Health & Fitness

Multiple coronavirus variants — and subvariants of those variants — are spreading throughout the United States and the world, raising questions about which COVID-19 symptoms to look out for. The backdrop: New COVID-19 variants are popping up all over the world right now. Some of the variants are subvariants of the omicron variant or recombinant variants that combine two different strains. Symptoms: Northwestern’s Dr. Michael Angarone, an associate professor of medicine in infectious diseases, told NBC Chicago that key COVID-19 symptoms right now are similar to other coronavirus symptoms. “So this is the same virus, so SARS Coronavirus 2, so we’re seeing the same symptoms,” he said. Yes, but: Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician, t...

Baker Lake experiencing avian influenza outbreak BARRINGTON, Ill. — The Forest Preserves of Cook County estimates more than 200 birds have died at Baker Lake in Barrington, Illinois in the past week alone. Chris Anchor, wildlife biologist with the preserve, first became aware of the outbreak last Wednesday. Iowa to kill 52K more hens and turkeys because of bird flu When he and his team arrived at the lake, which is home to one of the most significant Heron rookeries in the Midwest, he said it became obvious very quickly a number of birds were in distress. The Heron rookery at Baker Lake. Photo credit: Forest Preserves of Cook County“As we proceeded down the shoreline we found even more birds that were already dead,” said Anchor. “In the 40 pl...

Every year, the flu kills tens of thousands of mostly older people, but also some children and other vulnerable individuals. A worse future for the pandemic might see the coronavirus ceaselessly bubbling along and causing similar deaths in a kind of permanent COVID season. “We don’t like to talk about it, but we have lots of everyday illnesses that still kill people,” Fauci said. “RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) kills children as well as the elderly.” That may be the future of a “settle in” strategy for dealing with the pandemic like we endure colds and flus, Fauci added, which he doesn’t think is a good idea. “People will still get seriously ill,” he said. “There is no reason to think this is going to become the cold,” said Worobey, the viral evolution expert. “From what ...

Don't feed birds this spring to slow spread of bird flu To curb the spread, the Raptor Center is urging Minnesotans to take down their bird feeders and bird baths for the next month. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota is asking people to not fill bird feeders or birdbaths to help stop the spread of bird flu this spring.  In a post on Facebook, The Raptor Center’s Executive Director and Veterinary Epidemiologist, Dr. Victoria Hall urged the public to do everything they can to help prevent the gathering of songbirds.  Hall says the country is facing an unprecedented outbreak of avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds.  While most research about bird flu’s effects centers around waterfowl, shorebirds and seabirds, s...

Public health officials in the United States and the United Kingdom are investigating a number of unusual cases of serious hepatitis in young children, the cause or causes of which are currently unknown. Evidence from the U.K. and from Alabama — where nine cases have been recorded since last fall — points to the possible involvement of an adenovirus. Adenoviruses generally attack the respiratory tract, causing cold-like illnesses. But they have been linked to bladder inflammation and infection, and occasionally to hepatitis, though rarely in children who are not immunocompromised. In a statement issued late Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is working with Alabama on its investigation into the cases, and is working with other state health departments to see ...

Many people don't know they have diabetes since initial symptoms can be subtle, an expert said.  Signs like dark skin patches, slow-healing wounds, or frequent bathroom trips may indicate diabetes.  Breath that smells like acetone may signal a life-threatening complication of diabetes. Loading Something is loading. More than 10% of the US population has diabetes, and one out of every five of them isn't aware they have the disease, according to the American Diabete...

By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) - The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Fourth vaccine dose protects vs Omicron for at least a month A fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech provided significant added protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death for at least a month in older individuals, according to a study from Israel conducted when the Omicron variant was dominant. The estimated effectiveness of the fourth dose during days 7 to 30 after it was administered compared with a third dose given at least fourth months earlier was 45% against infection, 55% for symptomatic disease, 68% for hospitalization, 62% for...

Enlarge / A baby being treated with blue light, a jaundice-prevention measure. Health officials in Scotland on Thursday published early findings from a burgeoning international investigation into dozens of puzzling cases of severe liver inflammation among children. A few cases have already led to acute liver failure and liver transplants. Thursday's report detailed 13 severe cases in Scotland, mostly in children between the ages of 3 and 5 and nearly all occurring in just March and April this year. Scotland usually tallies fewer than four such cases of unexplained liver inflammation—aka hepatitis—in children over the course of an entire year. Of the 13 cases this year in Scotland, one has led to a liver transplant and five are still in the hospi...

Immune cells against glandular fever may hold the key to treating multiple sclerosis, scientists have claimed. In a small trial, patients with MS were implanted with T-cells that target the virus that causes glandular fever. Brain scans suggested the progression of the condition was slowed down or even reversed some sufferers. Patients who yielded results also had 'sustained disability improvement', including being able to walk with less pain. T-cells were extracted from people who had recovered from Epstein-Barr virus, which has been touted as a possible cause of MS.  US scientists who did the research accept the study was small and could not rule out the placebo effect — when someone feels better simply because they expected to.  But it could mark a significant step forward in experts' ...

A MRI image of the brain showing multiple sclerosis plaquesImage: Getty (Getty Images) Early clinical data is showing promise for an experimental treatment tackling multiple sclerosis. The treatment, which targets a virus closely linked to MS called Epstein-Barr virus, was found to be safe and possibly effective at halting the progression of symptoms in some patients. But it will take much more data to know whether this approach can represent a genuine leap forward for managing the debilitating condition. Multiple sclerosis is caused by an overactive immune system that attacks the myelin sheath of our nervous system—a protective layer around nerve cells that also allows them to communicate with each other more effectively. Symptoms can vary significantly between sufferers, with a majo...