As the U.S. coronavirus case count eclipsed 1.8 million and the death toll passed 107,000 on Thursday, America’s jobless rolls swelled to nearly 43 million. That’s close to one-quarter of the country’s work force. The U.S. Labor Department reported 1.9 million more people filed new unemployment claims last week, a sobering reminder of the economic toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on Americans, CNN reported. At the same time, fears of a spike in new infections were stoked by a new review that shows that crowded protests against police brutality have occurred in every one of the 25 U.S. communities with the highest concentrations of new COVID-19 cases. The Associated Press analysis also found that some cities — Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles among them — have witnessed protests on multiple days. In some communities, such as Minneapolis where the protests started, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has also been rising, the news agency added. The close proximity of protesters and their failure in many cases to wear masks, along with police using tear gas, could fuel new transmissions. Tear gas can cause people to cough and sneeze, as can the smoke from fires set in some instances, the AP said. Both factors can also prompt protesters to remove their masks. Putting arrested protesters into jail cells can also increase the…  read on >

Pregnant women who live near active oil and gas wells may be at risk for having low birth weight infants, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed nearly 3 million births to Californians living within six miles of an oil or gas well between 2006 and 2015. It was found that women living within less than a mile of a well were 40% more likely to have low birth weight infants and 20% more likely to have babies who were small for their gestational age, compared with women who lived farther away from wells. “Being born of low birth weight or small for gestational age can affect the development of newborns and increase their risk of health problems in early childhood and even into adulthood,” said researcher Rachel Morello-Frosch, a professor of public health and environmental science, policy and management at the University of California, Berkeley. Full-term babies near wells were an average of 1.3 ounces (36 grams) smaller than babies who were not near wells, according to the findings. “When you see a shift of over 30 grams of birth weight among term infants, from an individual clinical perspective, it may not seem like a lot,” Morello-Frosch said in a university news release. “But when you see that kind of large population shift in birth weight — that can have significant population level implications for…  read on >

A new review shows that protests have now unfolded in every one of the 25 U.S. communities with the highest concentrations of new COVID-19 cases, stoking fears of a spike in new infections. The Associated Press analysis also found that some cities — Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles among them — have witnessed protests on multiple days. In some communities, such as Minneapolis where the protests started, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has also been rising, the news agency added. The close proximity of protesters and their failure in many cases to wear masks, along with police using tear gas, could fuel new transmissions. Tear gas can cause people to cough and sneeze, as can the smoke from fires set by people bent on destruction, the AP said. Both factors can also prompt protesters to remove their masks. Putting arrested protesters into jail cells can also increase the risk of spread, and an AP tally shows that more than 5,600 people have already been taken into custody. Finally, photos of protesters and police shouting at one another nose-to-nose is also sounding alarms, the wire service reported. “As a nation, we have to be concerned about a rebound,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser warned Sunday, the AP reported. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also worried out loud that hundreds could potentially have…  read on >

Michigan prepared to lift its stay-at-home order on Tuesday — one of the last states to do so. But in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that protests rampant in numerous American cities could trigger a second wave of COVID-19 infections. “Protest, just be smart about it,” Cuomo said. New York plans to reopen all of the state, including New York City, on June 8. State public health officials urged protesters to wear face coverings, use hand sanitizer, maintain social distancing and get tested for the coronavirus, The New York Times reported. At the same time, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted a stay-at-home order for the state’s 10 million residents, saying that groups of 100 people or less would be allowed to gather outdoors, the Times reported. Restaurants are also allowed to reopen, though tables must be at least six feet apart. And Louisiana’s governor said the state would begin easing its social distancing restrictions on Friday, allowing venues including churches, malls, bars and theaters to increase capacity to 50 percent. But the mayor of New Orleans quickly tweeted that New Orleans would not be following the state’s lead. But as the number of U.S. coronavirus cases passed 1.8 million on Tuesday, a new poll shows that a majority of Americans still think it’s more important to control the virus’ spread than to restart the…  read on >

(HealthDay News) — As the number of U.S. coronavirus cases neared 1.8 million on Monday, a new poll shows that a majority of Americans still think it’s more important to control the virus’ spread than to restart the economy. While nearly 6 in 10 Americans say the pandemic has taken a heavy economic toll on their communities, a majority of a divided country still believes that containing COVID-19 infections is paramount, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows. Overall, 57 percent of all Americans and 81 percent of Democrats say trying to control the spread of the coronavirus is most important right now. But only 27 percent of Republicans agree, while 66 percent of them say restarting the economy is more critical. Nearly 6 in 10 independents say their priority is trying to control the virus’s spread, the survey found. And nearly 7 in 10 Americans say they are worried about the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus infections in the fall, the poll showed. Even as Americans continue to worry about the spread of COVID-19, protests erupted in cities nationwide over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Those protests could become new “super-spreader” events for coronavirus, public health experts worry. While the spread of coronavirus has slowed in some of the hardest-hit areas of America, other parts of…  read on >

If you’re off to college in the fall and have allergies or asthma, it’s not too soon to figure out how you’ll manage them. “There are many arrangements to be made as you head off to college for the first time, and your allergies and asthma should not be put on the back burner,” said Dr. J. Allen Meadows, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “It’s important to start managing your health issues well before you leave for school, because there are many details to nail down to ensure you stay well as you study,” he said in an ACAAI news release. Here’s his advice: Meet with your allergist before school starts. If you’re going to a school far away, request a referral to an allergist close to campus. Find out if your prescriptions need to be updated or changed. Ask your parents how your health insurance works and who your providers might be. Your college may have a plan if you’re not already covered. Find out where to get urgent care when you’re at school. If your parents have been the primary managers of your allergies or asthma, you need to take over that role. For example, find out where to pick up prescriptions and order refills, and let people around you know about your allergy/asthma triggers. Discuss your…  read on >