Mexico enters 3rd wave of coronavirus, infections up 29%

Mexico is entering its third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, as infections rose by 29% compared to the previous week.

Senegal, EU and US sign deal for new vaccine-production plant

Senegal, the EU, the United States, several European governments, and other partners, signed an accord in the capital Dakar on Friday to finance vaccine production in the West African state.

California to require face masks at schools this fall

California will require that masks be worn at schools when classrooms open this fall, despite new guidance issued Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that says vaccinated teachers and students don't need to wear face coverings inside school buildings.

WHO sees 'likely' COVID vaccine link to rare heart inflammation

The World Health Organization said Friday that there was a "likely causal association" between coronavirus vaccines using mRNA technology and "very rare" heart inflammations, but the benefits still outweigh the risks.

Indonesia short on oxygen, seeks help as virus cases soar

Just two months ago, Indonesia was coming to a gasping India's aid with thousands tanks of oxygen.

French scientists warn high vaccine rate needed to stop Delta

A panel of scientists who advise the French government on health warned Friday that as many as 95 percent of people might need to be vaccinated to dam the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19.

Russia blames increase in deaths in June on delta variant

The head of Russia's state coronavirus task force says the number of deaths nationwide in June this year rose nearly 14% over June 2020, due to the spread of the delta variant that caused infections to soar and a record spike in deaths.

Dutch reinforce COVID-19 measures after spike in cases

The Dutch government has reinforced measures to contain COVID-19 after a spike in new cases, particularly among young people, driven by the delta variant first identified in India.

FDA head calls for inquiry into Alzheimer's drug review

The acting head of the Food and Drug Administration on Friday called for a government investigation into highly unusual contacts between her agency's drug reviewers and the maker of a controversial new Alzheimer's drug.

Explainer: How Richard Branson will ride own rocket to space

Virgin Galactic will become the first rocket company to launch the boss when Richard Branson straps into one of his sleek, shiny space planes this weekend.

Study model explores impact of police action on population health

A specific police action, an arrest or a shooting, has an immediate and direct effect on the individuals involved, but how far and wide do the reverberations of that action spread through the community? What are the health consequences for a specific, though not necessarily geographically defined, population?

The 'hijab effect': Feminist backlash to Muslim immigrants in Germany

Why do some Europeans discriminate against Muslim immigrants, and how can these instances of prejudice be reduced? Political scientist Nicholas Sambanis has spent the last few years looking into this question by conducting innovative studies at train stations across Germany involving willing participants, unknowing bystanders and, most recently, bags of lemons.

For pediatric patients with Crohn's disease, factors associated with statural growth differ by sex

Growth impairment, a common complication of Crohn's disease in children, occurs more often in males than females, but the reasons are unclear. Now, a physician-scientist from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian and colleagues at eight other centers have found that factors associated with statural growth differ by sex. Their recent publication, identified as the "Editor's Choice / Leading Off" article and receiving a mention on the cover of the June issue of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, underscores the need for investigating and developing sex-specific treatment strategies for children with Crohn's disease, an approach that is not currently part of the pediatric Crohn's disease management algorithm.

COVID-19 pandemic linked to reduced access to gender-affirming care in 76 countries

A survey offered to transgender and nonbinary people across six continents and in thirteen languages shows that during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many faced reduced access to gender-affirming resources, and this reduction was linked to poorer mental health. Brooke Jarrett of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues present the findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on July 9.

Testosterone therapy reduces heart attack and stroke

Supplementing testosterone significantly reduces heart attacks and strokes in men with unnaturally low levels of the hormone, according to new research presented at the European Association of Urology congress today.

Normal brain growth curves for children developed childhood brain disorders, infections and injuries

In the United States, nearly every pediatric doctor's visit begins with three measurements: weight, height and head circumference. Compared to average growth charts of children across the country, established in the 1970s, a child's numbers can confirm typical development or provide a diagnostic baseline to assess deviations from the curve. Yet, the brain, of vital importance to the child's development, is merely hinted at in these measurements.

Highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 emerged from someone living with advanced HIV

A presentation at this year's European Congress on Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), held online this year, will discuss the growing evidence that the beta SARS-CoV-2 variant first identified in South Africa is leading to more severe disease in people living with HIV, and that failure to clear SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient with advanced HIV creates conditions that can lead to evolution of dangerous mutations in SARS-CoV-2.

Study shows both importance of second vaccine dose and updating vaccines to combat new variants of concern

New research presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) shows the importance of receiving the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and also the need to constantly review and update vaccines to deal with new variants of concern. The study is by Dr. Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra, Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany, and colleagues.

Poorer people less likely to be tested for SARS-CoV-2, more likely to be hospitalised, enter ICU and die: study

New research from Switzerland presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), held online this year, shows that people living in poorer neighbourhoods were less likely to be tested for COVID-19 but more likely to test positive, be hospitalised, or die, compared with those in more wealthy areas. The study is by Professor Matthias Egger and Dr. Julien Riou, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Bern, Switzerland.

Trial shows that the antibiotic azithromycin does not prevent mild COVID cases progressing to hospitalization, death

A new study (the ATOMIC2 trial), presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) and published simultaneously in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, shows the antimicrobial drug azithromycin—already approved for use in multiple infections—does not prevent mild COVID-19 cases progressing to hospitalisation or death.

Common prescription drugs (not themselves antibiotics) may increase risk of developing antibiotic resistance

New research presented at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) taking place online (9-12 July), suggests that three commonly prescribed classes of drugs that are not themselves antibiotics—proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), beta-blockers and antimetabolites—could lead to antibiotic resistant infections caused by bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family. These antibiotic resistant infections are in turn linked to longer hospital stays and potentially greater risk of death.

Surgical predictors of clinical outcome six years following revision ACL reconstruction

Orthopedic surgeons know that knee surgeries that require revisions have inferior outcomes compared with primary surgeries but until now, the reason for this was unknown. Today a team of orthopedic physicians reports that opting for a transtibial surgical approach and choosing an inference screw for femoral and tibial fixation will improve the patient's odds of having a significantly better six-year clinical outcome.

Quadriceps tendon autograft has lower MRI signal

An analysis of MRI images of the tissue grafts used for patients who underwent surgery to repair the anterior cruciate knee ligament suggests grafts used from the quadriceps may be superior to tissue grafts from the hamstring. The research was presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine—Arthroscopy Association of North America Combined 2021 Annual Meeting.