With three highly contagious respiratory viruses sickening adults and children around the country and holiday gatherings just weeks away, public health officials are beginning to talk about face masks again. While mask mandates are unlikely in most parts of the country, health experts are renewing recommendations to wear a high-quality medical mask on public transportation, […]
Health
Health and lifestyle stories from the Portland Press Herald.
Posted inHealth, Maine
Influenza cases in Maine doubled in the last week
Maine recorded 1,720 new cases of influenza during the week ending Dec. 2, and flu-related hospitalizations nearly quadrupled from the previous week, going from 17 to 63.
advertisement
Posted inHealth, Nation & World, News
Pfizer asks FDA to clear updated COVID shot for kids under 5
Children ages 6 months through 4 years already are supposed to get three extra-small doses of the original Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Posted inHealth, Nation & World
COVID hospitalizations rising post-Thanksgiving after an autumn lull
Hospitals are already under strain from RSV and the flu.
Posted inHealth, Nation & World, News, Uncategorized
FDA change ushers in cheaper, easier-to-get hearing aids
About 30 million people in the United States deal with hearing loss, according to the Food and Drug Administration. But only about 20% of those who could use a hearing aid seek help.
Posted inHealth, Nation & World, News
Teen brains aged faster than normal from pandemic stress, study says
Before the pandemic, premature aging of children’s brains was observed in cases of chronic childhood stress, trauma, abuse and neglect.
Posted inHealth, Nation & World, News
Parents looking for children’s Tylenol, ibuprofen find empty shelves
Demand from waves of RSV, flu and covid are causing sporadic shortages of children’ drugs like Ibuprofen and Tylenol for some hospitals and retail stores.
Posted inHealth, Lewiston-Auburn
More than half of all flu cases reported this season are from last week
There have been more than 1,650 influenza cases reported to the Maine CDC since early October, with nearly 860 reported last week.
Posted inHealth, News
Drug slows Alzheimer’s but can it make a real difference?
New data shows an experimental Alzheimer’s drug modestly slowed the brain disease’s inevitable worsening.
Posted inHealth, Nation & World
Mayor says NYC will treat mentally ill, even if they refuse
Hospitals, outreach workers and first responders, including police, will be allowed to involuntarily hospitalize anyone they deem dangerous. Critics say it’s a crackdown on the mentally ill and the homeless.