ERAS program expedites recovery for congenital heart surgery patients

Select patients born with heart defects and who undergo congenital heart surgery recover with few complications and reduced opioid use when a comprehensive, evidence-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program is used, according to research presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Patient-reported outcomes from the randomized phase III CROWN study of first-line Lorlatinib versus in ALK+ NSCLC

Patient-reported outcomes from the phase III CROWN study showed that time to treatment deterioration (TTD) in pain in chest, dyspnea, and cough was comparable between those who received lorlatinib and patients who took crizotinib. The research was presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer Singapore.

Social and structural factors influence racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality

COVID-19 mortality racial disparities in the U.S. are associated with social factors like income, education and internet access, according to a Rutgers study.

Macron gambles by saying 'non' to lockdown

French President Emmanuel Macron has gambled by not imposing a third national lockdown to contain COVID-19—against expectations and the advice of senior scientific advisers.

Smartphone giant Xiaomi sues to reverse US blacklisting

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi said Sunday it had filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the former Trump administration's last-minute blacklisting of the electronics giant.

Anxiety grows as long-term care awaits COVID-19 vaccines

Frustration is building over the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations at long-term care sites, where some homes still await first shots while fending off a virus that can devastate their residents.

Single virus case sends Australia's Perth into snap lockdown

The Australian city of Perth will begin a snap five-day lockdown after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested positive for COVID-19, authorities announced Sunday.

Electric cars, fewer cows in New Zealand's climate change plan

New Zealand unveiled a blueprint Sunday to phase out petrol-powered cars while its dairy industry, a key pillar of the economy, must slash cow numbers under the ambitious plan to be carbon neutral by 2050.

S.Africa orders 20 mln Pfizer vaccines: report

South Africa has secured 20 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, the health minister told a Sunday newspaper.

WHO probe team visits Wuhan market at heart of first virus outbreak

A team of WHO experts investigating the origins of COVID-19 on Sunday visited a market in Wuhan where one of the first reported clusters of infections emerged over a year ago.

Egypt to receive first AstraZeneca vaccines Sunday

Egypt said Saturday the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca would arrive on Sunday.

Hundreds protest Amazon expansion in France

Hundreds rallied in several French towns on Saturday in protests against Amazon called by anti-capitalist and environmental groups, including at one site where the US e-commerce giant plans a massive warehouse.

Countries tighten borders against virus as US orders mask-wearing

A number of countries tightened their borders against a surge in variant strains of the deadly coronavirus as the United States on Saturday ordered travellers to wear masks on most public transport.

CDC requires face masks on airlines, public transportation

Travelers on airplanes and public transportation like buses and subways will be required to wear face masks starting next week to curb the spread of COVID-19.

As California virus cases fall, more people than ever dying

As a hospice nurse, Antonio Espinoza worked to ease people's passage into death. Just 36 years old, it seemed unlikely he soon would be on that journey.

Novavax COVID-19 vaccine news welcomed in South Africa

News that the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine has shown about 60% efficacy on HIV-positive patients and that it seems to work against the variant of the virus now dominant in South Africa is being welcomed with relief in the country, but further studies are urged.

WHO team visits 2nd Wuhan hospital in virus investigation

Members of a World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visited another Wuhan hospital that had treated early COVID-19 patients on their second full day of work Saturday.

Women undergo less aggressive open heart surgery, experience worse outcomes than men

Women are significantly less likely than men to undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using guideline-recommended approaches, which may result in worse outcomes after surgery, according to a scientific presentation at the 57th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

'COVID effect' leads to fewer heart surgeries, more patient deaths

The most deadly global health crisis in a century has resulted in a substantial decline in overall heart surgery volume and an unexplained increase in deaths after coronary artery bypass grafting, according to late-breaking research presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Nivolumab effective treatment for malignant mesothelioma

Nivolumab monotherapy is an effective treatment option for relapsed malignant mesothelioma (MM), according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Selected gene mRNA expression is not predictive of improved overall survival

A phase III study examining whether messenger (m)RNA expression correlated with sensitivity or resistance to chemotherapy did not confer a statistically significant advantage in overall survival for patients with resected stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to research presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer.

LCMC3: Neoadjuvant atezolizumab safe, meets primary endpoint of pathologic response rate

Primary analysis of the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium (LCMC) 3 study revealed that neoadjuvant atezolizumab prior to lung cancer surgery was well tolerated by patients and met its primary endpoint of 20% major pathologic response rate, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's World Conference on Lung Cancer.

TALENT study supports NLCST and NELSON trial results

A study presented today by researchers with the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan confirmed the effectiveness of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening in a pre-defined, never-smoker, high-risk population. The research was presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

AstraZeneca hit by COVID jab delays and disagreements

Only a few weeks ago, Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca was being applauded for the speed with which it developed its COVID-19 vaccine.

Brazil neighbors limit travel to halt virus strain's spread

Brazil's neighbors are starting to restrict international travel amid concern about the spread of a new coronavirus variant that experts say may be more contagious and driving a second wave of infections.

A look at COVID-19 vaccines already in use, or getting close

While a few have already hit the market, there are still dozens of coronavirus vaccines in development around the globe.

Seattle hospitals rush out vaccines after freezer failure

Seattle hospitals rushed out COVID-19 vaccines to hundreds of people in the middle of the night after a freezer they were being stored in failed.

Morocco starts vaccinating medics en masse against virus

Scores of Moroccan health workers streamed to a spacious white tent erected outside the Avicenne University Hospital in the capital Rabat to get their first dose of COVID-19 vaccines, as a mass vaccination effort began Friday in the North African country.

