Study hints healthier school lunch can reduce obesity
A 2010 federal law that boosted nutrition standards for school meals may have begun to help slow the rise in obesity among America’s children — even teenagers who can buy their own snacks, a new study showed. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, championed by former first lady Michelle Obama, was the first national legislation to improve school meals in more than 20 years. It increased the quantity of fruits, vegetables and whole grains required in school meals. Holding kids' weight steady as they grow can help keep obesity in check. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the study shows that healthy school meals are "critical for tackling diet-related conditions like obesity."
wftv.comStudy finds that Japanese children walk differently from those in other countries
The study, which was recently published in the journal “Scientific Reports,” found that gait patterns among Japanese children aged 6 to 12 vary from those in other developed countries. Age related variations in lower limb movements while walking were studied by scientists from Nagoya University in Japan. For Japanese children in the 11-12 year age group, the number of steps performed each minute was higher than those in the 6-8 year age group.
news.yahoo.comStudy: Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was 12% effective against omicron in children 5 to 11
Pfizer’s vaccine prevents severe illness in children ages 5 to 11 but data from a New York study shows it may offer little protection against infection. >> Read more trending newsThe study, published Monday, found the effectiveness of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 infection plummeted from 68% to 12% for children aged 5 to 11 during the omicron surge, which was first identified in the fall. Children ages 5 to 11 receive two 10-microgram shots, while those over age 12 receive two 30-microgram shots. Vaccine effectiveness also dropped for children ages 12 to 17 years old, though the drop was not as dramatic. For those 12 to 17, vaccine effectiveness against infection dropped from 66% to 51% from mid-December through the end of January.
wftv.comCoronavirus: Study finds deer infected with omicron variant in New York
A new study found white-tailed deer on Staten Island, New York, were infected with the omicron variant of COVID-19, raising concerns the virus could spread among animals. >> Read more trending newsThe study, which has not yet been published, found that 19 of the 131 deer sampled on Staten Island between Dec. 12, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022, were positive for the omicron variant. In that study, at least three variants of COVID-19 were found in deer in six places in Ohio. “The circulation of the virus in deer provides opportunities for it to adapt and evolve,” Vivek Kapur, part of the study’s research team, told The New York Times. Researchers said they now hope to study the antibodies found in the Staten Island deer to determine how antibodies from different variants may protect against others, The New York Times reported.
wftv.comPfizer opens study of COVID shots updated to match omicron
Pfizer has begun a study comparing its original COVID-19 vaccine with doses specially tweaked to match the hugely contagious omicron variant. COVID-19 vaccine makers have been updating their shots to better match omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed. The new U.S. study is enrolling up to 1,420 healthy adults, ages 18 to 55, to test the updated omicron-based shots for use as a booster or for primary vaccinations. Researchers will examine the tweaked vaccine’s safety and how it revs up the immune system in comparison to the original shots. The study also will enroll some unvaccinated volunteers who will receive three doses of the omicron-based vaccine.
wftv.comSeminole commissioners approve Lake Mary Boulevard study near Orlando-Sanford airport
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Commissioners in Seminole County on Tuesday approved the study that will be a roadmap for future development near the Orlando-Sanford International Airport. The study includes a five-mile stretch of Lake Mary boulevard and nearby neighborhoods near the airport. Read: United Airlines: 3,000 employees currently have COVID-19, forcing delays and cancellationsIn recent years hundreds of homes have sprung up along the area in northeast Seminole County. Seminole County Commissioner Andrea Herr said community input helped in commissioning the study. Residents like Miguel Ramirez said while he doesn’t mind the area growing he says it needs to be done right.
wftv.comCoronavirus: study suggests virus lingers in organs for months
A study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that even in people who have asymptomatic or mild cases of COVID-19, the virus continues to exist and cause an infection for months. The study involved autopsies on 44 patients who died after contracting COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic in the United States. The findings and techniques in the study have not yet been reviewed by independent scientists, and mostly rely on data from deadly COVID-19 cases, not people who have had long COVID-19, Bloomberg reported. More coronavirus pandemic coverage:>> Coronavirus: How long between exposure to the virus and the start of symptoms? This tool will tell you>> How to not let coronavirus pandemic fatigue set in, battle back if it does©2021 Cox Media Group
wftv.comAre men more likely to spread COVID-19? One study says yes, they are
Researchers conducting a study on the spread of the COVID-19 virus in performing arts settings have found that men and loud talkers are more likely to spread particles that contain the virus to those near them. >> Read more trending newsThe study, which measured how people emit particles that could spread the COVID-19 virus, and how much they emit, found that men are more likely to spread the novel coronavirus than either women or children are, CBS News reported. Why men seem to spread the virus more easily, researchers say, is a function of biology. “The reason men tend to emit more particles is because we have bigger lungs.”The study also showed that those who speak loudly tend to emit more particles. These are particles that carry the COVID-19 virus and infect other people,” Volckens said.
wftv.comFauci’s office flooded with attacks over beagle experiments
The study that NIAID did fund by those researchers, also in Tunisia, involved evaluating a vaccine for leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease transmitted by sand flies that infects both humans and dogs. Twelve dogs were given the vaccine and then put in a fenced-in open space outside during high sand fly season, NIAID said, to see if the dogs still became infected. That study is ongoing, though NIAID’s funding has ended. None of the dogs have been euthanized, NIAID said.
