Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    How your DNA may affect whether you get COVID-19 or become gravely ill

    A study of 45,000 people links 13 genetic variants to higher COVID-19 risks, including a link between blood type and infection and a newfound tie between FOXP4 and severe disease.

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  2. Health & Medicine

    How antibodies may cause rare blood clots after some COVID-19 vaccines

    Vaccine-induced antibodies attach to a specific spot on a protein involved in clot formation, a study suggests.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    How Hans Berger’s quest for telepathy spurred modern brain science

    In the 1920s, psychiatrist Hans Berger invented EEG and discovered brain waves — though not long-range signals.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    What experts know so far about the delta variant

    The variant, which first emerged in India, is outcompeting other highly transmissible forms of the coronavirus as it spreads around the world.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    A malaria vaccine with live parasites shows promise in a small trial

    After taking anti-malarial drugs after each vaccine dose to clear the parasite from the body, volunteers appeared well-protected from infection.

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  6. Humans

    Ancient human bones reveal the oldest known strain of the plague

    The earliest known plague strain emerged about 7,100 years ago and was less contagious as the one behind Black Death — but was still deadly.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    How COVID-19 vaccines were made so quickly without cutting corners

    Usually it takes years to get both test results and FDA authorization, but speedy spread of the virus and eager volunteers shrunk the shots’ timeline.

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  8. Genetics

    Embryos appear to reverse their biological clock early in development

    A new study suggests that the biological age of both mouse and human embryos resets during development.

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  9. Health & Medicine

    The benefits of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines outweigh the risk of rare heart inflammation

    A CDC group says the benefits of the Pfizer and Moderna shots outweigh the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents and young adults.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    How relocating musicians can reduce COVID-19 risk at concerts

    Based on simulations of how air flows across a stage, the Utah Symphony rearranged where its musicians sit and boosted ventilation.

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  11. Health & Medicine

    How COVID-19 created a perfect storm for a deadly fungal infection in India

    Amid the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, numbers of rare but dangerous “black fungus” infections have skyrocketed in the country.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Controlling nerve cells with light opened new ways to study the brain

    A method called optogenetics offers insights into memory, perception and addiction.

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