smilesVideo
She’s big, furry and makes people smile. The 115-pound canine walks through the halls of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside every Thursday. As the animal strolls with owner Amy Bischoff, the pair certainly draw attention. They’re stopped within the first few steps. Questions are asked. What is the dog’s...
How many people in Pa. use cannabis for addiction? The Wolf admin won’t say
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG — In 2018, the Wolf administration endorsed cannabis as a treatment for opioid use disorder, despite an absence of research...
Do I need a booster if I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?
All the talk about covid-19 booster shots have centered on those who received the two-shot Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. But what about those who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine? The short answer is: Probably at some point, but health officials still are collecting the data needed to decide....
Record delta wave hits kids, raises fear as nation’s schools open
The day before he was supposed to start fourth grade, Francisco Rosales was admitted to a Dallas hospital with covid-19, struggling to breathe, with dangerously low oxygen levels and an uncertain outcome. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, thought his frightened mother, Yessica Gonzalez. Francisco was normally healthy and...
U.S. health officials call for booster shots against covid-19Video
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to dispense covid-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is slipping. The plan, as outlined by the chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
‘Tainted’ blood: Covid skeptics request blood transfusions from unvaccinated donors
The nation’s roiling tensions over vaccination against covid-19 have spilled into an unexpected arena: lifesaving blood transfusions. With nearly 60% of the eligible U.S. population fully vaccinated, most of the nation’s blood supply is now coming from donors who have been inoculated, experts said. That’s led some patients who are...
Sources: U.S. to recommend covid vaccine boosters at 8 months
WASHINGTON — U.S. health experts are expected to recommend covid-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot, to ensure lasting protection against the coronavirus as the delta variant spreads across the country. Federal health officials have been actively...
U.S. Senate bill calls for beefing up federal regulations on nursing homes
Nearly 18 months after covid-19 began to cut a broad swath through the nation’s nursing homes — killing 184,000 elderly and disabled residents and care workers — the U.S. Senate is weighing a bill to update federal policies and oversight of such facilities. The bill, dubbed the Nursing Home Improvement...
Social media campaign encourages people to invite ‘Just One’ to register as organ donor
The Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) is encouraging people to invite just one person to register to become an organ donor. Through the Just One campaign, CORE, an organ procurement organization, is taking to social media to spread the word about organ donation. Each day, CORE asks people...
Biden made ‘Obamacare’ cheaper, now sign-up deadline is here
With the Obama health care law undergoing a revival under President Joe Biden, this Sunday is the deadline for consumers to take advantage of a special sign-up period for private coverage made more affordable by his covid-19 relief law. A strong close would bolster Biden’s case that Congress needs to...
Extra covid vaccine OK’d for those with weak immune systems
WASHINGTON — U.S. regulators on Thursday said transplant recipients and others with weakened immune systems can get an extra dose of the covid-19 vaccine to better protect them as the delta variant continues to surge. The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration applies to millions of Americans who are...
