COVID-19 UPDATES: Click here to read more!
Click here to get on our COVID-19 Waiting List

Get Healthy!

Results for search "Viruses".

26 Sep

Study Suggests Long COVID Is a Unique Biological Disease Impacted by Your Medical History

Researchers say patients with long COVID have clear differences in their immune and hormone functions, which can be detected through blood tests with high accuracy.

08 Nov

Simple Swab Test Helps Identify Severe Cases of RSV, New Study Finds

A nasal swab test helps researchers identify which children may require more time in the ICU to recover from RSV.

Health News Results - 1528

Antiviral Meds Could Help Ease or Prevent Type 1 Diabetes in Kids, Study Finds

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 4, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Recent research has suggested that viruses could play a role in the loss of pancreatic beta cells, which triggers type 1 diabetes.

Now, a new trial finds antiviral medications, when given soon after a child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, might help preserve those vital beta cells.

Antiviral drugs could be �...

Scientists Gain Insight Into How COVID Harms the Heart

New research shows the COVID-19 virus can directly infect coronary arteries, inflaming fatty plaque inside them, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

This may explain why some people who get COVID-19 have a greater chance of developing heart disease. It also may shed light on why those who already have heart trouble develop more heart-related complications.

“Si...

Is the First Cure for Advanced Rabies Near?

Rabies virus is incurable and almost always fatal once it has invaded the central nervous system, with the victim doomed to suffer a horrible death.

But researchers now think they’ve found an effective and simple treatment that can cure even advanced cases of rabies.

A monoclonal antibody injected into lab mice successfully protected them from a lethal dose of rabies virus, resear...

RSV Vaccine Given in Pregnancy to Help Shield Newborns Receives Full U.S. Approval

Women may soon have a vaccine they can take during a pregnancy to help protect their newborn from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Following approval one month ago by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday also approved the shot, called Abrysvo. That marks the last hurdle needed for the vaccine to become widely available.

�...

Today's COVID Is Increasingly Looking Like a Cold or Flu

Symptoms of mild COVID-19 infection have shifted this season, and now are more akin to those of allergies and the common cold, doctors say.

Many people with COVID-19 now are presenting with upper respiratory symptoms like runny nose, watery eyes and a sore throat, said Dr. ...

Can You Still Get COVID Tests for Free?

COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are gradually increasing in the United States, as two new variants gain a foothold in the nation. And with that rise, more people are looking for COVID test kits.

Hospitalizations rose by nearly 9% and deaths by nearly 11% in late August/early September, according to

CDC Panel Gives Support to New COVID Booster Shots

Following on an approval granted Monday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an expert panel from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday also signed off on new COVID boosters for Americans.

Final approval is expected from CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, which would set the stage for the updated vaccines to soon become available.

The COVID-19 shots from Pf...

People Exhale Less COVID Virus as Their Infection Wanes

When you have COVID-19, when are you most infectious? Researchers are getting closer to an answer, with a new study finding that folks exhale the highest amounts of virus during the first eight days of their illness.

Scientists found that patients exhale quite a bit of virus during the first several days — as many as 1,000 copies of airborne virus per minute.

Those levels drop s...

FDA Approves New COVID Booster Shots

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday gave the green light to new COVID boosters for Americans, setting the stage for the updated vaccines to become available within days.

The COVID-19 shots from Pfizer and Moderna will join the flu shot and newly approved RSV shots as part of a three-pronged public health strategy to tame the spread of all three viruses this coming winter. The ...

Yet Another Mosquito-Borne Threat: The 'Jamestown Canyon Virus'

You've probably heard of West Nile virus, but mosquitoes spread various other illnesses, too, including the little-known Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), which is garnering attention across the United States.

For example, health officials in Connecticut have so far identified mosquitoes carrying JCV in 12 towns across the state. Although no confirmed human cases of the disease have occurred ...

Moderna Says Updated COVID Shot Shields Against Highly Mutated New Variant

Some good news for folks who are worried about the new, troublesome COVID variant known as BA.2.86: Moderna Inc. said Wednesday that its updated vaccine held its own against this highly mutated version of the virus.

While approval for the newest version of the vaccine is still pending from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the company offered good reason for why the agency should gi...

CDC Warns of Rise in RSV Cases Among Young Children, Infants

Doctors are seeing a spike in severe cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among young children in Florida and Georgia, U.S. health officials warned Tuesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent an advisory to doctors, noting that regional increases us...

