WHO Europe urges stronger action to contain new virus strain

The World Health Organization is calling on its members in Europe to step up measures against coronavirus in the face of the new variant circulating in Britain, its European branch said Sunday.

Strained health agencies push do-it-yourself contact tracing

When Eileen Carroll's daughter tested positive for the coronavirus, Rhode Island health officials called with the results, then told her to notify anyone her daughter might have been around. Contact tracers, she was told, were simply too overwhelmed to do it.

Hospitals try to keep pace, stores close during virus surge

California hospitals are battling to find beds to house patients amid fears the explosion of coronavirus cases will exhaust staffing resources.

Overdose deaths far outpace COVID-19 deaths in San Francisco

A record 621 people died of drug overdoses in San Francisco so far this year, a staggering number that far outpaces the 173 deaths from COVID-19 the city has seen thus far.

US begins rolling out Moderna vaccine: official

The first of millions of doses of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine were being prepared Saturday for shipping to locations across the United States, a top official said, hours after it was authorized for use in the hardest-hit country in the world.

Countries ban UK flights as Britain says new virus strain 'out of control'

European countries banned flights from the UK on Sunday and the WHO called for stronger containment measures as the British government warned that a potent new strain of the virus was "out of control".

Thailand reports 548 new virus cases, highest daily spike

Thailand reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, the highest daily tally in a country that had largely brought the pandemic under control.

England faces lengthy lockdown as new virus strain 'out of control'

Britain's health minister warned Sunday that a strict lockdown imposed on London and southeast England may last for months because a new strain of the coronavirus was "out of control".

Study sheds new light on how the brain distinguishes speech from noise

For the first time, researchers have provided physiological evidence that a pervasive neuromodulation system—a group of neurons that regulate the functioning of more specialized neurons—strongly influences sound processing in an important auditory region of the brain. The neuromodulator, acetylcholine, may even help the main auditory brain circuitry distinguish speech from noise.

Parts of Sydney locked down as Australia battles growing cluster

Parts of Sydney were heading into a fresh lockdown on Saturday as officials in Australia's most populous city said they hoped the restrictions would be enough to control a growing outbreak in time for Christmas.

India's virus cases cross 10 million as new infections dip

India's confirmed coronavirus cases have crossed 10 million with new infections dipping to their lowest levels in three months, as the country prepares for a massive COVID-19 vaccination in the new year.

Italy imposes partial lockdown for Christmas holiday

Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte on Friday announced there will be a partial lockdown nationwide for most of the Christmas holiday season, citing concerns that gatherings of families and friends could re-ignite the virus's spread.

US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenal

The U.S. added a second COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal Friday, boosting efforts to beat back an outbreak so dire that the nation is regularly recording more than 3,000 deaths a day.

COVID-19 models plot dire scenarios for California hospitals

When Gov. Gavin Newsom provided a dire view of California's out-of-control surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations this week, he referred to projection models of future death and misery that he said were becoming "alarmingly" more accurate.

'Obamacare' enrollment rising as COVID-19 pandemic deepens

Sign-ups for "Obamacare" health insurance plans are trending more than 6% higher amid surging coronavirus cases and deepening economic misery, according to preliminary figures released Friday by the government.

Gene biomarkers indicate liver toxicity quickly and accurately

When agrochemical and pharmaceutical companies develop new products, they must test extensively for potential toxicity before obtaining regulatory approval. This testing usually involves lengthy and expensive animal studies.

A step toward understanding why COVID-19 boosts stroke risk

A UCLA-led study may help explain how COVID-19 increases the risk for stroke. Scientists made the finding by running fluid spiked with a COVID-19-like protein through a 3-D-printed model of the arteries of a patient who had suffered a stroke.

Researcher examines why people choose to wear face coverings

Wearing a face covering in public is dependent upon how often people observe others wearing them, according to recent findings. Other important motivating factors are among findings of a national study undertaken by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through lead author Jack Barile, interim director of the Social Science Research Institute in University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's College of Social Sciences. More than 1,000 U.S. adults, ages 18 and older, who are representative of the U.S. population by gender, age, region, race/ethnicity and education, were surveyed.

Stroke and altered mental state increase risk of death for COVID-19 patients

People hospitalized with COVID-19 and neurological problems including stroke and confusion, have a higher risk of dying than other COVID-19 patients, according to a study published online today by researchers at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the journal Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These findings have the potential to identify and focus treatment efforts on individuals most at risk and could decrease COVID-19 deaths.

Experts call for Europe-wide COVID-19 targets

A group of more than 300 leading scientists across the globe are calling for European governments to work together in managing the pandemic and make a clear commitment to COVID-19 case number targets.

Low-income preschoolers exposed to nurturing care have with higher IQ scores later on

Preschoolers living in impoverished communities who have access to a nurturing home environment have significantly higher intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in adolescence compared to those raised without nurturing care. That is the finding of a new international study conducted by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers, which examined data from more than 1600 children from Brazil and South Africa who were followed from birth through their teenage years. Results were published this week in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.

Mexico City suspends non-essential activities as virus cases rise

Mexico City and the neighboring State of Mexico will suspend all non-essential activities from this weekend because of a spike in the number of coronavirus cases, the mayor said Friday.

Researchers propose process to detect and contain emerging diseases

A University of Arkansas biologist is part of a global team of researchers developing a strategy to detect and intercept diseases emerging from wildlife in Africa that could eventually infect humans.