Levi Strauss & Co. to reimburse abortion travel for employees
The apparel company best known for its jeans is the latest U.S. company to offer the benefit as various states clamp down on access to abortions.
Public health & disease
From disease eradication efforts to advances in vaccination and maternal health, this archive tracks real progress in public health. Stories here focus on what’s working — policies, interventions, and research that are improving and extending lives around the world.
Landmark study finds first biomarker to detect babies at risk of SIDS
A team of researchers in Australia have now identified a blood biomarker linked to brain arousal that could potentially be used to identify infants most at risk of SIDS.
Canada removes ban on blood donations from gay men
Prospective donors will not be asked about their sexual orientation during the screening process but instead about whether they engage in any higher-risk sexual behavior.
Connecticut expands abortion rights to balance new wave of restrictions
Advanced practice registered nurses, nurse-midwives, and physician assistants will now be permitted to conduct medication and aspiration abortions in Connecticut.
Landmark DNA study finds 58 new mutations that cause cancer
The landmark findings from a massive study of more than 12,000 cancer patients offer researchers a trove of new resources to guide future studies on tailored cancer treatments.
First COVID-19 breath test authorized for use in U.S.
A COVID-19 breath test just cleared a major hurdle: the FDA has authorized the first device that can detect the virus from a single exhale, returning results in about three minutes. Made by InspectIR, the device picks up a signature pattern of five compounds the body releases during infection, and in a study of nearly 2,500 people it correctly flagged 91 percent of positive cases. No swabs, no lab. Beyond this moment, the authorization is a real proof of concept for breath-based diagnostics — a field researchers have long hoped could one day help detect cancers, kidney disease, and other conditions, especially in communities where traditional testing is hardest to reach.
New treatment helps alopecia patients regrow their hair
A new Yale study shows that one in three patients with a severe skin disease were able to regrow hair after being treated with a common arthritis drug.
Psilocybin therapy changes brain wiring in depressed people, new study finds
The new study led by researchers from Imperial College London found that people also reported a reduction in their depression symptoms alongside these brain changes.
New blood test predicts risk of heart attack and stroke with twice previous accuracy
Scientists from SomaLogic in Boulder, CO have developed a blood test that can predict whether someone is at high risk of a heart attack, stroke, heart failure within the next four years.
Brain implant allows completely “locked-in” patient to communicate
Locked-in syndrome is a rare condition that makes it impossible for the patient to move or speak, but are still conscious and can see, hear, and smell.