Rising COVID Hospitalizations, New Variants Have Americans on Edge

A new COVID-19 surge is underway, with seasonal changes and new variants fueling an increase in hospitalizations and deaths.

A new Omicron variant, named Eris, has become dominant in the United States amid signs that an even more highly evolved COVID variant called BA.2.86 is starting to spread across America.

However, experts say the public should react to this latest surge not wit...

COVID Virus Is Evolving Three Times Faster in Deer Versus Humans

COVID-19 variants are evolving three times faster in white-tailed deer than in humans, according to a new study.

Deer serve as virus reservoirs, places where a virus thrives and multiplies, making them the perfect host for ongoing mutation.

The virus also appears to be passing between humans and deer, where genomic analysis showed at least 30 infections in deer were introduced by ...

U.S. Wastewater Tests Spot Highly Mutated Variant of COVID-19

Public health officials have detected the new BA.2.86 variant of COVID-19 in U.S. wastewater, giving rise to concerns about the highly mutated variant in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the detection on Wednesday. ...

FDA Approves RSV Vaccine for Pregnant Women to Help Shield Newborns

Women may soon have a vaccine they can take during a pregnancy to help protect their newborn from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), following U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the shot, called Abrysvo, on Monday

The vaccine is designed to be given to pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy as a way to protect infants from birth through 6 months from the sometimes ...

'Do Your Own Research': Was It Dangerous Advice During the Pandemic?

The idea of “doing your own research” didn’t begin with the pandemic, but new research suggests that those who follow that ideology have been more likely to believe COVID misinformation.

“We had heard the phrase a lot before,” prior to the pandemic, said researcher Sedona Chinn, a professor of life science...

Pediatricians' Group Urges That All Infants Get New RSV Shot

All infants should receive the new long-acting preventive monoclonal antibody for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the nation's leading pediatrics group said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urged that access to the new medication, called nirsevimab, be equitable.

RSV is common, contagious and sometimes deadly, the AAP said.

The antibody boosts the immune system.

Summer Buzzkill: Sorting Out Mosquito Myths & Facts

Mosquitoes can be a big pest, leaving behind itchy bumps on skin and potentially spreading serious diseases, such as West Nile virus.

Sam Telford III is a professor of infectious disease and global health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and a commissioner for the Central Ma...

For Some, Long COVID Symptoms Can Come and Go

As researchers continue to try to better understand the condition known as long COVID, a new study has discovered that symptoms can emerge months after infection or even return later for some folks.

The research is considered the most comprehensive look at how symptoms evolve over the course of a year.

“It was common for symptoms to resolve, then re-emerge months later,” said le...

CDC Recommends RSV Shot for All Infants

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended that all infants under the age of 8 months be given a new antibody shot to help guard against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The antibody shot, sold as Beyfortus, has been shown to reduce the risk of both hospitalizations and healthcare visits for RSV in infants by about 80 percent, the CDC said in a

Moderna or Pfizer? One COVID Shot May Be Safer for Older Adults

While both the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are considered safe and highly effective, new research finds the Moderna shot has been the safest and most effective for seniors.

“The results of this study can help public health experts weigh which mRNA vaccine might be preferred for older adults and older subgroups, such as those with increased frailty,” said lead study author

As a Summer Surge of COVID Takes Hold, Don't Mistake It for a Cold

For the fourth summer in a row, Americans are experiencing a COVID-19 surge, this one marked by a rise in hospital admissions, emergency room visits, test positivity rates and wastewater data.

The good news: It's unlikely that most cases will be severe or that the surge will be long-lasting, experts say.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
  • |
  • July 31, 2023
  • |
  • Full Page
  • How Common Are Co-Infections With COVID, Flu, RSV?

    Results from more than 26,000 respiratory tests in late 2022 found simultaneous infections with COVID-19, influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in more than 1% of positive tests.

    Co-infections were especially widespread in children and teens. In people under age 21, researchers saw a 6% co-infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A.

    “With changing behaviors as the COVID...

    HIV Meds Help Slash Infection Risk to Nearly Zero: Study

    People taking antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV who have low but detectable virus levels have almost zero risk of transmitting the virus to others, according to a new research review.

