Health News
3/22/2025

RFK Jr. urges parents to consider measles vaccine for children. The highly contagious virus explained.



5 years after the pandemic started, COVID-19 is still around. Masks? Not so much.



'Invasive and delicious': The federal government is begging people to eat this massive, harmful rodent species



Toilet paper, Tom Hanks and Tiger King: Here's what we were Googling at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic



How COVID changed America, in 12 charts



What you should know if there's no sexual attraction for your partner, according to a therapist


Why would a person pick a potential life partner without feeling the spark of sexual attraction? And can these relationships survive and thrive? Can sexual attraction be cultivated later? Therapist Ian Kerner shares what he's learned in his practice.

How to cool down without AC


No air conditioning? Here are 14 methods for cooling your body and buffering your house from the outside heat.

The benefits of 'body doubling' when you have ADHD, according to experts


'Body doubling' is a strategy people with ADHD can use to accomplish more than they would alone. Here's how to do it.

If you think you can't focus for long, you're right


Your attention span has shrunk by nearly two minutes in the past 20 years, driven in part by technology's hold over your work and home life, experts say. Here's how to stay focused so you can get things done.

The best coupons at CVS Pharmacy



The planet is getting hotter fast. This is what happens to your body in extreme heat


Human-caused climate change has already made heat waves around the world more frequent and intense.

What a medication abortion is like, according to a doctor


An expert in medication abortion describes how mifepristone and misoprostol work and what to expect after using these medications known as the "abortion pill."

Why we have nightmares and how to stop them


We leave behind our fears of monsters under the bed as we say goodbye to our childhoods, but one can follow us into adulthood and loom over our heads.

Your guide to finding the right Theragun massage gun for you



8 activewear brands you should add to your workout wardrobe


The increasing popularity of stylish, trendy athletic wear has made über-comfortable clothing something that's not just for the gym. It's infiltrated all corners of culture, from high fashion runways to the offices of Silicon Valley executives — and really, it's appropriate for any occasion when you just want to be comfortable.

Paper airplane breaks a world distance record


It's a bird... It's a plane... It's a paper airplane!

This bat fossil could fill in a piece of the evolutionary puzzle


Two 52 million-year-old bat skeletons discovered in an ancient lake bed in Wyoming are the oldest bat fossils ever found — and they reveal a new species.

How long you can use vintage Tupperware


Since Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that's been a household name for decades, signaled recently that it might be going out of business, you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use — especially if it's vintage.

US gets D+ grade for rising preterm birth rates, new report finds


The rate of premature birth in the United States is climbing, according to the infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes.

Desperate for heart surgery for their baby, a family feels the effects of pediatric hospital shortages


Even before their daughter was born in June, Aaron and Helen Chavez knew she would need heart surgery. Doctors expected her to have an operation around 6 months of age.

Fuzzy first photo of a black hole gets a sharp makeover


The first photo ever taken of a black hole looks a little sharper now.

Covid-19 boosters could keep thousands of kids out of hospitals, but uptake remains low


Higher Covid-19 vaccination rates among US children could prevent thousands of pediatric hospitalizations and millions of missed school days, according to an analysis published Tuesday by the Commonwealth Fund and the Yale School of Public Health.

Experimental therapy gantenerumab fails to slow or improve Alzheimer's memory loss in clinical trials


An experimental treatment, gantenerumab, failed to help people at high risk of memory loss from Alzheimer's or those who were in the early phases of the disease, the manufacturer said Monday.

RSV hospitalization rate for seniors is 10 times higher than usual for this point in the season


The respiratory virus season has started early in kids this year and flooded children's hospitals in many parts of the country -- especially with respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV.

Can health secretary name NHS trusts performing well?


Victoria Atkins is challenged to name some health trusts meeting their targets to cut waiting lists.

'I embrace my alopecia, but I’d love my old hair back’


People living with alopecia could have access to treatment on the NHS in Scotland for the first time.

