Health Tips and News Updates

  All lupus cases may be linked to a common virus, study finds. Researchers say they finally understand the connection between the autoimmune disease and Epstein-Barr virus. An electron micrograph showing three Epstein-Barr virus particles colorized red-orange. One of the most common viruses in the world could be the cause of lupus, an autoimmune disease with wide-ranging symptoms, according to a study published Wednesday. Until now, lupus was somewhat mysterious: No single root cause of the disease had been found, and while there is no cure, there are medications that can treat it. The research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggests that Epstein-Barr virus — which 95% of people acquire at some point in life — could cause lupus by driving the body to attack its own healthy cells. It adds to mounting evidence that Epstein-Barr is associated with multiple long-term health issues, including other autoimmune conditions. As this evidence stacks up, scient...

Latest on COVID Cases, deaths, variants, vaccines, testing and more. COVID-19 cases continue to climb week-over-week as summer draws to a close, according to U.S. health data. Some regions of the United States are experiencing higher rates of positive COVID-19 tests than others, though reporting has slowed down enough nationwide that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun allowing more time to pass between certain types of updates, such as those on variant prevalence . However, amid the confusion of new strains, changing vaccine guidelines and cuts to vaccine development funding, the CDC continues to track cases, hospitalizations and deaths on a weekly basis. Here's what to know about the latest data. How many COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide?  Through the week ending Aug. 23, 11.2% of the 37,732 Americans tested were positive for COVID-19, according to the CDC's latest data. This was an increase from the prior week (9.9%). During the same...