    Researchers looked at eight studies of more than 7,700 couples in which one person was HIV positive and the other was not. The studies were done in 25 countries and reviewed by teams from the Global Health...

    European Man May Be 6th Person to Be 'Cured' of HIV

    It's rare for someone with HIV to go into remission and be considered "cured," but a European man may be the sixth to do so.

    First diagnosed with HIV in 1990, the man had been taking antiretroviral drugs since 2005 and received a stem cell transplant two years ago to treat a rare type of blood cancer.

    Known as the “Geneva patient,” the Swiss man in his 50s is one of only six peo...

    Could Your Genes Guard You From the Symptoms of COVID Infection?

    In the world of COVID-19 infections, the majority of patients develop symptoms, while about one-fifth mysteriously don't develop a cough, sore throat or other tell-tale signs of illness.

    Now, new research finds that these symptom-free super-dodgers are more than twice as likely as others to carry a genetic mutation that seems to obliterate COVID-19.

    “The mutation is a version...

    Nursing Homes Used COVID Meds Less Than Expected During Pandemic

    While nursing home residents are at high risk for bad outcomes if they get COVID-19, use of antiviral treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, was low through most of 2021 and 2022.

    The authors of a new study, led by Brian McGarry, a health services researcher at the Un...

    FDA Approves New Drug to Protect Against RSV in Infants

    MONDAY, July 17, 2023 (HealthDay Now) -- Parents now have a new long-acting drug to protect their children against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common germ that hospitalizes as many as 3% of children under the age of 1 in the United States each year.

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
  • |
  • July 17, 2023
  • |
  • Full Page
  • COVID Infection in Women Having Ovary Stimulation Lowered Chances for Pregnancy

    Testing positive for a COVID-19 infection during a particular phase of fertility treatment could reduce the odds for a successful pregnancy, a new study says.

    That phase of treatment is called controlled ovarian stimulation — a technique used to induce ovulation during in vitro fertilization (IVF).

    Researchers led by

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
  • |
  • July 14, 2023
  • |
  • Full Page
  • COVID-19 May Have Spread Between Humans, Deer

    New research shows that humans and deer passed the coronavirus back and forth in late 2021 and early 2022, raising concerns that this animal reservoir could become a source of new variants.

    Humans passed the virus to deer more than 100 times during that period, according to the study...

    Scientists Develop 'All Species' COVID Test

    Researchers can now detect the COVID-19 virus in any animal using a new all-species test.

    It's an advance that they say will help track COVID-19 variants in wild and domesticated animals.

    “Highly sensitive and specific diagnostic reagents and assays are urgently needed for rapid detection and implementation of strategies for prevention and control of the infection in animals,” t...

    CDC Gives Full Approval to RSV Shots for People Over 60; Vaccines Available This Fall

    Americans ages 60 and up can get their vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this fall, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday.

    On Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the outgoing CDC director, gave her signature to a recommendation made last week by an advisory panel of outside experts for a single dose of the vaccines made by Pfizer and GSK. The FDA ...

    COVID Could Harm Men's Sperm Months After Infection

    Having even a mild COVID-19 infection could trigger a months-long drop in sperm, a new study finds.

    Researchers found both lower sperm concentrations and fewer sperm that were able to swim when studying men an average of 100 days after COVID-19 infection, which is enough time for new sperm to be produced.

    “There have been previous studies that show semen quality is affected in th...

    New U.S. Report on COVID Origins Refutes Wuhan Lab Leak Theory

    U.S. intelligence officials have released a report that rejects some points made by those who say the new coronavirus leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China.

    The report was issued Friday in response to a Congressional bill that gave agencies 90 days to declassify intelligence garnered about the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

    The new report angered some Republicans who say the admini...

    There's No Hepatitis C Vaccine, But You Can Still Prevent Infection

    Hepatitis C can ruin your liver, and there's no vaccine to prevent it, but you can take steps to lower your chances of infection.

    According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,...

    Is There a Cure for Hepatitis C Infection?

    Hepatitis C is a serious viral infection that can damage your liver over time, but is there a cure for this insidious disease?

    Over 2 million adults in the United States are infected with hepatitis C, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This virus attacks the li...

    Diabetes Med Metformin Might Help Prevent Long COVID

    A safe, generic diabetes pill can help people avoid long COVID, a new clinical trial shows.

    Metformin cut the risk of long COVID by about 40% for patients who received a two-week course of the drug while battling their infection, the researchers reported.

