Month: May 2021

BOSTON (AP) — A highly contagious disease originating far from America's shores triggers deadly outbreaks that spread rapidly, infecting the masses. Shots are available, but a divided public agonizes over getting jabbed. Sound familiar? Newly digitized records — including a minister's diary scanned and posted online by Boston's Congregational Library and Archives — are shedding fresh light on devastating outbreaks of smallpox that hit the city in the 1700s. And three centuries later, the parallels with the coronavirus pandemic are uncanny. "How little we've changed," said CLA archivist Zachary Bodnar, who led the digitization effort, working closely with the New England Historic Genealogical Society. "The fact that we're finding these similarities in the records of our past is a very inte...

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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's number of COVID-19 cases increased by 300 on Friday, with 10 more deaths and 18,716 vaccinations reported. Nine of the deaths occurred before April 21 but were still being investigated by state medical examiners, according to the Utah Department of Health. The rolling seven-day average number of positive cases per day is now at 284, according to the health department. The positive test rate per day for that time period calculated with the "people over people" method is now 6.4%. The positive test rate per day for that time period calculated with the "test over test" method is now 3.4%. There are 136 COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized in Utah, including 54 in intensive care units, state data shows. About 76% of all ICU hospital beds in Utah are now occupied, i...

Food cravings can be mysterious: One second you might want a salty bag of chips, and moments later, you could find yourself with a hankering for something sweet. While some people battle with their food cravings their whole life, experts say if these predilections begin to shift, it could be the beginnings of cognitive decline. In fact, one study found that craving one thing in particular could be an early sign of dementia. Read on to find out which mealtime habit means you should talk to your doctor. RELATED: If You Ask This a Lot, It Could Be an Early Sign of Dementia, Doctors Say. Willowpix / iStockA 2015 study published in PLOS One examined the changes in dementia patients' eating habits. The...

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- There are seven new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, including Deschutes County's 78th death, raising the state’s death toll to 2,613, the Oregon Health Authority reported Friday. OHA also reported 504 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, bringing the state total to 197,851. Information from today’s media briefing Friday afternoon, Gov. Kate Brown and OHA Director Patrick Allen provided an update on Oregon’s ongoing COVID-19 response, vaccination trends and the launch of the Healthy & Wealthy Campaign for all vaccinated Oregonians. Oregonians 18 and older will have the chance to win $1 million or one of 36 $10,000 prizes –– with one winner in each county in Oregon. Oregonians age 12 to 17 will h...