Chris Hoy says men should talk about health issues more


Six-time Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy calls for more openness on health matters

Paris: Grassroots to Glory


The Rugby 7s player has struggled with body image in the past, but says sport has helped

Paris: Grassroots to Glory


The Paralympic Rowing Cox will compete a year after getting the all clear from cancer.

How Dame Deborah James helped save a mum's life


A mother-of-three shared her story with Dame Deborah's mother Heather on BBC Breakfast.

Are weight-loss injections the answer to obesity?


The appeal is clear - but should we be turning to appetite-suppressing injections?

What is assisted dying and how could the law change?


MPs backed a proposal to let terminally ill people in England and Wales choose to end their life.

How many of us will end up being diagnosed with ADHD?


Experts suggest that the number of people with ADHD is actually going to remain steady.

The junior doctors' strikes may be over. But is trouble ahead?


The end of the pay dispute sounded too good to be true. And now some are wondering if it might be.

Why we might never know the truth about ultra-processed foods


Experts can’t agree how exactly they affect us and it’s not clear that science will give us an answer.

How are the vaping rules changing?


Marketing rules will be stricter, nicotine vapes will be taxed and disposable vapes will be banned.

Is the system letting down people who were harmed by Covid vaccines?


People affected by rare blood clots say they feel they have been airbrushed out of the pandemic.

How will weight-loss drugs change our relationship with food?


The rise of these treatments has major implications for how we think about obesity, says James Gallagher.

NHS needs better plan around weight loss jabs, warn experts


Experts call for an urgent review of obesity treatment services amid booming demand for weight loss jabs.

Assisted dying bill: What is in proposed law?


The proposed law would allow some terminally ill adults to end their own lives. But there are requirements.

'My first cervical screening was over before I knew it'


The BBC speaks to six people about their first cervical screening, and what they wish they'd known beforehand.

Labour's plan for benefits throws up a bigger dilemma


The debate has sparked a wider dilemma about the broader purpose of welfare

First place in British Isles set to approve right to die


Laws in the Isle of Man to let terminally ill adults end their own lives are in the last stages of debate.

Generation K: The disturbing rise of ketamine abuse among young people


Increasing numbers of young people are using the drug, experts say. The health impacts can be catastrophic.

Warning tax rises could force care homes to close


Social care providers say the sector is in "unprecedented danger" without more funding.

High-grade masks evidence weak, Covid inquiry told


UKHSA's Prof Susan Hopkins said respirator masks may have worked no better than thin surgical masks.

Nurses bore the brunt of Covid, ex-chief nurse says


Dame Ruth May tells the Covid inquiry nurses struggled with low staffing levels and difficulties accessing protective equipment.

‘I grieve for the person I was before' - Covid inquiry to begin new phase


The Covid inquiry opens its next set of hearings on Monday, looking at the impact on healthcare and the NHS.

Covid ambulance crews faced 'crucial PPE delays'


Crews say they faced crucial delays trying to save dying patients because of the time it took to put on equipment.

Covid was like a daily terror attack, doctor tells inquiry


Covid inquiry hears harrowing testimony from ex-adviser in emergency preparedness at NHS England.

Covid inquiry rejects clinicians’ anonymity plea


The UK Health Security Agency argued naming the junior officials could put them at risk of abuse.

How close were hospitals to collapse in Covid?


The Covid inquiry restarts its live hearings this week, after senior staff in the NHS revealed just how close some hospitals were to collapse

Covid inquiry told of trust do-not-resuscitate rule


Patients' families were “horrified but not surprised” when told the blanket policy had been in place.

We were not treated as parents, Covid inquiry told


Mum of premature twins says rigid restrictions on birthing wards during Covid were traumatic.

NHS hours from PPE running out in Covid - Hancock


Former health secretary tells inquiry some healthcare settings did run out - "and it was awful".

Covid inquiry told Treasury blocked NHS bed request


NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard says the decision, in July 2020, was very disappointing.

Covid inquiry told top NHS doctor was terrified


Sir Stephen Powis says points-based tool was drawn up should need to prioritise patients have arisen.

Michelle Mone-linked PPE firm evidence to be heard in private


Covid inquiry says hearings into the firm, led by Michelle Mone's husband, must be held in closed session.

