Medical News Today • 13th December 2023

AIDs and blindness

AIDS, or stage 3 HIV, does not directly cause blindness. However, it leaves the body vulnerable to conditions that can affect vision and sometimes lead to vision loss. AIDS is a chronic condition that occurs due to HIV. This condition weakens the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections and diseases. Among the various health complications of AIDS, eye problems are significant concerns that can lead to vision impairment or blindness.

HealthNews • 5th October 2023

US Government Agencies Endorse COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Under 5

Infants as young as 6 months old are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine coverage. This month has seen further moves in the fight against the pandemic as health officials have authorized COVID-19 vaccines for babies and young children.

Medical News Today • 26th July 2023

Is there a link between meningitis and COVID-19: What research says

Doctors rarely report cases of meningitis associated with COVID-19. Experts are still trying to understand the link between meningitis and COVID-19. Meningitis is a potentially life threatening condition. It involves inflammation of the protective membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord, which comprise the central nervous system (CNS). So far, no research shows that individuals are more likely to develop COVID-19 or become seriously ill if they have had prior meningitis. While

Medical News Today • 23rd March 2023

COVID-19, long COVID, and GERD: Is there a link?

Some people report developing symptoms of GERD, such as heartburn, during or after having COVID-19. However, no studies have investigated the potential relationship between the two conditions. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing frequent heartburn, regurgitation, or pain. It is possible that COVID-19 may contribute to GERD because it can cause digestive symptoms. At present, though, it is unclear if there is any direct link. Howe

Medical News Today • 28th February 2023

Early kaposi sarcoma (KS): Symptoms and treatment

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) often appears as discolored tumors on the skin or oral mucus membrane. As multiple lesions typically occur at the same time, it may be difficult for doctors to detect this cancer early. The cause of KS is the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8). Therefore, doctors KS in people with a compromised immune system, particularly those living with HIV and AIDS or organ transplant recipients. In healthy individuals, HHV-8 infection usually causes no symptoms. Four types of KS affect differen

Medical News Today • 22nd February 2023

Conjunctivitis and COVID-19: Is it an early symptom?

According to some reports, conjunctivitis is an uncommon COVID-19 symptom, affecting between 0.8 and 31.6% of people who test positive. Sometimes, conjunctivitis is the only sign of COVID-19, but it can also occur alongside others, such as fever or cough. The statistic above comes from a 2022 case control study. Conjunctivitis involves inflammation of the transparent tissue covering the white of the eye, or the conjunctiva. Other names for the condition include red eye or pink eye. Most cases of

Healthline • 22nd February 2023

A Thorough Review of Priority STD Testing Service

With a strong reputation as a discreet STI testing service with fast results, Priority STD has a lot to offer. Here’s our review of their treatments, cost, user feedback, and more. Regular sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing is an important part of monitoring sexual health, as any untreated infection can lead to uncomfortable symptoms and potentially serious health complications. Priority STD offers convenient, cost-effective STI testing services. And with 4,500 locations across the cou

Medical News Today • 16th February 2023

COVID-19 rash in adults: Pictures and how long it lasts

Although COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, it can also cause rashes. What a COVID-19 rash looks like can vary, and it can occur anywhere on the skin and in the mouth. Other include fever, fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath. However, not everyone experiences all of these. For some, a rash may be one of the only symptoms. Experts are unsure how common rashes are in adults with COVID-19. A 2020 study of over 2,000 individuals estimated that skin symptoms affect around 1% of those with the dis

Medical News Today • 31st January 2023

COVID and HIV: The link, vaccines, and more

COVID-19 is a potentially serious disease that can cause severe illness in some individuals. Therefore, people living with HIV, particularly those who are older or have lower CD4 counts, should take extra precautions to protect themselves from contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease. HIV destroys white blood cells that help fight infections. People with HIV, particularly those without appropriate strategies to control the virus, have an increased risk of developing all types of

Medical News Today • 25th January 2023

CD4+ T cells: Function, types, and more

CD4+ T cells, or helper T cells, are one type of lymphocyte that helps coordinate the immune response against infection and disease. They interact and activate other cells in the immune system. The immune system is incredibly complex and contains many different components. Cells that make up the immune system include lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. These cells target pathogens — disease-causing agents — and other foreign substances. T cells are lymphocytes, and there

HealthNews • 10th January 2023

Seeking Closure — Infected Blood Victims' Quest for Compensation

People affected by contaminated blood in the UK may not receive compensation any time soon. Dubbed the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history, around 30,000 people were exposed to HIV, hepatitis B, or C through contaminated blood products between the 70s and 90s.

Blood transfusions are a cornerstone of modern medicine, and blood products in the UK undergo a rigorous screening process to protect patients from potential contamination.

However, in the 1970s and 1980s, poor safety standards led

Medical News Today • 12th December 2022

Does the COVID-19 vaccine weaken the immune system? What to know

It is a myth that the COVID-19 vaccine weakens the immune system. After someone receives a vaccine, their immune system is better equipped to protect against subsequent infections. Although there are slight differences in the ways that the various COVID-19 vaccines work, they all follow the same principle. They help the body create immunity, or resistance, to SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — by mimicking an infection. The immune system then remembers how to fight that infection in t

Medical News Today • 30th November 2022

How long does the COVID-19 vaccine last? AstraZeneca, Moderna, more

All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub for the most recent information on COVID-19.

