The U.S. has recorded its first death of a person infected with bird flu. The patient was a resident of southwest Louisiana who was hospitalized last month with the first known severe case of bird flu in the country. On Monday, the Louisiana Department of Health said the person had died from the illness but shared few other details because of patient privacy rules. The patient was over 65 and had underlying medical conditions.
Coaching inexperienced clinicians within an hour of intubating an infant significantly improved success rates. The coached group placed the breathing tube in the infant's windpipe on the first attempt over 91% of the time, compared to nearly 82% in the control group.
Last week's flu activity was particularly intense in the South, Southwest and western U.S. The states reporting lesser amounts of suffering were mostly in the northern Great Plains and in New England. So far this season, the CDC estimates, there have been at least 5.3 million flu illnesses, 63,000 hospitalizations, and 2,700 deaths — including at least 11 children. It's not clear if this winter respiratory virus season will be any worse than others. So far it seems relatively typical, at least for kids.
A surprising class of blood cell not typically associated with immunity plays a role in shaping the durability of immunity to vaccination, new research suggests.
It's easy to forget that we live in an age of medical wonders. Cancer tumors can be slowed or shrunk in ways previous generations couldn't imagine, with everything from pills to genetically engineered white blood cells. Surgeons can transplant a face, or replace a heart valve without cracking a chest.
It's been well known for many decades that exercise provides many benefits to our health. But a new scientific consortium is revealing new insights into just how profound exercise can be for the human body.