Exposure to particulate matter before and after birth linked to heightened allergic rhinitis risk

Exposure to the air pollutant fine particulate matter (PM2.5) before and after birth is linked to a heightened risk of childhood allergic rhinitis, finds research published online in the journal Thorax.

High blood pressure controlled in only 2 out of 5 UK cases despite treatment

High blood pressure is controlled in only 2 out of 5 UK patients with the condition, despite treatment, suggests a large population based study, published in the online journal Open Heart.

QR codes, health passports: China's tech arsenal against a pandemic

Daily life in China follows a rhythm of digital check-ins, with the QR code—at offices, malls and transport hubs—an integral defence against COVID-19 that helps to track, trace and isolate patients.

Facebook halts project for undersea data cable to Hong Kong

Facebook has decided to halt its efforts to build a trans-Pacific undersea cable that would have connected California and Hong Kong, due to tensions between the United States and China.

Will the coronavirus ever go away?

Will the coronavirus ever go away?

Pandemic crippling nature conservation efforts

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only had devastating effects on humans, it has also heavily impacted efforts to safeguard natural ecosystems and habitats around the globe, conservationists warned Thursday.

A year on, WHO still struggling to manage pandemic response

When the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic one year ago Thursday, it did so only after weeks of resisting the term and maintaining that the highly infectious virus could still be stopped.

Rolls-Royce losses double to £3.2bn in 2020 pandemic

British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce said Thursday that net losses more than doubled last year to £3.2 billion, hit by the coronavirus pandemic which forced thousands of company layoffs.

Nursing home residents can get hugs again, feds say

Nursing home residents vaccinated against COVID-19 can get hugs again from their loved ones, and all residents may enjoy more indoor visits, the government said Wednesday in a step toward pre-pandemic normalcy.

Indonesia's Sinabung volcano unleashes new burst of hot ash

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra island unleashed an avalanche of searing gas clouds flowing down its slopes during eruption on Thursday. No casualties were reported.

How dangerous is the Fukushima nuke plant today?

A decade ago, a massive tsunami crashed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Three of its reactors melted down, leaving it looking like a bombed-out factory. Emergency workers risked their lives trying to keep one of history's worst nuclear crises from spiraling out of control.

Hawaii's rains, floods cited as examples of climate change

Heavy rains are part of the winter wet season in Hawaiian Islands. But the downpours triggering flooding that destroyed homes and bridges and set off mass evacuations on multiple islands this week are also an example of the more intense rainstorms officials and climate scientists say are occurring more frequently as the planet warms.

Mothers in academia address workplace inequalities

As the coronavirus pandemic's grip on the United States stretched from weeks into months, with huge swaths of the American workforce bound to their homes, studies began trickling out revealing that the impact and burden of quarantine was not equally shared. Women—particularly mothers, and especially mothers of color—were bearing the brunt of the pandemic's toll, losing their jobs in greater numbers than men, handling the lion's share of increased housework that quarantine created, and juggling their careers while also taking on the role of teacher to their children struggling to navigate a new remote-school routine.

Elite philanthropy does little to solve problems caused by rising social inequalities

Giving at scale by the super-wealthy has done little to redistribute wealth from rich to poor, helping perpetuate social inequalities rather than remedying them, while paying considerable dividends to donors in the form of privilege and influence in society and politics, new research shows.

Fishers at risk in 'perfect storm'

Stormier weather will increasingly force fishers to choose between their safety and income, researchers say.

Firefly tourism takes flight, sparking wonder and concern

Firefly beetles rank among the world's most charismatic creatures, with luminous courtship displays that have now turned them into a popular attraction for wildlife tourists. In the first comprehensive review of firefly tourism, published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, an international team of biologists led by a Tufts University researcher, reveal that an estimated 1 million people now travel each year to witness bioluminescent performances starring some two dozen firefly species around the world.

COVID-19 risks to pregnant women and their babies outlined in global research review

Pregnant women remain at increased risk of severe COVID-19, and their risk of being admitted to intensive care or needing invasive ventilation is higher than non-pregnant reproductive aged women with the virus, an ongoing global study has found.

Using novel MIS-C therapy, team successfully treats two patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children

A team of pediatricians at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) was the first in the nation to enroll patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but life-threatening complication of COVID-19, in a trial of remestemcel-L. This investigational cell therapy, developed and manufactured by Mesoblast, New York, New York, had previously been shown safe and effective for other inflammatory conditions. The MUSC team reports in Pediatrics that the two children enrolled thus far showed significant improvement within 24 hours of remestemcel-L administration.

Food allergies leave parents living in fear

Parents of children with food allergies face significant worry, severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress—according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

Lockdowns linked to rise in eating disorder symptoms

New research indicates that lockdowns to help tackle the spread of COVID-19 could be linked to an increase in symptoms associated with eating disorders.

Specialist trauma mental health services a necessity for UK healthcare staff after COVID

Almost 60% of UK frontline health and social care workers (HSCWs) experienced a mental health disorder during the first COVID-19 lockdown, with many of those surveyed suffering "very high rates of distress", suggests a new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Haifa, Israel.

Mindfulness meditation improves quality of life in heart attack survivors

An eight-week programme of mindfulness meditation improves quality of life and reduces fear of activity in heart attack patients, according to research presented today at ESC Acute CardioVascular Care 2021, an online scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).