Bethel Park mother featured in national nonprofit’s colorectal cancer awareness campaign
There are more than a million colorectal cancer survivors in the U.S., and telling their stories is one of the most effective ways that Missouri-based nonprofit Fight Colorectal Cancer has found to make others aware of the importance of cancer screenings. That is why Lynne Ireland-Knight of Bethel Park will...
Government seizes more than 10M phony N95 masks in covid-19 probe
WASHINGTON — Federal agents have seized more than 10 million fake 3M brand N95 masks in recent weeks, the result of an ongoing investigation into counterfeits sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities and government agencies. The most recent seizures occurred Wednesday when Homeland Security agents intercepted...
Global vaccine gaps could leave Americans vulnerableVideo
WASHINGTON — Over and over, President Joe Biden has emphasized the need to inoculate as many Americans as quickly as possible, all but staking his presidency on successfully shielding the country from covid-19. Yet the uneven vaccination effort globally is expected to leave large swaths of the planet unprotected for...
Greensburg mom is among those who shortened hospital stay after giving birth because of pandemic
Francis Regis Johns IV was born at 8:50 a.m. Jan. 10. By 8 p.m. on Jan. 11, he was comfortably at his Greensburg home. “He was good, and I was feeling good, so the best option was to come home,” said Francis’ mother Sarah Johns. UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Oakland...
Pitt researchers find Black Americans nationwide must travel farther to get covid vaccine
A study from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy shows that Black residents in many regions of the U.S. will have farther to travel to receive a covid-19 vaccine — creating a potential accessibility issue. “Pharmacies should be easy to access, but in some places there’s low...
Biden says U.S. is securing 600 million vaccine doses by JulyVideo
BETHESDA, Md. — President Joe Biden visited some of the nation’s leading scientists on the frontlines of the fight against covid-19 on Thursday, as he announced the U.S. will have enough supply of the vaccine by the end of the summer to inoculate 300 million Americans. Biden toured the Viral...
Congo officials confirm 2nd death from Ebola in the east
BENI, Congo — A second case and death of Ebola has been recorded in Congo’s North Kivu province, according to officials. The victim was a 60-year-old woman who died Wednesday in the health zone of Biena, according to provincial health minister Nzanzu Syalita. He said she had been to the...
V Foundation grant goes toward children’s cancer research at UPMC Children’sVideo
Sports fans recognize the V Foundation for Cancer Research from its annual fundraiser, televised by founding partner ESPN. But most of the people who watch during fundraising — and donate to its cause — probably don’t know where the money goes. More than $150,000 of it came to UPMC Children’s...
Highmark Health invests $1.5 million in diversity, taps Evan Frazier for new post
In a year when the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired racial awareness initiatives in much of corporate America, Highmark Health has announced a commitment to increase diversity leadership in Pittsburgh. Highmark said it is investing $1.5 million in The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI), a new nonprofit organization focused on...
Pennsylvania tool lets you know when it’s your turn to get covid vaccine
The Pennsylvania Department of Health launched another new online tool to help with covid-19 vaccine information, and residents now can sign up for alerts as to when they’re eligible. The website, called Your Turn, first will determine whether a person is eligible for the vaccine and, if they aren’t, give...
Nothing to sneeze at: Global warming triggers earlier pollen season
When Dr. Stanley Fineman started as an allergist in Atlanta, he told patients they should start taking their medications and prepare for the drippy, sneezy onslaught of pollen season around St. Patrick’s Day. That was about 40 years ago. Now he tells them to start around St. Valentine’s Day. Across...
As covid fills ICUs, chronically ill patients suffer ‘ripple effect’ of delayed surgeries
LOS ANGELES — In the early years of his illness, as his kidneys began to shrink and toxins coursed through his blood, the same four words often floated through Miguel Rangel’s mind: “I’m going to die.” Although some people live much longer, the average life expectancy of dialysis patients is...
Heinz Field could be covid-19 vaccine distribution site, but not enough doses available yet
Heinz Field has been offered up as a possible site for a mass covid-19 vaccine distribution — but there are no imminent plans to do so as Pennsylvania scrambles to get enough vaccine doses to people in top-priority groups. “We previously offered Heinz Field for use as a vaccination site...
Johnson & Johnson asks U.S. regulators to OK its one-shot covid-19 vaccine
Johnson & Johnson asked U.S. regulators Thursday to clear the world’s first single-dose covid-19 vaccine, an easier-to-use option that could boost scarce supplies. J&J’s vaccine was safe and offered strong protection against moderate to severe covid-19, according to preliminary results from a massive international study. It didn’t appear quite as...
Duquesne names Jennifer Padden Elliott to inaugural holistic health care position
Jennifer Padden Elliott, a pioneer in health equity and director of Duquesne University’s Center for Integrative Health, has been named the inaugural Ed and Karen Fritzky Family Chair in Integrative Medicine and Wellbeing. Created by a gift from the Fritzkys, the role is designed for a medical practitioner and member...
‘New chance at life’: New Jersey man gets face, hands in rare transplant surgeryVideo
NEW YORK — Almost six months after a rare face and hands transplant, Joe DiMeo is relearning how to smile, blink, pinch and squeeze. The 22-year-old New Jersey resident had the operation last August, two years after being badly burned in a car crash. “I knew it would be baby...
Study finds AstraZeneca’s covid-19 vaccine may reduce virus transmissionVideo
AstraZeneca’s covid-19 vaccine does more than prevent people from falling seriously ill — it appears to reduce transmission of the virus and offers strong protection for three months on just a single dose, researchers said Wednesday in an encouraging turn in the campaign to suppress the outbreak. The preliminary findings...
Pa.’s lagging vaccine rollout takes center stage in Harrisburg
Pennsylvania’s lagging coronavirus vaccine distribution came under fire Wednesday as health leaders cited poor communication and disorganization as reasons for the slow rollout and lawmakers questioned the state’s efficiency in inoculating residents. The three-hour hearing, conducted by the House Health Committee, addressed concerns with vaccine accessibility, racial disparities, the pace...
Biden moves to provide covid vaccine to pharmacies
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will begin providing covid-19 vaccines to U.S. pharmacies, part of its plan to ramp up vaccinations as new and potentially more serious virus strains are starting to appear. A White House announcement was expected Tuesday, a person familiar with the plan told The Associated Press....
Vaccine registration is ‘wild west’ for people without computers
Stephie Byars and her husband were in a Giant Eagle parking lot when they got the Allegheny Alert. “We turned off the car. I had my husband call up his parents on his phone and put it on speaker, and I went onto my phone and did the tech stuff,”...
Western Pa. dentists: Delaying dental care during pandemic can lead to problemsVideo
Dentists in Western Pennsylvania are worried about the pandemic’s impact on people’s dental health, saying there’s no good reason for delaying check-ups, cleanings or more serious procedures. “It’s troubling to hear that patients have that perception and are feeling that anxiety,” said Andrew Matta, co-founder and chief medical officer of...
Judge blocks Trump rule to limit health studies in EPA regs
A federal judge has blocked a last-minute rule issued by the Trump administration to limit what evidence the Environmental Protection Agency may consider as it regulates pollutants to protect public health. Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the Jan. 6 rule was aimed at ending what he and other Republicans...
Remdesivir, given to half of hospitalized covid-19 patients in U.S., is big win for Gilead — boosted by taxpayers
It was the end of April — just as the U.S. confirmed its millionth covid-19 case and 50,000 deaths — when White House adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci announced “highly significant” news about a drug called remdesivir. That was surprising because the antiviral drug, owned by Gilead Sciences and developed with...
Will double-masking better protect you from covid?
When it comes to face masks, are two better than one? Some health experts — including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert — have recently suggested wearing two face masks for extra protection during the covid-19 pandemic. “It just makes common sense that it likely would be more...
Novavax covid-19 vaccine works, but less so against variants
Novavax Inc. said Thursday that its covid-19 vaccine appears 89% effective based on early findings from a British study and that it also seems to work — though not as well — against new mutated versions of the virus circulating in that country and South Africa. The announcement comes amid...