Large UK-wide pandemic preparedness tests planned this year


The stress test will involve thousands of people to help the UK prepare for potential future threats.

Families failed by Covid jabs tell inquiry of pain


They said there was no support after the death and harm suffered by their loved ones.

Mone accuses Covid inquiry of 'cover-up'


She says husband Doug Barrowman and her are targets of a "politically motivated witch hunt".

Michael Gove denies trying to circumvent Dyson ventilator checks


Former cabinet minister says it would be ludicrous to suggest he tried to shortcut safety checks in the pandemic.

How does the Covid inquiry work?


The inquiry has heard from politicians, civil servants, public health experts and bereaved families.

Common vaginal 'imbalance' may be an STI


An overgrowth of bacteria in the vagina, known as BV, may be spread by sex, researchers say.

The NHS is spending a fortune giving people a death they don't want


The UK was once ranked the best country for end-of-life care - but, say experts, that has all changed

Hancock criticises 'wholly naive' Covid inquiry


The former health secretary was giving evidence about medical equipment deals during the pandemic.

Can LED face masks transform your skin - here's what the experts say


The at-home light therapy treatment is increasingly being seen as a must-have skincare accessory.

Victim records claims sickening - attacks families


A hospital trust is investigating if medical records of the three victims were accessed "inappropriately".

Scientists discover new part of the immune system


New part of the immune system - hidden inside our bodies - could be used to make new antibiotics.

Children under eight should avoid drinking slushies, doctors warn


Paediatricians studied 21 children in the UK and Ireland who became very ill after the icy drinks.

Thousands miss NHS screenings due to admin error


Routine screening invitations were not sent because of an error dating back to 2008.

Annual jab for HIV protection passes trial hurdle


Lenacapavir, which stops HIV from replicating inside cells, has passed early safety tests.

Men denied life-extending prostate cancer drug


NHS England says it cannot afford to offer abiraterone, which is available in Scotland and Wales.

Cancer family 'financially broken' by benefits wait


Charity report finds seven-month average wait for families of children with cancer to access benefits.

NHS England chair warns the buck now stops with ministers


Will the abolition of NHS England work? Senior NHS England leader Richard Meddings has given the first response from the organisation itself

At-a-glance: Key changes to benefits in welfare shake-up


How Personal Independence Payments (Pip) and other health-related benefits could change under government plans.

What are the Pip and universal credit changes and who is affected?


The government says changes to the welfare system will save £5bn and get people into work.

What does NHS England do? Your questions answered on health reforms


As part of Your Voice, Your BBC, we answer questions from you on government plans to scrap NHS England.

Poorest children missing more school and further behind after Covid


Those from the lowest income families are now up to 19 months behind peers by the age of 16.

What nine months in space does to the human body


Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth - but what has nine months in space done to them?

NHS England chair warns the buck now stops with ministers


Will the abolition of NHS England work? Senior NHS England leader Richard Meddings has given the first response from the organisation itself

Probe into claims people allowed in to watch hospital surgeries


It is not clear how the individuals gained access to the operating theatres or who gave permission.

What nine months in space does to the human body


Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth - but what has nine months in space done to them?

Precautions could have stopped baby deaths - inquiry


Leo Lamont, Ellie McCormick and Mira-Belle Bosch died within hours of their births in two Lanarkshire hospitals.

Public data should not conflate sex and gender, review says


Author of government-ordered review says biological sex and gender have become distinct and should be recorded separately.

'Chubby filter' pulled from TikTok after user backlash


Critics say the AI tool - which made people look overweight - was a form of body-shaming.

'The discrimination I face on public transport is inhumane'


A report by parliament's cross-party-transport select committee says accessibility failings are "systematic" across all modes of transport.

Newborn's death 'due to gross failures of midwives'


The coroner at newborn baby Ida Lock's inquest highlights eight opportunities that were missed.

Repeated failures in reading scans costing lives, ombudsman says


The most common issues include clinicians not spotting abnormalities, and scans being delayed.

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