The bad news is that a Japanese study found the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 remains viable longer on plastic and skin than other variants. The good news is that it cannot survive hand sanitizer. Omicron’s staying power may have…

As Americans’ COVID-19 fatigue continues to grow, Pfizer announced it will begin a clinical trial on a COVID-19 vaccine designed to target the highly transmissible Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. Pfizer’s original two-dose COVID-19 vaccine…

On January 15, the White House announced that private health insurance companies will be required to cover the cost of eight rapid at-home COVID-19 tests per month. However, Medicare, the insurance program that covers adults ages 65 and…

A Reuters analysis of COVID-19 cases in the United States has found that cases are declining in regions that first experienced an Omicron-fueled spike. Nineteen states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico have all seen dips in new COVID-19…

A new study found that people who reported symptoms of moderate to severe depression were more likely to believe misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and were less likely to have received them than those without depression. With high…

This summer, the state of California instituted a “vaccine-or test” mandate that requires healthcare providers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The federal government’s provision of four free rapid…

A New York University study found that older adults with few social connections have more missing teeth and lose teeth at a faster rate than those with a variety of social connections and regular contact with others. Due to the global…

Julia Hippisley-Cox, MB, ChB, MD, FRCP, DRCOG, FRCGP, a professor at Oxford University in Oxford, England, has created QCovid®, a living risk calculator to assess the risk among vaccinated individuals for serious illness or death due to…

Oral health professionals are well versed in tobacco cessation and play a key role in helping their patients quit all forms of nicotine. Well, here is another reason to advise patients against vaping: they experience more serious health…

A study that evaluated more than 69,000 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections in Southern California found that the Omicron variant caused much less severe health outcomes than the Delta variant. The researchers—one from the University of…