COVID-19 pandemic led to decreased school meal access for children in need across Maryland: study

School closures during COVID-19 have decreased access to school meals, which is likely to increase the risk for food insecurity among children in Maryland, according to a new report issued by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM). The number of meals served to school-age children during the first three months of the pandemic dropped by 58 percent, compared to the number of free or reduced-price meals served the previous spring. As a result, thousands of children across the state were placed at increased risk of food insecurity, with many likely experiencing the health ramifications associated with the abrupt disruption in their access to regular meals.

Host immune classifier HIC assays may predict treatment response

Using a host immune classifier (HIC) test for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may provide better predictors of treatment response and improve outcomes, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's 2020 World Conference on Lung Cancer Singapore.

Radiation Oncology trials using PET with FDG uptake among NSCLC patients

Two radiation oncology trials presented at the IALSC World Conference on Lung Cancer Singapore highlight how some researchers are exploring use of higher radiation boost doses to only PET-positive regions in locally-advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A previous large RTOG phase III trial revealed that the unform delivery of a high dose to the entire tumor led to poorer survival.

Adding ipilimumab to pembrolizumab does not improve efficacy in patients with NSCLC

Adding ipilimumab to pembrolizumab does not improve efficacy and is associated with greater toxicity than pembrolizumab alone as first-line therapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for patients with a PD-L1 tumor proportion score of greater than or equal to 50% and no targetable EGFR or ALK aberrations, according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's World Conference on Lung Cancer.

GameStop soars again; Wall Street bends under the pressure

Another bout of selling gripped the U.S. stock market Friday, as anxiety mounts over whether the frenzy behind a swift, meteoric rise in GameStop and a handful of other stocks will damage Wall Street overall.

China exported more than 220 billion masks in 2020: government

China exported more than 220 billion face masks last year, the commerce ministry said Friday, the equivalent of nearly 40 per person outside China as demand for protective gear skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Out of sight, cleaners perform critical work in COVID ICUs

Clad head to toe in protective gear, doctors and nurses cluster around the patient, fighting to keep the coronavirus-stricken man alive.

Reddit users say GameStop rocket is revenge of the masses

For some Reddit users, GameStop's dizzying rocket ride on Wall Street is a case of the masses rebelling against one-percenters hoarding the world's wealth.

WHO team visits Wuhan hospital that had early COVID patients

A World Health Organization team on Friday visited a hospital where China says the first COVID-19 patients were treated more than a year ago as part of the experts' long-awaited fact-finding mission on the origins of the coronavirus.

Google bombards Australian search users as PR campaign intensifies

US tech giant Google stepped up its public relations campaign against Australian regulation Friday, presenting all search users Down Under with a "proposal" to water down planned rules.

Miami Heat opens doors to fans thanks to COVID-sniffing dogs

Miami Heat fans were able to watch a basketball game in person for the first time since the pandemic shut down the NBA last March—in part thanks to dogs trained to detect COVID infections.

Dangerous Liaison: New Zealand virus quarantine flaw exposed

The woman who took a flight back to New Zealand was supposed to avoid all physical contact with others for 14 days as she went into mandatory quarantine. The man working at the quarantine hotel was supposed to be the last line of defense.

Mexico tops 155,000 COVID-19 deaths, may be 3rd highest

Mexico reached 155,145 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 Thursday, which would make it the country with the world's third-highest total, passing India's death toll of 153,847.

Tiger that undewent rare hip replacement surgery has setback

An Amur tiger that underwent hip-replacement surgery at a zoo outside Chicago has managed to dislodge the orthopedic implant, veterinarians at Brookfield Zoo said Thursday.

Second Brazil wave strains hospitals in Sao Paulo's interior

Rodinei Silva made two trips this week to the Santa Casa de Jau hospital in the interior of Brazil's Sao Paulo state. First, he brought his wife, who was suffering COVID-19 symptoms including trouble breathing. She tested positive, but was sent home with medication because space was scarce.

Europe awaits AstraZeneca approval as virus variant worries grow

European regulators were expected to announce Friday if they have approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus shot, as concerns grew around the world over the effectiveness of vaccines against new variants of the deadly pathogen.

Role of race in US vaccine rollout gets put to the test

The role that race should play in deciding who gets priority for the COVID-19 vaccine was put to the test Thursday in Oregon, but people of color won't be the specific focus in the next phase of the state's rollout as tensions around equity and access to the shots emerge nationwide.

UN chief calls for regulating social media companies

The United Nations chief called Thursday for global rules to regulate powerful social media companies like Twitter and Facebook.

Huawei smartphone sales plunge as US sanctions bite

Sales of smartphones made by Chinese telecom giant Huawei plunged in the latest quarter of 2020 as they were hit by US sanctions on its suppliers, research firm Canalys said on Friday.

Ethnic health disparities among older adults in England equivalent to 20-year age difference, even before COVID-19

Experts call for policy reform to improve ethnic equity of socioeconomic opportunity, service provision, and health outcomes. They also call for long-term studies to investigate how structural and institutional racism generate these ethnic inequalities in health.

Genetic screening before prescribing could benefit millions

Four million UK patients could benefit annually from genetic testing before being prescribed common medicines, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in collaboration with Boots UK and Leiden University (Netherlands).

Metformin may affect risk of breast cancer in women with type 2 diabetes

A study of 44,541 women has found that there appears to be no association between type 2 diabetes and developing breast cancer overall. This may be because most women in the study with type 2 diabetes were taking metformin, a medication widely used to treat type 2 diabetes, whose actions may help to reduce the risk of developing oestrogen positive (ER-positive) breast cancer.