From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, labor unions have been among the strongest advocates for workplace safety measures. So it came as a surprise to many that some unions have resisted the imposition of vaccine mandates, ranging in sentiment from cautious to outright hostile. Their reactions can seem confusing…
The Real Reason So Many Mall Department Stores Are Closing
As vaccination rates rise, and infection rates fall, many of us may be aching to go outside and pick up where we left off more than a year ago. Yet, as businesses start to reopen, we may discover that the world that we’re returning to isn’t exactly the same world…
Many Americans wrong about Sun’s skin cancer dangers: Poll
(HealthDay)—You might think everybody knows how to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, but a new survey reveals that one-third of Americans lack a basic understanding of sun safety and skin cancer. That’s the surprising takeaway from an American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) survey of 1,000 U.S. adults. Fifty-three…
RNA scientists identify many genes involved in neuron development
Neurons result from a highly complex and unique series of cell divisions. For example, in fruit flies, the process starts with stem cells that divide into mother cells (progenitor cells), that then divide into precursor cells that eventually become neurons. A team of the University of Michigan (U-M), spearheaded by…
Ouch! Needle-Phobic People Scarred by So Many Images of Covid Shots
Each night it’s the same. Story after story on the TV news is about the covid vaccination effort, and they are all illustrated with footage of needles sinking into exposed upper arms. Could those visuals, ostensibly making this all seem routine, backfire? More than causing squeamish people to look away…
Tyson Foods Managers Took Bets on How Many Workers Would Get COVID-19, Says Lawsuit
Managers and other high-level employees at a Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo, Iowa, are being sued by the family of a deceased employee on allegations that senior staffers were negligent with workers at the start of the pandemic. Among other scary claims: Supervisors at the Tyson pork plant allegedly took…
Many with lupus at high risk for adverse reactions to pneumocystis pneumonia drug
New research shows that adults with systemic lupus erythematosus, who receive trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), a prophylactic therapy to help prevent pneumocystis pneumonia, are at high risk for adverse reactions to the drug, particularly if they are also positive for anti-Smith (anti-Sm) antibodies. Details of the study was presented at ACR Convergence,…
Dear Dan: Many of us are not doing well. Something has to give
Dear Dan, I have been meaning to write a while now but frankly have not had the energy. Last week I attempted to but for the first time in the near-on 10 years I have been writing for The Age, had to tell my editor I just wasn’t up to…
Many Older Americans With Heart Failure Take 10 or More Meds
TUESDAY, Oct. 13, 2020 — When older people hospitalized for heart failure are sent home, they are often given a whopping 10 medications to take for a variety of conditions. But is this “polypharmacy” practice necessary, or does it just place a bigger burden on already frail patients? It’s not…
Pandemic means financial hardship for many with diabetes
(HealthDay)—People with diabetes face a higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19, but a new survey reports they have also suffered more economic fallout from the pandemic. In June, 18% of people with diabetes were out of work compared to 12% of the general population. And one-third of people with…
Medical pot may help many battle insomnia, pain and stress: Study
(HealthDay)—More and more U.S. states are allowing marijuana to be taken as medicine, and a new study suggests that users do indeed feel better. In a survey of nearly 1,300 people with chronic health conditions, researchers found that those using “medicinal cannabis” reported less pain, better sleep and reduced anxiety….