Nasal Swab Might Predict How Severe COVID Will Be

A simple nasal swab might help doctors predict the severity of a person’s COVID infection, a new study suggests.

More than 70% of people with mild or moderate COVID develop certain antibodies in their nasal cavities that are linked to fewer symptoms, better immune response and faster recovery, researchers reported Nov. 6 in the journ...

Scientists Track Brain Function as Folks Watch Movies

A person’s brain performs an intricate juggling act while watching a movie, a new study demonstrates.

Scans showed that 24 different brain networks and regions engage from scene-to-scene, based on hard it is to follow the movie or what’s currently on the screen, researchers reported.

The brain’s “executive con...

Florida Fails to Pass Amendment Legalizing Recreational Weed

A ballot measure to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in the state of Florida failed on Tuesday.

While 55.9% of Florida voters backed the proposed amendment, it did not reach the 60% threshold needed to make the initiative part of the state's constitution.

"With the rejection of Amendment 3, Floridians have taken a firm st...

Abortion Rights Measures Pass in 7 States, Fail in 3

In election results that showed protecting women's reproductive freedoms matter to a majority of Americans, abortion rights measures passed in seven states and failed in three.

Missouri, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New York, Maryland and Montana all backed those rights, while such amendments were defeated in Florida, Nebraska and South Dako...

U.S. Diabetes Rates Rise to Nearly 1 in 6 Adults

Nearly 16% of American adults -- that's close to 1 in 6 -- now has diabetes, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Increasing age and widening waistlines greatly increase the odds for the disease, which happens when the body doesn't use insulin properly, resulting in high blood sugar levels....

Winter's Onset Brings Mood Changes to Many Americans, Poll Finds

Many Americans experience a “winter funk” as the days grow shorter and temperatures turn colder, a new American Psychiatric Association poll reports.

Two-fifths of Americans (41%) said their mood declines during the winter months, according to the APA's Healthy Minds Poll.

Midwesterners and Northeasterners are most affect...