Covid-19:
While more than 57 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given in the United States and many Americans eagerly await their turn to get a shot, not everyone wants one.
Vaccine skepticism isn't new, but you may be able to persuade skeptical loved ones to change their minds.
"Some people are probably thinking still that COVID-19 is like flu where you're sick for three or four days, and then you think you're fine after that," said Glen Nowak, director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication at the University of Georgia. "But research shows that many people's symptoms persist for weeks or even months, with loss of taste and smell frequently one of the symptoms experienced by those with 'mild' illness."
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Last fall’s news about the rapid creation of several COVID vaccines was hailed in the media as a major scientific achievement and “the beginning of the end of the pandemic.” But there is a difference between creating vaccines and vaccinating Americans. Some are unsure about the vaccines’ safety and are either unwilling to get it or taking a wait-and-see approach for now. Others dislike having to get two shots, not one, and then still having to take safety measures, such as wearing a mask.
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Amid a pandemic, some people are buying so-called germicidal ultraviolet lamps to protect against the new coronavirus.
But new research finds that decision could backfire when it comes to eye health.
Doctors are reporting on several patients who used such devices to eliminate the virus from homes and offices and developed painful inflammation of the cornea, a condition called photokeratitis.
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There's a lot of misinformation about vaccines as the United States begins its massive COVID-19 vaccination program, so an expert wants to dispel the many myths about vaccines in general.
Vaccines are among the most heavily studied of all drugs, and the evidence shows they are safe and extremely effective, according to Dr. Patrick Gavigan, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Penn State Children's Hospital, in Hershey, Penn
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During last Easter, many family members who were sheltering in place in their individual homes couldn’t gather in one place for their traditional family dinners. But they comforted themselves with the thought that everyone would be together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now, because of high levels of Covid in some parts of the country, that’s not certain either. Breaking bread, pouring drinks, watching football, chatting, joking, playing games—none of these activities may be considered safe if they bring family members in close enough proximity to potentially spread coronavirus to one another. Out of caution, many families may choose to skip this year’s festivities, hoping to return to their holiday traditions in 2021.
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Before the pandemic, family caregivers were spending nearly $7,000 per year out of their own pocket when caring for an aging loved one with some estimates reaching as high as $8,700 per year if you live further away. How do caregivers find the money to do this? Caregivers report saving less for their own retirement or their kids’ education, putting off their own health care expenses and some caregivers even take loans or early withdrawals from their retirement accounts.
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As a nation watched nursing homes ravaged by COVID-19 outbreaks, family caregivers started to ask themselves – why didn’t I keep my loved one at home with me? Before the pandemic, the decision to place a loved one in a nursing home was already difficult. But, with total confirmed COVID cases in nursing home residents approaching 2,000,000 nationally and facility staff accounting for more than one million confirmed COVID cases nationwide, family caregivers are now motivated to keep their loved ones at home more than ever.
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The pandemic has harmed people around the globe, causing losses of routines, jobs and lives. Many Americans, especially older adults, have also suffered. In response, U.S. rates of depression, anxiety and substance use have risen.
But this has also been a time when the busy pace of life has slowed for many of us, allowing us to think about what matters most to us. Because we sometimes hesitate nowadays to see one another in person, we are using video platforms to regularly touch base with the people most important to us. Some of us have started house projects, cooked new recipes or begun reading again. Others have used the increased time at home to reconnect with nature through gardening or return to playing the piano.
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The best time to get your flu shot is now if you want to protect yourself against a potential "twindemic" infection of influenza and COVID-19, experts say.
"Early September, at the very least early October, is the best time to get your flu shot. That really allows your body to build up the appropriate immune response in time for the peak prevalence of influenza in the community," Dr. Nadia Eltaki, director of clinical operations for Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., said during an interview.
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Grandparents are best known for overindulging their grandchildren, not refusing their requests for visits. Yet that is the position in which many grandparents find themselves during this pandemic. To prevent contracting coronavirus from their grandchildren, they tell them to keep away until this health crisis finally passes. Or they agree to see them but maintain a safe but awkward distance, withdrawing from their hugs and avoiding their kisses.
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Nearly six months into the pandemic, there is still uncertainty in many parts of the country about when it will be safe for family members, if they live apart, to interact with one another normally, such as socializing in each other’s homes, going out to dinner together, and hugging and kissing. Different family members of different ages and health conditions may have different degrees of vulnerability. Some may be more risk-averse than others.
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The pandemic is taking a big toll on Americans' psyches: A new government report found that about 41% of adults surveyed in late June "reported an adverse mental or behavioral health condition."
That's a big rise from 2019. For example, the data shows that the number of Americans suffering from an anxiety disorder had tripled by late June compared to the same time last year, and the number of those with depression had jumped fourfold.
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The coronavirus pandemic has led many older adults to postpone medical care, a new survey finds.
The University of Chicago survey found that 55% of U.S. adults aged 70 and older experienced a disruption in their medical care during the first month of social distancing.
Thirty-nine percent put off non-essential care and 32% delayed primary or preventive care since social distancing began. And 15% said they delayed or canceled essential medical treatment, the survey found.
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(HealthDay News) -- Doctors at one Ohio hospital system have discovered yet another possible consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: More cases of "broken heart syndrome."
The condition -- which doctors call stress cardiomyopathy -- appears similar to a heart attack, with symptoms such as chest pain and breathlessness. But its cause is different: Experts believe it reflects a temporary weakness in the heart muscle owing to a surge in stress hormones.
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If you toss and turn every night because the coronavirus epidemic has left you anxious and worried, one sleep expert has some advice.
Financial struggles, loss of control, or worries about loved ones can affect peoples' quality and duration of nightly sleep, said sleep psychologist Emerson Wickwire, an associate professor of psychiatry and medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
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Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Annette Adams-Brown's 87-year-old mother was an avid follower of TV news. Now Adams-Brown has to channel-surf for a less stressful pastime.
Her mother, Bertha, has dementia, and each time she hears the news about a terrible disease spreading through the country, it's like she is hearing it for the first time.
"It produces a lot of anxiety," said Adams-Brown, who lives with her mother in an apartment complex for older adults in Syracuse, N.Y.
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One of the negative consequences for families of the pandemic is the enforced isolation and separation of individuals who are most vulnerable to contracting and dying from covid-19. From skilled nursing facilities to retirement communities to senior living residences, all visitors, including close family members, are now banned from entry to prevent infection. Even seniors still in their own homes may see little of their loved ones in person because those relatives and friends fear spreading the virus by merely being together in the same room.
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