Some cities are passing bans on natural gas appliances to help curb emissions, climate change
Cookin’ with gas? Maybe not for long. According to CBS News, “major cities across the U.S. are passing bans on gas stoves and other appliances that run on natural gas because of their planet-warming emissions.” About 80 local governments — mostly in California — have passed laws requiring or encouraging...
Washington School District alerts families to potential monkeypox case
Washington School District alerted students and families of a potential monkeypox case at Washington Park Primary School. A student suspected of having monkeypox or another similar disease was at the school Monday, Superintendent George Lammay said in a letter to families. “The school immediately sanitized all physical locations that the...
Fall allergies share symptoms with covid; ragweed a leading trigger
A stuffy, runny nose could be a sign that your body is coping with a flu or covid-19 infection, or it could be an overreaction to an allergen. The maturation of pollen-packed plants like ragweed means the fall allergy season has arrived in Western Pennsylvania. “If you have nasal congestion,...
‘Out of control’ STD situation prompts call for changes
NEW YORK — Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases — including a 26% rise in new syphilis infections reported last year — are prompting U.S. health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts. “It is imperative that we … work to rebuild, innovate, and expand (STD)...
U.S. warns monkeypox could mutate to resist antiviral drug
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials are warning against overuse of the lone drug available to treat monkeypox, saying that even a small mutation in the virus could render the pills ineffective. The Food and Drug Administration updated its guidance this week for Tpoxx, which has been prescribed to tens of...
5 things to know about updated covid-19 booster shots
Two weeks after the federal government signed off on covid-19 booster shots targeting the most dominant strains of the virus, clinics and health care providers in Southwestern Pennsylvania have begun offering the shots to eligible recipients. The newly authorized bivalent vaccines are updated boosters that specifically target the BA.4 and...
Pitt, UPMC officials tap Dr. Freddie Fu recruit to fill ‘irreplaceable’ doctor’s orthopedic roles
The University of Pittsburgh and UPMC ended a yearlong search Monday for a successor for Dr. Freddie Fu, who helped catapult orthopedics at the university and health system to international renown during his tenure, which ran from 1998 until his death in 2021. Officials have tapped Dr. MaCalus V. Hogan...
Americans give health care system failing mark: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON — When Emmanuel Obeng-Dankwa is worried about making rent on his New York City apartment, he sometimes holds off on filling his blood pressure medication. “If there’s no money, I prefer to skip the medication to being homeless,” said Obeng-Dankwa, a 58-year-old security guard. He is among a majority...
U.S. counts millionth organ transplant while pushing for more
The U.S. counted its millionth organ transplant on Friday, a milestone that comes at a critical time for Americans still desperately waiting for that chance at survival. It took decades from the first success — a kidney in 1954 — to transplant 1 million organs, and officials can’t reveal if...
Explainer: Is covid-19 winding down? Scientists say no
Is the coronavirus on its way out? You might think so. New, updated booster shots are being rolled out to better protect against the variants circulating now. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped covid-19 quarantine and distancing recommendations. And more people have thrown off their masks...
FTC investigating Amazon’s $3.9B purchase of One Medical
NEW YORK — The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Amazon’s $3.9 billion acquisition of the primary health organization One Medical, a move that could delay the completion of the deal. Both One Medical and Amazon received a request for additional information Friday in connection with an FTC review of the...
U.S. life expectancy plunged again in 2021, down nearly a year
NEW YORK — U.S. life expectancy dropped for the second consecutive year in 2021, falling by nearly a year from 2020, according to a government report being released Wednesday. In the first two years of the covid-19 pandemic, the estimated American lifespan has shortened by nearly three years. The last...
Highmark Health reports $174M in net losses during first half of the year
Pittsburgh-based health care giant Highmark Health on Tuesday reported a net loss of $174 million during the first six months of the year, driven by steep investment losses. Highmark Health reported $12.9 billion in revenue during the first half of the year, up 25% over the same period a year...
Explainer: Lower prescription prices to take time in new law
WASHINGTON — After decades of failed attempts, Democrats passed legislation that aims to rein in the soaring costs of drugs for some in the United States. It will take years for people to realize some of the most significant savings promised in the climate and health care bill that President...
U.S. data reveals racial gaps in monkeypox vaccinations
The Biden administration said Friday there’s sufficient supplies of monkeypox vaccine available now but the shots aren’t getting to some of the people who need them most. About 10% of monkeypox vaccine doses have been given to Black people, even though they account for one-third of U.S. cases, according to...
Tweaked covid boosters close but how much will they help?
Covid-19 vaccines tweaked to better match today’s omicron threat are expected to roll out in a few weeks but still up in the air is how much benefit the booster shots will offer, who should get one — and how soon. Pfizer and rival Moderna both asked U.S. regulators this...
Study: Pfizer covid pill showed no benefit in younger adults
WASHINGTON — Pfizer’s covid-19 pill appears to provide little or no benefit for younger adults, while still reducing the risk of hospitalization and death for high-risk seniors, according to a large study published Wednesday. The results from a 109,000-patient Israeli study are likely to renew questions about the U.S. government’s...
UPMC profits, investment income drop in 1st half of the year
Hospitals across the country, including local health care giant UPMC, reported massive earnings in 2021, but those large profits appear to be slowing down significantly in 2022 thanks to increased operating costs and losses from investment activities. UPMC reported $82 million in operating income — revenue minus operating expenses —...
‘Magic mushroom’ psychedelic may help heavy drinkers quit
The compound in psychedelic mushrooms helped heavy drinkers cut back or quit entirely in the most rigorous test of psilocybin for alcoholism. More research is needed to see if the effect lasts and whether it works in a larger study. Many who took a dummy drug instead of psilocybin also...
Pfizer covid shots appear 73% effective in children under 5
Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine was 73% effective in protecting children younger than 5 as omicron spread in the spring, the company announced Tuesday. Vaccinations for babies, toddlers and preschoolers opened in the U.S. in June after months of delay. Only about 6% of youngsters ages 6 months through 4 years had...
Wendy’s pulls lettuce from sandwiches amid E. coli outbreak
The fast-food chain Wendy’s says it is pulling lettuce from sandwiches in its restaurants in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania after people eating them there reported falling ill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it is trying to determine whether romaine lettuce is the source of an E....
U.S. offers extra monkeypox vaccine doses for gay pride eventsVideo
NEW YORK — The U.S. is setting aside an extra 50,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine for places with upcoming gay pride events, health officials said Thursday. The number of doses sent to each place will be based on factors like the size of the event, how many health workers will...
Over-the-counter hearing aids expected this fall in U.S.
Millions of Americans will be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription later this fall, under a long-awaited rule finalized Tuesday. The regulation creates a new class of hearing aids that don’t require a medical exam, a prescription and other specialty evaluations, the Food and Drug Administration said. That’s...
What to know about the poliovirus found in New York wastewater
Poliovirus has been found in New York City’s wastewater, sparking concerns about circulation of the virus, but an infectious disease expert cautioned that it is important to understand the type of poliovirus detected and the mass vaccination status of most of the country. Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease...
Polio detected in NYC’s sewage, suggesting virus is circulating
The polio virus has been found in New York City’s wastewater in another sign that the disease, which hadn’t been seen in the U.S. in a decade, is quietly spreading among unvaccinated people, health officials said Friday. The presence of the poliovirus in the city’s wastewater suggests likely local circulation...
