Month: March 2021

There's good news about "Moderna arm," the raised, sometimes itchy red rash some people get a week or so after being vaccinated with Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. There were concerns people who experienced the annoying rash might have a worse reaction with the second dose. A report published Wednesday finds that's not the case – and most don't have any reaction at all the second time. "We're encouraging people who've had this reaction to go in and get their second shot," said Dr. Kim Blumenthal, an allergist, epidemiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who's tracking the reaction. "There was concern that if you had the reaction on the first dose, it might reoccur with the second and possibly be worse. But we now have followed enough cases to know that's not happening....

Newly reported cases: 1,553 Total confirmed cases: 553,220 Estimated active cases: 28,550 Newly reported deaths: 66 Total confirmed deaths: 15,925 Newly reported tests: 102,052 Total tests: 16,419,989 Percent positivity (seven-day average): 1.82% Hospitalized patients: 755 ICU patients: 173 Intubated patients: 109 Average age of hospitalized patients: 69 View an interactive version of the state’s dashboard here. Get Boston.com's e-mail alerts: Sign up and receive coronavirus news and breaking updates, from our newsroom to your inbox.

(Update: Adding weekly report; deaths, cases, hospitalizations increase; Western Workgroup recommends Johnson & Johnson vaccine as safe, effective)) PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There are 27 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,252, the Oregon Health Authority reported Wednesday. OHA also reported 276 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the state total to 156,287. Note: A large volume of backlogged electronic laboratory reports (ELRs) were received Tuesday. As a result, Wednesday’s test counts are higher than anticipated. Test results were from Jan. 1 to March 1. Approximately 99% of these test results were negative results, and Wednesday's percent positivity is lower than an...

Intermittent fasting diets may add years to your life: study A new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University finds diets that involve intermittent fasting may add years to your life. Studies have linked fasting to improved metabolism, decreased blood pressure and improved control of blood sugar levels. Hoping to rid yourself of unwanted belly fat? If your diet involves intermittent fasting — abstaining from food for several hours at a time — it may be hindering your progress in shedding fat around this area of the body, suggests the findings of a new study.  In the study conducted by researchers with the University of Sydney in Australia and published earlier this week in the journal Cell Reports, researchers found that visceral belly fat — the fat tissue surrounding organs...

Maine is opening up coronavirus vaccine eligibility to school staff and childcare providers following a directive from the Biden administration Tuesday that has prompted several states to realign their distribution priorities to include educators. Gov. Janet Mills announced Wednesday that preK-12 school staff and child care providers will be eligible for the vaccine regardless of age, in a departure from the state’s previously announced plans to follow a tiered age-based approach. School staff and licensed childcare workers can now access appointments through participants in the federal retail pharmacy program, which includes Hannaford, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies in Maine. Other vaccine clinics also also begin accepting appointments for school staff and licensed childcare work...