Do weighted blankets help you sleep better? Here’s what to know
NEW YORK — Rhonda James was skeptical when her husband ordered a weighted blanket for her online. But five minutes after she wrapped it around her body, she zonked out. …
Lung disease
A mystery illness has killed dozens of people in Congo. UN experts are now investigating
KINSHASA, Congo — The World Health Organization said Friday it was deploying experts to investigate a mystery flu-like illness that has killed dozens of people in southwest Congo in recent …
People on breathing machines struggle without power after weather disasters
HOUSTON — Kimberly Rubit had one priority in mind as Hurricane Beryl ripped through Houston this summer: her severely disabled daughter. The 63-year-old worked nonstop to prevent Mary, 42, from …
Pakistan employs new measures to deal with nearly 70,000 people affected daily by hazardous smog
MULTAN, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities introduced mobile clinics and added more beds in hospitals to treat the nearly 70,000 patients received daily with respiratory-related diseases as hazardous smog continued to …
Researchers in a lab near Lake Erie study how toxic algae can damage health
TOLEDO, Ohio — Steven Haller remembers the look of fear on people’s faces when toxic algae in Lake Erie made it into his community’s water supply 10 years ago, shutting …
Heart disease is rampant in parts of the rural South. Researchers are hitting the road to learn why
Darrell Dixon’s father was just 25 when he had a major heart attack in the rural Mississippi Delta. By his early 40s, a series of additional attacks had left his …
Wildfires are growing under climate change, and their smoke threatens farmworkers, study says
LOS ANGELES — As wildfires scorched swaths of land in the wine country of Sonoma County in 2020, sending ash flying and choking the air with smoke, Maria Salinas harvested …
Noah Lyles feared bronchitis after positive COVID test, but now pushes through with new career goals
PARIS — Asthma didn’t stop Noah Lyles from taking on the 200 meter at the Paris Olympics, even after testing positive for COVID-19. Despite fears of bronchitis and conflicting reports …
US health officials strengthen endorsement of RSV shots for oldest Americans
NEW YORK — U.S. health officials on Wednesday made a stronger endorsement for RSV vaccinations for people 75 and older, but offered a narrower recommendation for people 60 to 74. …
Gov. Hochul considering a face mask ban on New York City subways, citing antisemitic acts
ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday that she is considering a ban on face masks in the New York City subway system due to concerns about people shielding …