Health & Wellness

Here’s what health and travel experts say you need to know about your COVID-19 risk on cruise ships before you make any plans to set sail. The rise of the Omicron variant has generated new concerns about safety aboard cruise ships during the pandemic. Giacomo Augugliaro/Getty Images The widespread availability of vaccines and boosters for U.S. travelers has...

Jon Challicom/Getty Images Isolation restrictions for people who test positive for COVID-19, yet remain asymptomatic, were reduced from 10 to only 5 days. The agency also shortened the necessary quarantine time for people who have been in close contact with COVID-positive individuals.In response to mounting criticism, newly revised guidelines were published by the agency on Jan. 4 that...

For the past two years, Marie, a 30-something student in New York, had the right idea about COVID-19: She didn’t want to get it. Then, in the middle of December, as the antibody-dodging Omicron swept through her state, the coronavirus found her all the same. But Marie’s three vaccines helped keep her illness short and manageable. By year’s...

Safety protocols such as mask wearing may remain even after COVID-19 goes into a more endemic stage. Wang Ying/Xinhua via Getty Images Experts say the rapid spread of the Omicron variant may help the COVID-19 pandemic transition into a more endemic stage where a disease is present but manageable.They say high immunity levels from vaccinations and previous infections...

Adopting new daily habits is one of the tips for having an alcohol-free Dry January. Getty Images Dry January is a program started almost a decade ago in the United Kingdom. Participants agree to abstain from alcohol during the first month of the new year.Experts say that they expect a record number of people in the United States...

Move over mimosas, because America has a fresh New Year’s tradition: struggling to get tested for COVID before returning to school or work. The line for brunch was replaced, last weekend, with line after line after line of weary citizens waiting to receive their viral clearance. Testing backlogs are only going to get worse from here, as case...

Pregnant women who consume a healthy diet early in pregnancy have a lower risk for gestational diabetes, reveals new research from the University of Turku in Finland. The study focused on the prevalence of pregnant women who are overweight or obese. Obesity is a significant risk factor for pregnant women developing gestational diabetes, and an increasing number of...

Digitalization has radically changed our reality. We are used to unmanned vehicles, communication with artificial intelligence and robots. The transformations also affected medicine.  An electronic appointment or an online doctor’s consultation is already available. The main trend in modern healthcare has become the creation of medical ecosystems. This is a digital space where medical institutions, research centers, pharmaceutical companies,...

The No Surprises Act, which protects privately insured patients from surprise medical bills, goes into effect on Jan 1. Drazen/Getty Images On Jan. 1, 2022, Americans will be protected from receiving surprise medical bills under the No Surprises Act.Surprise medical bills occur when a patient sees an out-of-network provider through no fault of their own.Insurers and providers will...

During the pandemic, the stressors in life have become amplified, leaving many at risk for cardiovascular disease. Previous research has shown that chronic stress and other negative factors can impact cardiovascular health. But a new study shows how being kind to oneself may help lower these risks. The research published in Health Psychology found that middle-aged women who...