washingtonpost.comStudy links fat type to stroke risk
A new study suggests the type of fat a person eats rather than the amount may be a more important factor in determining stroke risk. >> Read more trending newsThe study, reported by NBC News, found eating more animal fat led to a higher risk of stroke. A lower risk of stroke was linked to vegetable sources. Participants who ate the most animal fat (like processed meat) were 16% more likely to have strokes than those who ate the least. Researchers recommend people reduce eating red and processed meat, trim fat from meat, and cook with non-tropical vegetable oils where possible.
wftv.comMassive randomized study is proof that surgical masks limit coronavirus spread, authors say
The pre-print paper, which tracked over 340,000 adults across 600 villages in rural Bangladesh, is by far the largest randomized study on the effectiveness of masks at limiting the spread of the illness caused by the coronavirus.
washingtonpost.comThose who wear glasses less likely to get COVID, study says
Can wearing glasses protect against COVID-19? A news study suggests the answer is yes. The study, out of India, found people who wear glasses are three times less likely to get the virus because they’re less likely to touch their eyes, WABC-TV reported. [TRENDING: Tiger Woods’ leg shattered in rollover crash | Orlando City player faces sex charge | Woman loses $100,000 to romance conman]AdThe study, conducted last summer in Kanpur Dehat, involved 304 patients, ages 10 to 80. A previous study conducted in China found 5% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 wore glasses, while about 30% of the population wears glasses.
40% of COVID-19 deaths were preventable, study says
A new report found that 40% of America’s COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented, the Lancet Commission on Public Policy and Health found that many people didn’t take the pandemic seriously at the beginning. Commission co-chair Dr. Steffie Woolhandler says public health measures such as mask wearing and physical distancing could have saved lives. However, Woodhandler says former President Donald Trump failed to create a national response, instead leaving crucial decisions to states. [TRENDING: Man in Capitol riot arrested at Orlando airport | Tom Brady throws Lombardi Trophy | How to get the vaccine in Fla.]AdBut that was only part of the problem, the commission says America’s poor health system also contributed to deaths. The commission suggested several actions to fix the health problems including adopting a single-payer health system like Medicare for all.
Hand sanitizer is hurting childrens’ eyes more often, study says
In the age of COVID-19, it’s something we constantly keep around us, but hand sanitizer can be dangerous. Cases of chemicals from hand sanitizers getting into young eyes increased 7-fold between April 1 and Aug. 24, 2020, compared to the same period a year earlier. Weber knows about the dangers of eye exposures to hand sanitizer as she’s had these calls come into the center. To keep kids safe, Weber says parents should keep hand sanitizer out of reach of younger children. Weber says you should call the nationwide poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 if your child gets hand sanitizer in an eye.
Here’s where Florida ranks among the best and worst states to drive in
People who live here may disagree, but Florida is not the best or the worst state to drive in, at least according to a recent study from WalletHub. The study puts Florida firmly in the middle of the pack, ranking the Sunshine State at No. 27, with Texas being the best state to drive in and Hawaii being the worst. According to the study, the state ranks number two when it comes to most car washes per capita. On the negative side, Florida is among the states with the highest percentage of rush-hour traffic congestion.
Some dogs can be trained to detect coronavirus from sweat, study says
Dogs may be able to be trained to detect COVID-19, according to a study published on Thursday. Detection dogs, like those that sniff drugs or explosives at airports, are taught to sniff for certain infections and diseases. Now, some countries are exploring the possibility of using those types of dogs as a rapid, reliable and relatively cheap way to pre-screen people for COVID-19. Six dogs had their sniffing abilities put to the test and performed dozens of trials, with a success rate of 76-100%. The study was published Thursday in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE.
Ultrasound on COVID-19 patients shows heart damage, study shows
Researchers have found that ultrasounds give a better indication of which COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of dying. Doctors at hospitals across the Mount Sinai system in New York looked at echocardiograms, or ultrasound scans of the heart, for 305 COVID-19 patients and 190 of those had structural heart damage. The scans gave doctors an indication of which patients had the highest risk for death. [TRENDING: ‘Smell of rotting flesh’ leads to body in trunk | How to celebrate Halloween during pandemic | 98 ‘murder hornets’ removed]Researchers found it gave a fuller picture than the routinely run blood tests to look for heart damage. They say ultrasounds could help doctors start treatment early and help patients recover better.
Type O blood may mean lower COVID-19 risk
It’s starting to look like people with the O blood type may have an advantage in the global pandemic. A Danish study found among more than 470,000 people tested for coronavirus, only 38% with blood type O tested positive, even though 41% of the population have type-O blood. [TRENDING: Woman stranded from home for 8 months | Video shows mountain lion stalking hiker | Moon rules: Must come in peace]A Canadian study found among 95 patients critically ill with COVID-19, a higher proportion with blood type A or A/B needed mechanical ventilation compared with patients with blood group O or B. The research gives further evidence blood type may play a role in someone’s susceptibility to infection and just how serious their illness is. The reasons for this link aren’t clear and experts say more research is needed.
Study: Bandanas are least effective DIY face mask
Scientists at Florida Atlantic University are experimenting with different nonmedical masks to find the most effective face covering to help stop the spread of COVID-19. They "delivered" a sneeze or cough from a mannequin head wearing varying face coverings and used lasers to detect respiratory droplets. Droplets from a bandana-covered cough traveled 3 feet. With a folded cotton handkerchief, droplets traveled 1 foot, 3 inches, and with the cone-style masks, they traveled about 8 inches. Stitched-quilting fabric masks were the most effective, with droplets traveling 2.5 inches.