Researchers in Texas said they have designed a virus-trapping air filter that can kill the coronavirus instantly using extremely high temperatures, and can be installed in existing cooling and heating systems.

The announcement comes as public health leaders are acknowledging that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could be airborne ...Read more

The novel coronavirus isn't the first virus to jump from animals to people and wreak havoc.

HIV. Ebola. Swine flu. Bird flu. SARS. MERS.

The list goes on, and it's going to grow longer.

In an essay published Thursday in the journal Science, an international team led by San Diego Zoo Global researchers calls for scientists and wildlife experts...Read more

Q: I've heard about new antibody testing for COVID-19. What is antibody testing? Is it the same as testing to diagnose COVID-19?

A: With all the talk about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing in the news, it's not surprising that there's confusion about tests and how they differ. Antibody testing determines whether you had COVID-19 in ...Read more

For decades, obesity rates in the U.S. have been increasing. Now researchers predict that by 2030, nearly half of adults will be obese if the current trend continues.

Dr. Donald Hensrud, director of the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, says that projection is concerning because obesity is related to a number of health conditions such as ...Read more

Half a year into the pandemic, it's well-accepted that coronavirus can be spread when an infected person expels respiratory droplets by coughing or sneezing.

But can the virus be transmitted in microscopically small droplets that are released into the air by talking or just breathing? And if so, could you contract the virus from across a room, ...Read more

Dates are often used as alternative sweeteners because of their natural sweetness, but are dates healthy or are they just another form of sugar?

This sweet food contains more than just carbohydrates and sugars: dates are packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other health-promoting nutrients that can help you stay healthy. Dates ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Is minimally invasive heart surgery to repair a mitral valve a safer option than open-heart surgery? Is it common for a surgeon to have to switch to an open-heart procedure after starting the surgery?

ANSWER: Both minimally invasive heart surgery and traditional surgery that involves opening the chest bone — a procedure ...Read more

Fresh off a Caribbean cruise in early March, John Campbell developed a cough and fever of 104 degrees. He went to his primary care physician and got a flu test, which came up negative.

Then things got strange. Campbell said the doctor then turned to him and said, "I've called the ER next door, and you need to go there. This is a matter of ...Read more

Dear Mayo Clinic: My father has a history of kidney stones. He has changed his diet in the past year, which seemed to help. I'm concerned though, since I had heard kidney stones can increase during the summer. Is this true? If so, are there any tips for how he can further reduce his risk?

Answer: As temperatures rise during the summer months, ...Read more

When an employee told a group of 20-somethings they needed face masks to enter his fast-food restaurant, one woman fired off a stream of expletives. "Isn't this Orange County?" snapped a man in the group. "We don't have to wear masks!"

The curses came as a shock, but not really a surprise, to Nilu Patel, a certified registered nurse anesthetist...Read more

As her mother lay dying in a Southern California hospital in early May, Elishia Breed was home in Oregon, 800 miles away, separated not only by the distance, but also by the cruelty of the coronavirus.

Because of the pandemic, it wasn't safe to visit her mom, Patti Breed-Rabitoy, who had entered a hospital alone, days earlier, with a high fever...Read more

Most tick bites are painless and cause only minor signs and symptoms, such as redness, swelling or a sore on the skin. But some ticks transmit bacteria that cause illnesses, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In general, to transmit Lyme disease a tick needs to be attached for at least 36 hours. Other infections can be ...Read more

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently added to the list of symptoms for the novel coronavirus.

Because of a wide range of ailments reported by patients, the CDC has expanded the list of potential symptoms that originally was shortness of breath, cough and fever.

In April, the CDC added chills, repeated shaking ...Read more

Without medication to manage her plaque psoriasis, Jennifer Brown's face, scalp, trunk and neck periodically become covered in painful red, flaky patches so dry they crack and bleed.

She has gotten relief from medications, but they come at a high price. For a while she was on Humira, made by AbbVie, with an average retail price of roughly $8,...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Today, like every day, Eric Verdin will cycle the steep hills of Marin County. He'll wait until noon to eat his first meal. He'll wear a mask and stay socially distanced. He'll be asleep no later than 11 p.m.

Despite his excellent health, the 63-year-old scientist and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging knows he ...Read more

WASHINGTON -- As the coronavirus outbreak swept the country, President Donald Trump for months promised high-tech solutions just over the horizon: thousands of new ventilators, miracle drugs and vaccines developed at "warp speed."

He has shown decidedly less enthusiasm for simpler steps such mask-wearing and social distancing. That has ...Read more

A vaccine to prevent COVID-19 is perhaps the best hope for ending the pandemic. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent infection with the COVID-19 virus, but researchers are racing to create one.

Coronavirus vaccine research

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome...Read more

It's the season of summer picnics and barbecues. