A new study published today highlights the importance of a ‘go hard, go early,’ strategy when it comes to responding to growing outbreaks of COVID-19 in Australia. According to the lead author, Professor Tom Kompas at the University of Melbourne, Victoria’s current snap lockdown is the correct approach. “Our work…
It’s never too early to begin healthy eating habits
Researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Brazil found that when health workers were trained to promote infant healthy feeding practices to pregnant women their children consumed less fats and carbohydrates at 3 years of age and had…
AI algorithm aids early detection of low ejection fraction
An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that uses data from electrocardiography can help increase the diagnosis of low ejection fraction (EF), according to a study published online May 6 in Nature Medicine. Xiaoxi Yao, Ph.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and colleagues randomly assigned 120 primary care teams, including…
How accurate were early expert predictions on COVID-19, and how did they compare to the public?
Who made more accurate predictions about the course of the COVID-19 pandemic—experts or the public? A study from the University of Cambridge has found that experts such as epidemiologists and statisticians made far more accurate predictions than the public, but both groups substantially underestimated the true extent of the pandemic….
Early warning system for intensive care units
Postoperative bleeding and acute kidney injury are among the most dangerous complications after heart or cardiovascular surgery. The earlier doctors or nurses recognize them, the greater the chance of being able to intervene successfully and save lives. “It is true that in modern cardiac surgery intensive care units, a large…
Intervening early for infant brain health
In the world of neurodevelopment, one thing is clear: the earlier the intervention the better. Infancy is a critical time in brain development, and neuroscientists are increasingly identifying factors that can negatively impact cognition and ones that can improve cognition early in life. At the annual meeting of the Cognitive…
Majority of women can still give birth naturally if their water breaks early
About 11% of women who carry to term will experience prelabor rupture of membrane—a condition where the amniotic sac breaks open early, but labor doesn’t begin. Typically, when a woman’s water breaks but labor doesn’t start, labor is induced. But a new University of Michigan study found that expectant management—waiting…
UK coronavirus variant may be more deadly, early evidence suggests
Officials in the United Kingdom say the U.K. variant of the novel coronavirus may be more deadly than other strains, but they stress that the evidence for this is still very uncertain. This variant, called B.1.1.7, was first identified in Kent, England, in September 2020 and has since spread around…
Survey: Frequent reports of missed medical care in U.S. adults during early phase of COVID-19 pandemic
Two out of five individuals delayed or missed medical care in the early phase of the pandemic—from March through mid-July 2020—according to a new survey from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The survey of 1,337 U.S. adults found that 544, or 41 percent, delayed or…
UK coronavirus fight showing positive ‘early signs,’ health officials say
Fox News Flash top headlines for January 20 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com. U.K. health authorities are voicing some early, positive signs that the country may be getting a hold on the deadly coronavirus pandemic, fueled by a highly transmissible variant. England…
‘Psychological toll’ of lockdown peaked in the early weeks
People’s levels of anxiety and depression were at their highest (worst) in the early stages of the March lockdown but improved fairly rapidly following the introduction of restrictions, according to new findings by UCL researchers. The study, published today in Lancet Psychiatry and funded by the Nuffield Foundation and the…