Men who’ve had COVID-19 may face hidden fertility risks. This study uncovers how the virus disrupts sperm health, even months after recovery. Study:  COVID-19 infection was associated with poor sperm quality: a cross-sectional and longitudinal clinical observation study. Image Credit: Marko Aliaksandr / Shutterstock.com The severe acute respiratory syndrome…

A team at UC San Francisco and Gladstone Institutes has developed new drug candidates that show great promise against the virus that causes COVID-19 and potentially other coronaviruses that could cause future pandemics. In preclinical testing, the compounds performed better than Paxlovid against SARS-CoV-2 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, which periodically causes…

New research shows that while many cloth and medical masks fall short against tiny airborne particles, simple hacks like overmasking or using braces can dramatically improve your protection, yet only N95 and CaN99s respirators consistently keep you safest. Study: Measuring the fitted filtration efficiency of cloth masks, medical masks and respirators.…

Sugar coatings aren't only for candies; they also help viruses, like the ones that cause COVID-19, hide from their hosts' immune system. Now, researchers have developed a universal vaccine that targets coronaviruses and the sugars that they use as cover. As demonstrated in animal studies, the vaccine removed sugar molecules from an area of a…

A multi-state study reveals that many high-risk adults diagnosed with influenza (flu) in emergency departments and urgent care centers are not receiving timely antiviral treatment. Researchers found that only slightly more than half of these patients received antiviral prescriptions, and of those, only 80 percent were filled. This gap in treatment could increase the risk…

Unvaccinated children and adolescents were up to 20 times more likely to develop long COVID than their vaccinated peers, according to new research led by a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. However, the analysis they performed also indicated that protection afforded by the vaccine primarily comes from preventing…

California has halted a court-ordered medical parole program, opting instead to send its most incapacitated prisoners back to state lockups or release them early. The unilateral termination is drawing protests from attorneys representing prisoners and the author of the state's medical parole legislation, who say it unnecessarily puts this vulnerable population at risk. The move…

Even by rural hospital standards, Keokuk County Hospital and Clinics in southeastern Iowa is small. The 14-bed hospital, in Sigourney, doesn’t do surgeries or deliver babies. The small 24-hour emergency room is overseen by two full-time doctors. CEO Matt Ives wants to hire a third doctor, but he said finding physicians for a rural area…

Despite decades of progress, declining vaccine coverage during COVID-19 threatens a resurgence of measles, especially in vulnerable regions. This global study urges renewed focus on equitable immunization to prevent future outbreaks. Study: Global, regional, and national trends of measles burden and its vaccination coverage among children under five years old: an…

A new study suggests that elevated ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression in the nasal cavity significantly increases the risk of future SARS-CoV-2 infection, with certain nasal microbiome species influencing this expression. Study:  The nasal microbiome modulates risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection . Image Credit: Shutterstock AI Generator / Shutterstock.com A recent eBioMedicine…