Alcohol consumption has a long history in Nigeria, especially in the southern region, where it was not forbidden by religion. In the past, only adult men were culturally allowed to drink. It was taboo for young people to drink alcohol because it was generally believed that “drinking was a sign […]
Despite the development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, effective therapeutics are needed until worldwide immunity has been achieved. A study published in PLOS Pathogens by Adam Pickard and Karl Kadler at University of Manchester, United Kingdom, and colleagues suggests that some FDA-approved drugs could be safely repurposed to treat COVID-19 infections. The […]
Parents in Kansas City who don’t want their children to wear masks in school despite mandates are swapping names of local physicians and nurse practitioners they claim will sign medical exemptions for families. Some local pediatricians report they’re getting more requests for exemptions lately and confirm that some doctors and […]
Pharmacologists are working to help mitigate the detrimental side effects of opiates, including addiction, respiratory depression, constipation and alcohol use. Many pharmacologists are doing this by developing drugs that target the G-protein pathway, rather than the β-arrestin pathway, which historically has been associated only with adverse effects of opioids. However, […]
People of South Asian and African/African Caribbean ethnicity are more likely than those of European ethnicity to develop type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease complications of diabetes such as heart attacks and strokes. A study published in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Sophie Eastwood at University […]
Scientists don’t know exactly what percentage of the population will need to get a COVID vaccine to achieve herd immunity. Some diseases, such as whooping cough, need very high rates of vaccination between 90-95%. The rise of new, more infectious coronavirus variants might mean even more people may need to […]
Some countries, such as Tanzania and Madagascar, have issued statements saying they do not have plans to vaccinate their populations against COVID-19. Moina Spooner, an editor with The Conversation Africa, asked pathology expert Dr. Ahmed Kalebi to unpack what this means for the global effort to contain the pandemic. What […]
After a toddler swallowed six tiny-but-powerful magnets, two of them became stuck in his throat, adhering to each other and pinching his tissue, according to a new report of the case. The 3-year-old swallowed the magnetic beads while his older sister was babysitting him, according to the report, published Jan. […]
A research group in Australia has just published what appears to be a pretty terrifying finding – SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is viable even after sitting on surfaces such as glass and bank notes for 28 days. With much of the attention turning to indoor ventilation of aerosolised particles, […]
We’ve watched enough One Born Every Minute to know there’s usually a mum-to-be somewhere on a labour ward screaming in pain. Of course, every birth is different and some are more difficult than others, but having a baby is widely recognised to be a painful experience. But according to a […]