Health

Beijing — China may be pivoting away from its strict zero-COVID measures, but you’d never know it in Beijing. Everyone in the capital is confused. The city of more than 21 million people doesn’t have a coherent plan, government computer systems are overwhelmed and COVID help-line staff reached on the phone …

The dire shortage of pediatric hospital beds plaguing the nation this fall is a byproduct of financial decisions made by hospitals over the past decade, as they shuttered children’s wards, which often operate in the red, and expanded the number of beds available for more profitable endeavors like joint replacements …

Céline Dion revealed in an emotional and tear-filled announcement on Thursday that she had to postpone her upcoming European tour after being diagnosed with a “very rare neurological disorder”: stiff-person syndrome.  The debilitating illness has impacted her ability to sing and walk.  According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday that Omicron-targeting bivalent COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for use in children as young as 6 months old. “Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the updated (bivalent) Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to …

Singer Céline Dion announced that she is rescheduling her spring 2023 shows and canceling eight of her concerts planned for next summer after being diagnosed with a “very rare neurological disorder.”  The 54-year-old French Canadian singer, known for hits “Because You Loved Me,” “My Heart Will Go On” and “The …

Some bullies wear white coats, new research reveals. While health care workers aim to treat their patients with compassion, empathy and respect, a significant number don’t follow those same ideals when working with each other, according to an article published recently by Massachusetts General Hospital. Christine Porath, Ph.D, an expert …

Some doctors are warning against using a drug intended to treat Type 2 diabetes for weight loss after some patients said it helped them shed a few pounds. Approved by the FDA in 2017, the diabetes treatment sold under the name Ozempic helps lower blood sugar, but many patients prescribed …

Kirstie Alley died from colon cancer, her representative confirmed this week. The actor’s family announced Monday that she had died at age 71, saying the cancer was “only recently discovered.” An estimated 151,030 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in the U.S. this year, according to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.  …

Drugs that cause weight loss like Ozempic and Wegovy are seemingly everywhere — discussed on podcasts, speculated on by celeb followers, whispered about at dinner parties. And a shortage of the drugs has fueled further speculation about who is getting them as they have exploded in popularity. These types of …

U.S. health officials warned Monday that nearly every state in the country is battling high levels of flu-like illness, as multiple respiratory viruses continue to circulate amid the holiday season.  According to The Washington Post, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Monday telebriefing that they have …