Read on to learn about the protection each vaccine type provides, when boosters are necessary, and more.

Although experts are confident that vaccines are effective, they are unsure exactly how long they provide protection. Figures vary depending on the type of vaccine a person gets, but most research

Medical News Today • 29th November 2022

COVID arm: Symptoms, why it happens, duration, and treatment

Pain, swelling, and a rash at the injection site are common reactions to Covid-19 vaccines. Less commonly, someone may develop “COVID arm,” an exaggerated skin reaction to the vaccine. COVID arm is an uncomfortable and harmless reaction that some people have to the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. It causes a red or discolored rash, often covering a large area of skin at the vaccination site. It typically occurs around 1 week or more after vaccination and lasts 2 or 3 weeks. This a

Medical News Today • 31st October 2022

COVID-19 natural immunity: What it is, vaccine immunity, and more

People can develop temporary natural immunity after recovering from COVID-19. However, vaccines are the best way to train the immune system to recognize viruses. When a vaccinated person encounters SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, their immune system recognizes it. It then creates antibodies and other defenses to protect them from infection. People can also build natural immunity to a virus by recovering from an infection. However, natural immunity is not always long lasting, and anti

Medical News Today • 31st October 2022

Can I get a false positive rapid COVID-19 test after the vaccine?

A person can still get COVID-19 and test positive after having a vaccination or booster, but this will not be due to the vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine cannot stop a person getting the virus, but the symptoms will be less severe. At the start of the pandemic, scientists scrambled to develop vaccines for COVID-19. These preparations are based on weakened whole viruses or pieces of the virus (antigens) that stimulate immunity and protect against infection. Experts developed several effective vaccin

HealthNews • 29th June 2022

US Government Agencies Endorse COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Under 5

Infants as young as 6 months old are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine coverage. This month has seen further moves in the fight against the pandemic as health officials have authorized COVID-19 vaccines for babies and young children.

Earlier this month, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) independent vaccine advisers voted to approve authorization for Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5. This age group represents around 18 million infants.

The va

HealthNews • 7th June 2022

The Latest COVID Situation in the United States

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as of June 2022, nearly 259 million people, or 83% of the population, have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination. As a result, hospitalization and death rates are dropping across the country. Still, cases are increasing, with a daily average of over 100,000 new infections — nearly five times higher than the average number of cases this time last year.

HealthNews • 24th May 2022

Everything You Need to Know About Post-COVID Conditions

Although COVID-19 is a potentially serious and life-threatening disease, the vast majority of people recover from infections relatively quickly. However, some individuals experience complications and side effects that can last weeks or even months after the initial illness.

Someone may be described as having post-Covid syndrome — also known as long Covid — if they have lingering health effects that persist for more than a month after the original infection. Although older adults and individuals

Medical News Today • 17th January 2022

Shoulder pain after the COVID vaccine: What to know

Some people experience shoulder pain after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccinations of all types can cause redness, swelling, and pain. These are normal reactions to vaccinations. They are part of the body’s natural process of building immunity. In some cases, people experience pain if a healthcare professional incorrectly injects the vaccine into the shoulder. This can cause inflammation that can be painful and decrease the shoulder’s range of motion. Read more to learn about what type of s

Medical News Today • 23rd November 2021

HIV stigma and discrimination: Statistics, effects, and coping

HIV stigma and discrimination are harsh realities that many people living with HIV may face. These harmful attitudes and behaviors can come from friends, family, coworkers, or strangers. Stigma can take a severe toll on the mental and physical health, overall quality of life, economic stability, and access to care of those living with the condition. Unfortunately, HIV stigma is a widespread concern. To illustrate, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS reports that over 50% of people hav

Medical News Today • 26th October 2021

HIV retinopathy: Causes, symptoms, and more

HIV attacks a specific type of immune cell called the CD4 helper cell or T cell. When these cell numbers decrease, the body finds it more difficult to fight infections. This can lead to several complications, including HIV retinopathy. Because of their compromised immune systems, HIV-positive people are more likely to experience opportunistic infections or cancers that do not typically cause illness in other people. Globally, almost 40 million people live with HIV, and around 70% of these indivi

Medical News Today • 19th July 2021

COVID-19 vaccine boosters: Knowns and unknowns

There are growing concerns that COVID-19 vaccines do not offer sufficient protection against new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Israel has already started to offer booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine to at-risk adults, and the United States is in talks with Pfizer about introducing these shots for the most vulnerable. There has been talk of a third dose for some COVID-19 vaccines. Why might vaccine boosters be necessary, and what are the questions researchers are yet to answer about them? Ima

Netdoctor • 9th July 2021

Hay fever cough or COVID-19? Experts explain how the symptoms differ

More than a quarter of the British population suffers from hay fever each year, and if you're one of the unlucky ones you will be familiar with the usual symptoms of seasonal allergies. But how do you tell the difference between a hay fever cough and coronavirus symptoms?

Following a spike in allergy sufferers contacting family doctors for advice, GPs are urging people with hay fever not to confuse their symptoms with COVID-19. For peace of mind, we outline the difference between a hay fever co