A cheap antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19 in a study hunting for existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat coronavirus. Researchers tested the pill used for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder because it was known to reduce inflammation and looked promising in smaller studies. They’ve shared the results with […]

WASHINGTON (AP) Heath officials on Tuesday authorized the first electronic cigarettes in the U.S., saying the R.J. Reynolds vaping products can benefit adult smokers. The Food and Drug Administration said data submitted by the company showed its Vuse e-cigarettes helped smokers either quit or significantly reduce their use of cigarettes, the leading preventable cause of […]

By Lindsey TannerAP Medical Writer Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? No, experts say there’s no strong evidence yet that it makes children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the virus, although delta has led to a surge in infections among kids because it’s more contagious. Delta’s ability to spread […]

By Nicole WinfieldAssociated Press ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) Pope Francis said Wednesday he didn’t understand why people refuse to take COVID-19 vaccines, saying “humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines,” and that serene discussion about the shots was necessary to help them. “Even in the College of Cardinals, there are some negationists,” Francis […]

Rochester, N.Y. — The days of COVID booster shots in Monroe County are near. And to help distribute them, Monroe County will reopen mass vaccination sites. Monroe County Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza and County Executive Adam Bello made the announcement Thursday. The first time around, the Rochester Riverside Convention Center was used by Monroe […]

Jury selection in the fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes began Tuesday, casting a spotlight on the fallen Silicon Valley star now facing felony charges alleging she duped elite financial backers, customers and patients into believing that her startup was about to revolutionize medicine. But the Theranos technology, which promised to run hundreds of […]

Pfizer is seeking U.S. approval of a booster dose of its two-shot COVID-19 vaccine. The drugmaker said Wednesday that it has started the application process for a third dose of its vaccine for everyone ages 16 and older. The company said it will complete the application with the Food and Drug Administration by the end […]

A third dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine substantially improved protection for organ transplant recipients whose weak immune systems don’t always rev up enough with the standard two shots, Canadian researchers reported Wednesday. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was small but it’s the most rigorous type of third-dose testing so far […]

BRUSSELS (AP) Dried yellow mealworms could soon be hitting supermarket shelves and restaurants across Europe. The European Union’s 27 nations gave the greenlight Tuesday to a proposal to put the Tenebrio molitor beetle’s larvae on the market as a “novel food.” The move came after the EU’s food safety agency published a scientific opinion this […]

What is a COVID-19 vaccine “breakthrough” case? It’s when a fully vaccinated person gets infected with the coronavirus. In studies, the two-dose COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna were around 95% effective at preventing illness, while the one-shot Johnson & Johnson shot was 72% effective, though direct comparisons are difficult. So while the vaccines are […]