Ed Cara

ScienceHealthCovid-19

The Pandemic Could Disrupt Decades of Decline in Cancer Mortality

A new report released Tuesday by the American Cancer Society provides some good news: Americans who had cancer in 2018 were less likely to die from it than they were a year earlier, continuing a steady decline in cancer mortality over the past 30 years. As hopeful as this trend is, though, there are still … Continued

ScienceHealth

Scientists Find Link Between Cat Parasite and Brain Cancer in People

A common parasite spread through undercooked pork and occasionally our cats might have more insidious health effects than previously suspected. New research suggests a link between infection with Toxoplasma gondii and an increased risk of brain cancer. At this point, however, scientists aren’t sure yet if there’s a direct cause-and-effect relationship, and the overall risk of … Continued

ScienceHealth

Biden Admin’s Vaccine Plan: Release All Stored Doses

On Friday, the incoming Biden administration detailed a new plan to make as many vaccine doses available as possible to the public. They plan to release all doses held in storage, breaking from the current strategy of stockpiling some of the available supply to ensure that people can get their second doses. Though the move … Continued

ScienceHealth

Early Evidence Suggests Pfizer Vaccine Works Against New Coronavirus Variant

Scientists are hard at work testing out whether mutations found in new variants of the coronavirus could bypass the immunity offered by currently developed vaccines. The first results from this work are encouraging: They suggest that the Pfizer vaccine is still effective against one important mutation found in these variants. However, more research is still … Continued

ScienceHealth

A Man Ate a Toothpick and It Was Stuck in His Butt for Months

Doctors in Japan say a man’s accidental ingestion of a toothpick left him dealing with months of pain in his back and leg—all caused by said toothpick getting stuck in his rectum. Once the toothpick was removed, the man’s troubles fortunately went away. The strange medical tale was detailed this week in BMJ Case Reports. … Continued

ScienceHealthCovid-19

Good News: Natural Immunity to the Coronavirus May Last Years, Study Suggests

New research released Wednesday should provide comfort to covid-19 survivors worried about losing their natural immunity to the coronavirus anytime soon. The findings suggest that in most people, a robust immune response to the virus lasts for at least eight months—and there are good signs that it could even last years. There have been concerns … Continued

Tech NewsPolitics

New York Wants to Legalize It

New York could soon make it easier for people to legally get high. On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his proposal for the state to legalize and regulate the cannabis industry. Though this would make New York the latest to embrace cannabis, health policy experts are pushing for a plan that openly tries to address … Continued

ScienceHealth

Blue Light and Essential Oil Compound Treat Antibiotic-Resistant Skin Infections in Mice

A team of scientists claim to have found a novel way to treat stubborn skin infections that don’t respond to antibiotics. In experiments with mice, they showed that a combination of blue light mixed with a compound found in oregano oil could easily kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria living in skin wounds without harming the mice. If … Continued

ScienceHealthCovid-19

Mild Covid-19 Cases More Likely to Lose Their Sense of Smell, Study Finds

For people with mild covid-19, the nose may know better than any other part of the body. New research released Wednesday suggests that nearly 90 percent of people with mild illness experience losing their sense of smell, a higher proportion than those with more serious illness. Though usually temporary, this loss of smell can last … Continued

ScienceHealthCovid-19

FDA Shoots Down Plan to Extend Vaccine Supply With Alternate Dosing

The Food and Drug Administration appears to have rejected any alternative strategy for the distribution of covid-19 vaccines—for now, at least. In a statement released Monday evening, FDA chief Stephen Hahn called the possibility of any dosing or scheduling changes “premature” and not supported by the current evidence. At the same time, he did welcome … Continued

ScienceHealth

U.S. May Stretch Out Covid-19 Vaccine Supply With Half-Doses

The U.S. federal government is scrambling to increase the limited supply of covid-19 vaccines. A new proposal suggests doling out half-doses of the Moderna vaccine to some people, but it’s not yet clear whether Moderna or health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration would be on board for the idea, nor whether the strategy is … Continued

ScienceHealth

New Research Shows How Covid-19 Can Trigger Brain Damage

New research out today looks to bring us closer to understanding how covid-19 can cause brain damage. The study suggests that while the viral infection may not directly reach the brain in most cases, it can spark the sort of destructive inflammation that’s seen with other neurological conditions, like stroke. The research was conducted by … Continued

ScienceHealth

The New Coronavirus Variant Is in the U.S.—Now What?

Over the past 24 hours, health officials in Colorado have reported finding two suspected cases of covid-19 caused by a worrying new variant of the coronavirus. The variant, first detected in the UK, is strongly believed to be more transmissible than previous strains, though recent data has also suggested that it’s not more likely to … Continued

ScienceHealth

New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Ignore Scientists’ Advice on Alcohol Limits

The newest dietary guidelines from the U.S. federal government are out, and there are some surprising omissions. While the guidelines continue to emphasize the value of a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, they don’t recommend that American men substantially cut down on alcohol—contrary to the advice provided by outside experts commissioned by the … Continued

ScienceHealth

You Think Covid-19 Is Bad?

Experts with the World Health Organization issued a somber warning on Monday: The next pandemic to strike humanity could be even more devastating than covid-19 has been, especially if we don’t learn our lessons this time around. The warning came from Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, during a press briefing … Continued

ScienceHealth

A Hunter in Florida Got a Rare Brain Infection From Feral Hogs

A man’s habit of hunting feral pigs exposed him to a rare brain infection, doctors in Florida say. In a recent case report, they detail how the man developed a serious kind of infection that’s mostly disappeared in the U.S., caused by Brucella bacteria. Brucella infection, or brucellosis, was once a lot more common. Many … Continued

ScienceHealth

Yes, Super Gonorrhea Is Real and It’s Gonna Get Worse

Over the weekend, a particularly awful pair of words started trending on social media: super gonorrhea. That’s because the World Health Organization recently warned that the pandemic is helping fuel the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including the bacteria that cause gonorrhea. Unfortunately, the situation is only likely to get worse. Antibiotic resistance has been a … Continued

ScienceHealth

Patients Are Paying More Out of Pocket for MRIs and Other Brain Health Exams

Health care costs are rising most everywhere for Americans, and a new study out Wednesday suggests that people seeking care for neurological problems are no exception. The study found that people with private insurance are increasingly paying out-of-pocket for services like MRIs, and that these costs have risen over the course of 15 years. The … Continued

ReviewsYear in Review

The Best and Worst of the World’s Covid-19 Response

On January 7, 2020, I wrote about a mysterious, pneumonia-causing viral illness making people sick in Wuhan, China. It was the first Gizmodo article about what eventually became known as covid-19, the second pandemic to strike humanity in the 21st century. It’s eerie to look back at those early days and weeks, when it still … Continued

ScienceHealth

The U.S. Just Secured Another 100 Million Doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine

Americans will have more opportunities to get their hands on the authorized covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. On Wednesday, the companies announced having reached a deal with the U.S. government for an additional 100 million doses by July 31, up from the initial 100 million doses ordered already. The deal follows a similar … Continued