Having COVID-19 should confer some immunity against developing the disease again, but health experts do not know how long this immunity lasts.
Scientists know that some people have developed COVID-19 more than once, but there are not enough data for scientists to be able to analyze how long “natural” immunity lasts.
Having studied the genome of SARS-CoV-2, researchers suggest that, among unvaccinated people,...
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Nurses around the U.S. are getting burned out by the COVID-19 crisis and quitting, yet applications to nursing schools are rising, driven by what educators say are young people who see the global emergency as an opportunity and a challenge.
Among them is University of Connecticut sophomore Brianna Monte, a 19-year-old from Mahopac, New York, who had been considering majoring in education but decided on nursing...
South Dakota is projected to have the seventh-highest nurse shortage in the U.S. by 2030, and is ranked as having the lowest median salary for registered nurses.
In a state with low pay and a high need for nurses even in pre-pandemic projections, the state’s nursing schools are working to combat the shortage by expanding program offerings and ramping up recruitment and retention efforts during the ongoing...
The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office for Civil Rights issued guidance today explaining that COVID-19 vaccine status would not be covered under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rules.
Within its new guidance, HHS reminded that HIPAA does not apply to employer or employment records on the grounds that the rules only apply to HIPAA-covered entities like health care providers...
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than 175,000 job openings for registered nurses each year through 2029. While the demand for healthcare professionals is high, so are stress levels. According to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll, approximately six in 10 healthcare workers felt stress that affected their mental health during the pandemic. Fortunately, there is a solution for stressed...
While many assume that side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine mean that the shot is working, researchers at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore state that people should not interpret the symptoms that way.
The researchers found that whether one experienced side effects or not, the vaccines worked exceedingly well at generating a strong immune response.
Overall, 99.9% of the study participants successfully developed antibodies for fighting...
Children and adolescents gained weight at a significantly faster rate during the pandemic than compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report from the CDC.
The rate at which children and adolescents in the U.S. gained weight nearly doubled during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with younger school-aged children and those already...
Researchers report that chronic stress can increase your risk for heart health issues, such as high blood pressure.
Experts say there are many ways to reduce stress and anxiety, including going to therapy sessions, meeting with friends, and exercising.
They add that it’s best to try to deal with one source of stress at a time.
Chronic stress is unhealthy for your heart.
This is true — even for people...
A new heart disease drug hailed as “life changing” has been approved for use in areas of the United Kingdom.
The manufacturer, Novartis, and the National Health Service (NHS) of England and Wales struck a deal to offer the drug at a reduced cost.
The decision came after a global trial showed that the drug can “safely cut cholesterol by 50% .”
If 300,000 people receive the drug,...
When institutions come together to solve a problem, good things can happen. What started several years ago as a conversation regarding a critical community need led to the recent opening of a game-changing facility for local health care.
Memorial Health System , and other local health care providers, had multiple, unfilled nursing positions. Meanwhile, LLCC lacked the space to expand our nursing program. Could our institutions...
Experts say we are living through a historically stressful time, with chronic stress from unrelenting issues.
They recommend people focus on taking care of themselves first by eating a balanced diet, spending time outdoors, and talking with others who have similar concerns.
Experts hope the current stressful time will encourage people to take mental health more seriously.
COVID-19 and climate change and...
Mandates for hospital employees to get the shot could end up raising tensions.
In July, stories about Olivia Guidry’s death went viral. The 24-year-old had, earlier in the pandemic, posted a vaccine conspiracy theory to her Twitter account. “This vaccine has been released using recombinant DNA faster than any vaccine in the world,” it read. “Do. Not. Get. It. It’s not safe.” Then,...