Eye infections might seem like a minor complaint – but in some cases they can cause blindness and even death: New Africa/Shutterstock When you think of eye infections, what comes to mind? Puffy, swollen bruised feeling eyelids that get glued together with gunk overnight? That feeling of having grit in your eye that can’t be …
Thrush: zinc may prevent yeast infections – new research: The majority of yeast infections are caused by _Candida albicans_. Kateryna Kon/ Shutterstock Around half a billion women experience a vaginal yeast infection (thrush) every year – with around 140 million women suffering from multiple infections throughout their lifetime. While treatments do exist for thrush, for …
No compelling evidence that air purifiers prevent respiratory infections – new study: Prathankarnpap/Shutterstock The COVID pandemic led to many calls for improved indoor air quality with claims that doing so would reduce the risk of the virus spreading. But the real-world evidence to support these claims has been lacking and studies undertaken during the pandemic …
Infections from a diarrhoea-causing parasite are on the rise in the UK – but experts aren’t quite sure why: Only two species of the _Cryptosporidium_ parasite cause infections in humans. Kateryna Kon/ Shutterstock Infections from a parasite which can cause long-lasting, severe diarrhoea has seen an “unprecedented and ongoing” surge across the UK. This increase …
Who tracked UK COVID infections the best at the height of the pandemic? A new study provides the answer: At the height of the COVID pandemic everybody, from health ministers to Joe public, wanted to know two things: how many infected people are there in the country? And is this number going up or down? …
TB research shows a good diet can cut infections by nearly 50%: For centuries, we have known that tuberculosis is a social disease. It thrives on poverty and social factors such as malnutrition, poor housing, overcrowding, unsafe work environments and stigma. Globally in 2021 an estimated 2.2 million cases of TB were attributable to undernourishment, …
Fungal infections in the brain aren’t just the stuff of movies – Africa grapples with a deadly epidemic: The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. This fungus can cause a number of disorders in people with compromised immune function or other lung diseases. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/GettyImages In the 2023 American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of …
Water cuts in South Africa are hurting hospitals and clinics – there’s an increased risk of infections: GettyImages South Africa is a water scarce country. Changing rainfall patterns and the escalating electricity crisis are making the situation worse. Treating and distributing water requires electricity. Some of the country’s biggest cities have had to impose water …
The Last of Us: fungal infections really can kill – and they’re getting more dangerous: Millions have been tuning in every week to watch the highly anticipated TV adaptation of The Last of Us. The show depicts a post-apocalyptic world where society has collapsed due to the outbreak of a dangerous, brain-controlling fungal infection that …
Does COVID really damage your immune system and make you more vulnerable to infections? The evidence is lacking: The northern hemisphere has seen a surge in winter viruses. Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Over the past month or two, many northern hemisphere countries including the US and the UK have seen a large wave of respiratory viral infections. …
New COVID variants could emerge from animals or from people with chronic infections – but it’s not cause for panic: peterschreiber.media/Shutterstock As the COVID pandemic rolls on, we’re becoming all too familiar with the continued emergence of new variants. Some can thwart immunity from vaccines and prior infections, increasing their capacity to disrupt our everyday …
Rising infections, no more free tests: how ‘living with COVID’ could affect case numbers in England: Access to free COVID tests came to an end for most people in England at the beginning of April. This includes both lateral flow tests and PCR tests. There are just a few exceptions: people with certain health conditions …
Fungal infections cause more Aids deaths than tuberculosis – here’s what we can do about it: Even though annual deaths from Aids are coming down – from a peak of 1.9 million in 2004 to 690,000 in 2020 – that’s still way too many. In 2020, 214,000 people with Aids died of tuberculosis (TB), though …
South Africa in the news: 73% of week’s new infections ID as omicron: Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday.: “South Africa” – BingNews South Africa pacer Nortje ruled out …
South Africa in the news: Massive spike in new COVID infections as new vaccine trial rolled out in SA: COVID-related deaths were reported in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of people who have succumbed to the virus to 90,226.: “South Africa” – BingNews Breezy Explainer: Virat-Rohit fiasco-What is happening in Indian cricket: …
South Africa in the news: How did the UK reach 200,000 Omicron infections in one day?: Health secretary Sajid Javid sent shockwaves through parliament on Monday when he revealed that an estimated 200,000 people in the UK had been infected with the Omicron coronavirus variant that day.: “South Africa” – BingNews Focus On Southern Africa …
South Africa in the news: Nothing “dramatically different” about Omicron infections, says South African doctor: The new coronavirus variant Omicron has now become dominant in South Africa and is driving a sharp increase in new infections, health officials say. Some 11 500 new Covid infections were registered in …: “South Africa” – BingNews Omicron scare …
South Africa in the news: COVID infections rise in northern states, Mountain West, as holidays near: The recent authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 and the emergence of two promising pills for treatment of the virus have been major steps in the fight against the pandemic. But as …: “South Africa” …