    The results were even more dramatic if COVID-19 patients began taking metformin soon after infection. Starting on the drug w...

    FDA Panel Backs RSV Vaccine for Infants, Some Toddlers

    A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday recommended that the agency approve an RSV vaccine for infants and some toddlers.

    The monoclonal antibody shot would protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants born during or entering their first RSV season, the New York Times reported. It could also be used for toddlers up to 24 months old who are p...

    Your Guide to Hepatitis C Medications

    Hepatitis C is a serious viral infection that can scar your liver, cause your liver to fail and raise your risk for liver cancer, but there are a multitude of medications that can treat it.

    According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 2.4 million Am...

    Your Risk of COVID-Linked Smell Loss Is Much Lower Now: Study

    One of the signature symptoms of COVID-19 infection in the early months of the pandemic was a loss of the sense of smell.

    Now, new research finds that is no longer the case, thanks to the new variants that have been circulating more recently.

    The risk of losing sense of taste or smell is now only about 6% to 7% of what it was during the pandemic's early stages, according to researc...

    1 in 6 Unvaccinated People Struggle With Symptoms 2 Years After Getting COVID

    People unvaccinated for COVID-19 have significant odds of lingering illness if they get the virus, with one in six still suffering symptoms two years later, new research shows.

    A study from Switzerland found that 17% of that group did not return to their previously normal health, and 18% reported COVID symptoms such as shortness of breath 24 months after their infection was gone.

    ...

    FDA Approves Pfizer's RSV Shot for Older Adults

    Older adults may have a second vaccine option for RSV following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of a Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday.

    The other shot for adults 60 and up is made by GSK. It was approved May 3.

    Both should be available by fall, before the seasonal spread of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), The New York Times reported.

    The Pfizer ...

    Long COVID Can Make It Tougher to Exercise, and Research Is Revealing Why

    Lack of energy for exercise is a common problem for folks with so-called long COVID.

    New research pinpoints the most likely reason why: diminished capacity to get the heart pumping fast enough to support the effort. The name for this is chronotropic incompetence.

    “The amount of aerobic exercise an individual can do is limited largely by the delivery of oxygen by the heart, lu...

    Viruses in the Gut Might Help People Live to Be 100

    A key to living to 100 may be the viruses living in a centenarian's guts.

    “This snapshot of how the virome interacts with gut microbiomes could tell us about how microbial and viral ecology evolves over the lifetime of a person,” said Ramnik Xavier, director of immunology and co-director of the infectious ...

    More Mpox Cases Reported as Health Officials Fear a Summer Resurgence

    U.S. health officials are bracing for the possibility that mpox could surge again this summer as cases mount in several states.

    On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 21 more cases of mpox, with Illinois, New York and Maryland reporting the most new infections. Illi...

    Experts Devise Symptom Checklist to Help Define Long COVID

    Researchers have developed a definition and symptom checklist for long COVID, based on initial findings from a study of nearly 10,000 Americans.

    The study identified a set of 12 long-term symptoms that can occur following infection with COVID-19. These symptoms — ranging from "brain fog" to chest pain — are linked to the effects of the coronavirus on multiple organ systems.

    Usin...

    New Clues to Why Some People Suppress HIV Without Drugs

    Some HIV patients are naturally able to keep the virus fully in check without any medicinal help, a phenomenon that has intrigued scientists for decades.

    New research appears to identify at least one reason why: an abnormally powerful version of an infection-fighting white blood cell called CD8+ T cell.

    CD8+ T cell's are a type of T cell, a normal feature in everyone's immune s...

    Mpox Virus Can Replicate on Surfaces for Days: Study

    Most cases of mpox are spread from skin-to-skin contact, but it is possible to catch the virus by touching a contaminated surface in a house or a hospital room, according to a new study.

    Researchers studying this found temperature made a difference. The virus could survive at room temperature on a surface for up to 11 days. At 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit), it could survive f...

    Scientists May Understand Link Between Common Virus & Multiple Sclerosis

    It's been known for years that Epstein-Barr virus can trigger multiple sclerosis or drive progression of the degenerative disease, and Swedish researchers think they now understand why.

    Some people have antibodies against the common Epstein-Barr virus that mistakenly attack a protein found in the brain and spinal cord, researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden say.

    Antibodie...

    Show All Health News Results