- By Simon Bratt
For many people, using a substance can be the way they cope – or mask mental health difficulties. Asking them to stop using drugs or alcohol means taking away their coping strategy and without immediate support it’s likely that person will return to using substances to cope with psychological distress.
Smoking is the most common cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an often fatal respiratory condition that afflicts millions of Americans. But for many patients living with COPD, stopping smoking isn’t the end of the battle.
- By Sarah Pitt
Many countries ended their full lockdowns at the start of the summer, but it wasn’t until the autumn that most places began to see a significant increase in the spread of the virus again.
- By Duncan Banks
Neuroplasticity – or brain plasticity – is the ability of the brain to modify its connections or re-wire itself. Without this ability, any brain, not just the human brain, would be unable to develop from infancy through to adulthood or recover from brain injury.
- By Lena Ciric
Many of us rely on public transport to get to work, school, and to meet friends and family. But in the time of COVID-19 is it safe to use these vehicles and is there a difference between them?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) affects up to 24m people, globally, but little is known about its causes. Our latest study unravels some of this mystery. The results suggest that an overactive immune system may trigger this long-term condition.
- By U. Michigan
How can you tell if you have a cold, the flu, or COVID-19? An expert offers advice for those worried sick about their symptoms.
Men in jobs with hard physical work have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to men doing sedentary work, new research reveals.
- By Ryan Malosh
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has new guidance clarifying what exactly “close contact” means when it comes to transmission of SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and objects (such as door handles) can help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. This is more relevant now than ever.
Around the world, virologists in labs are constantly handling samples of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as part of our global quest to understand, and hopefully overcome, this pandemic.
Most scientists agree that stringent control measures, involving efficient contact tracing, testing and isolation, together with social distancing and mask wearing, are required to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
- By Gordon Dent
Donald Trump’s brief stay in hospital in early October 2020 raised awareness – once again – of the variety of treatments being investigated for COVID-19.
- By Adam Taylor
The human hand is remarkable. Not only does it allow us to throw, grab, climb and pick things up, it can also be a measure of health.
When will the pandemic end? All these months in, with over 37 million COVID-19 cases and more than 1 million deaths globally, you may be wondering, with increasing exasperation, how long this will continue.
If you ask most women about how their male relatives, partners and friends respond to being sick, they’ll often tell you with an accompanying eye roll, “He’s such a baby.”
Face masks reduce the spread of viruses passed on from respiratory secretions. While cloth masks are imperfect, widespread use of an imperfect mask has the potential to make a big difference in transmission of the virus.
The World Health Organization has declared obesity to be a global epidemic that “threatens to overwhelm both developed and developing countries.” However, is obesity always bad when it comes to health?
It doesn’t take long for airborne coronavirus particles to make their way through a room. At first, only people sitting near an infected speaker are at high risk, but as the meeting or class goes on, the tiny aerosols can spread.
For many of us, becoming ill with a virus might put us on the couch for a week or two. It’s frustrating, but after recovering we can generally get back to the things we’re used to.
With over 2 million cases in the U.S. since the coronavirus pandemic began in late December, there are now many people who have recovered from COVID-19. At the same, there have been reports of people who continue to have long-term side effects from the infection.
Watching another person experience diabetes influences type 2 diabetics’ self-management of blood sugar levels, according to a new study.
- By Brian Geiss
President Donald Trump’s announcement that he’s tested positive for COVID-19 is especially concerning because of his age. At 74 years old...