Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Oct 31, 2020

Woman's stomach pain turns out to be rare case of 'wandering spleen'

A woman who went to the emergency department with abdominal pain soon learned the source of her discomfort: Her spleen had shifted about a foot out of place, according to a new report of the case. This rare condition, known as wandering spleen, occurs when ligaments that normally hold the...

Oct 31, 2020

Speed of COVID vaccine testing did not compromise safety, Fauci says

Moderna and Pfizer both recently announced that their coronavirus vaccines were around 95% effective in preventing COVID-19. Just one year ago, not a single person knew that the novel coronavirus existed. This incredible speed in vaccine development is unprecedented. But it did not compromise the safety of the vaccine or...

Oct 31, 2020

Rural hospitals are under siege from COVID-19. Here's what doctors are facing, in their own words.

It’s difficult to put into words how hard COVID-19 is hitting rural America’s hospitals. North Dakota has so many cases, it’s allowing asymptomatic COVID-19-positive nurses to continue caring for patients to keep the hospitals staffed. Iowa and South Dakota have teetered on the edge of running out of hospital capacity....

Sep 30, 2020

A virus and bacteria may 'team up' to harm babies' brains

A newly discovered bacteria may be working with a common virus to cause a serious brain condition in infants in Uganda, according to a new study. This brain disorder, called hydrocephalus, involves an abnormal buildup of fluid in the cavities of the brain and is the most common reason for...

Sep 30, 2020

Mysterious inflammatory syndrome tied to COVID-19 strikes adults as well as kids

Months after the discovery of a multisystem inflammatory syndrome tied to COVID-19 in children, health officials are warning that a similar condition can strike adults as well. On Friday (Oct. 2), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report describing a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or...

Sep 30, 2020

Are non-stick pans safe?

Spending each morning at the kitchen sink scraping at the charred remains of breakfast gets tedious after a while. Non-stick cookware may seem like an appealing alternative — but is it safe? Usually when people inquire about the safety of their non-stick cookware, they're talking about the brand Teflon, said...

Sep 30, 2020

1 in 4 Americans aren't washing their hands regularly

More Americans are washing their hands amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but 1 in 4 don't lather up when they need to, such as after blowing their nose, according to a new report. The report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), examined Americans' hand washing behaviors before and...

Sep 30, 2020

Masks and closures in Arizona led to a 75% decrease in coronavirus cases

Mask mandates, closures of certain businesses and other COVID-19 mitigation strategies implemented over the summer led to a 75% drop in new coronavirus cases in Arizona, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In stark contrast, when the state's stay-at-home order was lifted...

Sep 30, 2020

Life-changing medical innovations that make the impossible possible (Sponsored)

Editor's note: This sponsored article was commissioned by Sandvik. When you see an elite athlete with a prosthetic limb cross the finish line or witness a heartwarming video of an infant hearing for the first time thanks to a cochlear implant, it's easy to feel the miracle and forget the...

Sep 30, 2020

Experts: Herd immunity is 'dangerous' and 'flawed' approach

The idea of using herd immunity to manage the COVID-19 pandemic — by allowing low-risk people to acquire the infection naturally as they resume their normal lives — is a dangerous and flawed approach, according to a new letter signed by 80 international researchers. The letter, published Wednesday (Oct. 14)...

Sep 30, 2020

What is RNA?

More than just DNA's lesser-known cousin, RNA plays a central role in turning genetic information into your body's proteins. This remarkable molecule also carries the genetic instructions for many viruses, and it may have helped life get its start. 'Central Dogma'Together, RNA, short for ribonucleic acid, and DNA, short for...

Sep 30, 2020

COVID-19 is at least 5 times deadlier than flu for hospitalized patients

COVID-19 truly is more deadly than the flu — patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were five times more likely to die than those with the flu, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What's more, the study found COVID-19 patients were at higher risk...

Sep 30, 2020

US is a week away from 'rapid acceleration' of COVID-19 cases

The U.S. is bracing for a third wave of COVID-19 infections as it moves into the frigid winter months. The country is only about a week away from a rapid acceleration in COVID-19 cases, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration said on CNBC on Monday...

Sep 30, 2020

All seniors could get COVID-19 vaccine by end of January, HHS head says

All seniors, health care workers, first responders and vulnerable individuals could be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Wednesday (Oct. 21) during a news briefing. But this ambitious timeline rests on a critical factor:...

Sep 30, 2020

FDA approves first COVID-19 drug. But it's 'not a blockbuster.'

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fully approved remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. The drug is now approved for use in hospitalized COVID-19 patients 12 years old and up, and weighing at least 88 pounds (40 kilograms), according to a statement from the FDA. Previously, the agency...