Health & Wellbeing

The FDA has formally approved a booster dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for some populations in the United States. The approval allows a third Pfizer dose for those over the age of 65 and adults over 18 at high-risk of severe disease.

How do rapid antigen COVID-19 tests work? Why did the US government just pledge to buy 280 million of them? And is that even enough to help curb the spread of the virus?

A screen time study tracking device use in children has found those who spend more time with digital devices had larger friendship groups. The research indicates the influence of screen time may not be as undesirable as some have previously suggested.

A new review article is suggesting a number of psychiatric disorders share common gut microbiome perturbations. The meta-analysis found depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety all present with similar gut microbial abnormalities.

An advisory panel to the FDA has voted against recommending a broad COVID-19 vaccine booster program for all American adults at this time. Instead, the panel unanimously recommended boosters for those in high-risk groups or over the age of 65.

The US National Institutes of Health is investing $470 million dollars into research on long COVID. The massive nationwide study into this often-debilitating condition will include tens of thousands of patients and span more than 30 research institutions.

Can the make-up of your gut microbiome affect the success of a weight loss intervention? A unique new study is indicating this is certainly possible, identifying several mechanisms by which gut bacteria can either help or hinder weight loss.

A new article published in The Lancet is arguing against broadly administering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. The article is co-authored by two of the FDA's top vaccine advisors, both of whom recently announced they were stepping down from their positions.

New CDC data is offering up-to-date insights into the effect of the Delta variant on vaccine effectiveness. The reports indicate unvaccinated people are still 10 times more likely to suffer hospitalization from COVID-19 compared to vaccinated people.

A small study is offering insights into the characteristics of severe COVID-19 infections in fully vaccinated individuals. Although these kinds of infections are rare, the research helps doctors understand who may be most at-risk of hospitalization.

New research has found a correlation between air quality in office environments and workers’ cognitive function. The study found low ventilation rates and increased levels of particulate matter were linked with reduced performance on cognitive tests.

The director of the WHO has said he is “appalled” at the extent of vaccine inequity spreading across the world. Global vaccine-sharing initiative COVAX has reported it is falling short of its distribution milestones as wealthy countries take most doses.