Seeking those testing positive for COVID-19
So far in Maryland, more than 70,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus. If you have tested positive and are 40 or over — whether you are currently ill or have recovered but still test positive — researchers need your help for a study. This summer, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are studying whether a... READ MORE
Strawberry-rhubarb crisp for any season
Around this time every year, as fresh rhubarb’s season is coming to an end, we start to anticipate going months without half of our favorite fruit-dessert filling. But with this crisp — which works with both fresh and frozen rhubarb — we can get that bright, tart, floral combination any time of the year. Even better, the recipe is literally easier than pie. Making a crisp... READ MORE
Better, gentler cancer drugs are helping
Doctors are reporting success with newer drugs that control certain types of cancer better, reduce the risk it will come back, and make treatment simpler and easier to bear. Gentler drugs would be a relief to patients like Jenn Carroll, a 57-year-old human resources director from New Hartford, Connecticut, who had traditional IV chemotherapy after lung cancer surgery in 2018. “It... READ MORE
Ways to lower stress, boost whole grains
Q: The coronavirus outbreak has raised my stress level. I am worried that anxiety is making me more susceptible to infection. What can I do now to feel calmer? A: The stress response is also known as “the fight or flight” reaction. It’s what the body does as it prepares to confront or avoid danger. When appropriately invoked, the stress response helps us rise to many... READ MORE
Can you cocoon with friends or family?
Q. Is it safe to form a COVID-19 “support bubble” with friends? A. Yes, if done correctly. Support bubbles, also known as quarantine pods, may help fend off loneliness and anxiety after months of social distancing. The idea, which originated in New Zealand, calls for two people or households to agree to socialize in person only with each other in order to limit the risk of... READ MORE
Ending rebound headaches from meds
Rebound headaches, also known as medication overuse headaches, are caused by the frequent or excessive use of pain-relieving and/or anti-migraine drugs to treat headache attacks that are already in progress. (Note that these are not the same as oral prophylactic or preventive headache medicines, which should be taken daily.) In other words, the same medications that initially... READ MORE
Low-risk technique for prostate biopsies
Dear Mayo Clinic: My husband had an MRI that showed an abnormal spot on his prostate. The last time he had a prostate biopsy, he got a severe urinary tract infection, which led to him being hospitalized. It took him weeks to recover. Is he at risk of another serious infection after this prostate biopsy? Is there anything we can do to reduce that risk? A: Although it’s... READ MORE
Gardeners: help yourself and others, too
Gardening’s popularity has surged during the coronavirus pandemic. It provides exercise, outdoor time, emotional well-being and wholesome produce. Home gardeners can also provide some hunger relief to others during a time of rising food insecurity. Many home gardeners are donating portions of their freshly picked harvests to food banks, meal programs and shelters. Some are... READ MORE
Digital registry tracks COVID symptoms
For some of us, the worst aspect of the coronavirus pandemic is the fear of the unknown. How long will it last? When will a vaccine be available? Will we contract the virus, and if so, how bad will it be? Since late March, a digital study called Behavioral, Environmental and Treatments for COVID-19 (Beat19) has been gathering real-world information about the novel virus’ symptoms and ... READ MORE
Coronavirus news shorts
Virus kept ER patients home Emergency room visits in the U.S. for chest pain and heart attacks fell early this spring, according to a June study that supports fears that the coronavirus outbreak scared away people from going to the hospital. ER visits were up for respiratory illnesses and pneumonia, but were down for nearly every other kind of injury or ailment, according to the... READ MORE
