Month: March 2021

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Five is your new lucky number. That's how many servings of fruits and vegetables you need to eat each day to live the longest, according to a new study released by the American Heart Association that analyzed data representing nearly 2 million adults worldwide. Two of those five servings should be fruit — the other three should focus on veggies, the study found. "This amount likely offers the most benefit in terms of prevention of major chronic disease and is a relatively achievable intake for the general public," said lead author Dr. Dong Wang, an epidemiologist and nutritionist at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, in a statement. There were differences in benefits, however, depending on the fruit or veggie in question. "We also found t...

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in an interview with NPR on Wednesday that the nation is fighting headwinds in the fight to end the pandemic from new variants of the virus and efforts to rollback coronavirus restrictions. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption toggle caption Susan Walsh/AP CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in an interview with NPR on Wednesday that the nation is fighting headwinds in the fight to end the pandemic from new variants of the ...

SAO PAULO (AP) — A swell of COVID-19 cases is halting samba steps in Brazil’s biggest metropolis while Argentina’s capital tiptoes its way back to the tango floor. The two biggest cities in each of the neighboring South American countries are headed in opposite directions, reflecting how those that loosen restrictions despite warnings from scientists see a spike in the pandemic while others that keep social distancing measures in place are able to reopen their economies sooner. Sao Paulo, home to almost 12 million people, is bracing for the worst two weeks yet in the pandemic and the growing risk that its once-resilient health care system will collapse, Gov. João Doria told reporters Wednesday. More than 75% of the city’s intensive-care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients and some war...

Given the ongoing shortage in supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses in the region, local vaccination sites are prioritizing people with second appointments. Two conflating issues are delaying the release of new appointments for San Diegans who want to get their first dose. One is a shortage of Moderna doses coming into the region to make up for the shipments delayed a few weeks ago by bad weather across the country. The other is that Pfizer doses that have arrived are being used almost exclusively to vaccinate people who are due to receive their second dose of vaccine. While some first-dose appointments have been released for use by the County and its partners, they are reserved under state guidelines for groups such as law enforcement, teachers and other school personnel. “Our site...