Month: April 2021

The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine is somewhat less effective against the South African mutation; a new study has shown, raising a red flag among health professionals of the need to continue monitoring Israel’s airports to keep out what could be dangerous mutations. The study, conducted by Clalit Health Services and Tel Aviv University, was the first of its kind based on real-world data. It has been published on the MedRxiv online site and therefore has not yet been peer-reviewed. “The results indicate the need for genetic sequencing and constant monitoring for new variants, as well as continued implementation of non-pharmaceutical measures,” said Clalit’s Dr. Doron Netzer, head of Community Medicine at Clalit, who helped lead the study. Lab studies have previously sugge...

Children are now in the spotlight in the coronavirus battle. Pfizer wants to extend its COVID-19 vaccine to those as young as 12 years old and has asked the FDA for authorization to do that. The request comes as children are believed to be central to the latest increase in COVID-19 cases, Michael George reports for "CBS This Morning: Saturday." "There is concern about transmission in youth sports, both club sports as well as sports affiliated in schools," said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. In Michigan, which is leading the number of cases per day this week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has called for a two-week pause on children's sports, along with indoor dining. "Lives depend on it," she said Friday. "Michigan is unquestionably a national hotspot right now." But in N...

DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently discussed a study showing that you may be better off taking your high blood pressure medications at night to prevent heart attacks and strokes the following morning. I am a 55-year-old on high blood pressure medications, and my wife asked an interesting follow-up question: Are we better off having sex in the evening rather than in the morning if heart attacks and strokes are more likely to occur in the morning? -- G.M. ANSWER: Heart attacks and strokes are indeed more likely in the morning. This may be due to hormonal changes or increased clotting risk in the morning, but there are other factors. However, there does not seem to be an increase in risk from morning exercise versus exercise at any other time of the day. While regular exercise reduces the risk...

NEW YORK — When cancer patients have an inoperable tumor, treatment options can be extremely limited — if not impossible. New research is offering some hope for patients batting such devastating circumstances. Doctors at NYU Langone Health say a new virus therapy is offering hope to patients without a surgical option. In clinical trials, a common cold virus combined with an immunotherapy drug infects and kills cancer cells. Study authors say this is one of the first experiments to prove oncolytic viruses can safely boost existing cancer therapies. Currently, immunotherapies which help the human immune system kill cancer cells only successfully shrink tumors in a third of patients. The new virus combo injects patients with an experimental drug created using a coxsackievirus, V937. Pati...

ANNOUNCER: THIS IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER -- KCCI EIGHT NEWS AT 5:00. STACEY: IT’S REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE THIS SCHOOL YEAR WRAPS UP IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS. RHEYA: SUMMER CLARK HAS THE HIGHS AND LOWS FROM A PARENT, STUDENT, AND TEACHER WHO SPENT ALL YOUR ONLINE. >> SHE DIDN’T ENTER HILLSIDE ELEMENTARY TO LEARN THIS SCHOOL YEAR, SHE SPENT ALL OF FOURTH GRADE ONLINE. >> EXCELLENT JOB. >> THOSE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT COMING FROM HER TEACHER. >> HER MOTHER SAYS THE CLEAR COMMUTE OCCASION HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. >> GO AHEAD AND TURN YOUR CAMERA OFF. >> SHE TREATS THE COMPUTER SCREEN LIKE A CLASSROOM, KEEPING THEIR GOOGLE MEET OPEN EVEN DURING ASYNCHRONOUS EDUCATION. >> I LOVE TEACHING, I LOVE CONNECTING WITH THE STUDENTS AND I LOVE HILLSIDE...