Ed Cara

ScienceHealth

When Did Covid-19 Really Start Spreading in the U.S.?

A trio of new studies published Thursday seem to push back the start of the covid-19 pandemic in the U.S. Two of the studies suggest that the coronavirus behind covid-19 was spreading locally in Washington State in late January to early February, while another suggests it was sickening people in Los Angeles last December. These … Continued

ScienceHealth

Here’s What We Know So Far About the AstraZeneca Vaccine Trial Halt

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca formally announced on Wednesday that its Phase III trial in the UK testing out a vaccine for the coronavirus that causes covid-19 was put on pause, following a report of a serious adverse event among its participants. More details concerning the report have since emerged, but there are still many unanswered questions … Continued

ScienceHealth

How to Read That Damning Sturgis Motorcycle Rally ‘Superspreader’ Study Like a Scientist

A week-long rally attended by half a million motorcycle enthusiasts last month in Sturgis, South Dakota could have eventually led to an extra 250,000 cases of covid-19, according to new research released by a team of economists. But though it’s certainly likely that the rally was a superspreading event, this particular estimate may be off … Continued

ScienceHealth

Large Study Finds Link Between Hair Dye And a Certain Type of Breast Cancer

A new large population study looks to clarify the theorized connection between hair dye and cancer. The study found no link between ever using hair dye and an increased risk of most types of cancer in women. However, it did find a possible relationship between hair dye and certain forms of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, … Continued

ScienceHealth

Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine Shows Promise in Early Trial—But We Don’t Know Yet if It Really Works

New research released on Friday is the first bit of evidence supporting a vaccine for covid-19 being developed by scientists in Russia. The pair of early clinical trials suggest that the vaccine is safely tolerated and can create an immune response to the coronavirus that causes covid-19 in people. But as with other experimental candidates, … Continued

ScienceHealth

Horrifying Images Show How the Coronavirus Ravages Our Lungs

Here’s a closer look at the coronavirus that causes covid-19, courtesy of new research publishedin the New England Journal of Medicine Thursday. These images depicting the coronavirus en masse infecting human lung cells aren’t just for show either—they might just provide a hint as to why covid-19 can be so devastating to our bodies. Camille … Continued

ScienceHealth

The Pandemic Is Taking a Heavy Toll on Our Mental Health, Study Finds

A new study out Wednesday is the latest to show that the covid-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on Americans’ mental health. The research found that more than a quarter of adults surveyed have clearly experienced depression symptoms recently—over three times as many who said the same in a survey taken before the pandemic. … Continued

ScienceHealth

Coronavirus Antibodies Can Last at Least Four Months, Large Iceland Study Finds

A new study from Iceland provides reassurance that our antibodies to the coronavirus that causes covid-19 can last at least four months—assuming that we produce them in the first place. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday, looked at blood samples collected from over 30,000 people in Iceland, a bit … Continued

ScienceHealth

The WHO Now Recommends Cheap Steroids As a Life-Saving Treatment for Severe Covid-19

New research released Wednesday seems to confirm one of the few hopeful discoveries made during the covid-19 pandemic: Cheap steroid drugs can save the lives of people with severe covid-19. The accumulating evidence has convinced the World Health Organization to embrace steroids as a standard treatment for these critical cases, though not for people with … Continued

ScienceHealth

Researchers May Have Found the First Treatment for Chronic Fainting

A pacemaker might help people prone to fainting stay on their feet more, according to preliminary research out this week. The findings from this study and others could very well lead to pacemakers becoming the first dedicated treatment for chronic fainting. Fainting—or syncope, as it’s known medically—is caused when the blood flow to the brain … Continued

ScienceHealth

How Face Shields and Valve Masks Fail to Stop Infectious Droplets, as Shown by Lasers

A new study using lasers suggests that face shields and masks outfitted with an exhaust valve aren’t particularly great at protecting others from tiny respiratory droplets containing contagious germs like the coronavirus that causes covid-19. These aerosols can spill through and around these types of face equipment, the study found, weakening their potential to keep … Continued

ScienceBiology

An Ancient Breed of Singing Dog Isn’t Extinct in the Wild After All

A breed of wild dog known for its lyrical sounds may not be as extinct as we thought, according to a new paper out Monday. The study details genetic evidence suggesting that the New Guinea singing dog—thought to have only existed in captivity for the past 50 years—is still alive in the wilds of Indonesia. … Continued

ScienceHealth

Sleep Scientists Want to Cancel Daylight Saving Time

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a U.S. organization representing sleep scientists and clinicians, has called for the eradication of the century-long practice of daylight saving time, in which clocks are moved an hour forward in the spring and returned back an hour in the winter. The twice-a-year transition, they argue, not only inconveniences everyone … Continued

ScienceHealth

Nevada Man Hospitalized After Apparent Coronavirus Reinfection

Scientists in Nevada are the latest to report a likely case of reinfection from the coronavirus that causes covid-19, with genetic evidence backing up their claim. While it remains to be seen whether reinfection will be a common phenomenon, this newest case suggests that a second infection can cause more severe illness than the first, … Continued

ScienceHealth

The CDC Sort of Clarifies Its New Testing Guidelines

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its guidance this week to say that people who have been exposed to the coronavirus but don’t have symptoms don’t necessarily need to be tested for it, the health agency’s director issued a statement that “testing may be considered for all close contacts of confirmed or … Continued

ScienceHealth

Climbing Mount Everest Has Gotten Easier, Study Finds

Climbing Mount Everest is one of the hardest athletic feats a person can do. But new research out this week suggests that it has gotten easier to pull off in recent years. The study found the success rate of climbing the highest mountain on Earth has doubled in the last decade relative to years past, … Continued

ScienceHealth

Researchers Give Mice Super Calorie-Burning Fat Cells Using CRISPR

Researchers say they may have found a way to create more useful fat cells using the gene-editing technique CRISPR. In a new study out Wednesday, they found evidence—in mice—that these engineered cells can possibly help the body burn calories quicker, as well as prevent obesity and other metabolic problems, compared to the fat cells most … Continued

ScienceHealth

In Baffling Reversal, CDC Now Says You Don’t Need a Covid-19 Test If You Don’t Have Symptoms

In a decision that has left many public health experts confused and suspicious, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has abruptly changed its testing guidelines for covid-19. According to the agency, people who have likely been exposed to an infected person do not necessarily need to get tested for covid-19 if they’re not experiencing … Continued

ScienceHealth

Social Distancing Is a Lot More Complicated Than Staying 6 Feet Apart

The 6-foot rule for distancing from others during the covid-19 pandemic might be too rigid for its own good, a group of experts in the U.S. and UK are arguing. In a new paper out Tuesday, they make the case for adopting a more nuanced approach to staying safe, where people take into account things … Continued

ScienceHealth

Why Scientists Are Wary of the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization of Plasma for Covid-19

On Sunday evening, President Donald Trump announced news that his administration had earlier advertised as a “breakthrough” development in the ongoing pandemic: The Food and Drug Administration would issue an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma donated from covid-19 survivors as a treatment for hospitalized covid-19 patients. But though scientists and doctors are genuinely hopeful … Continued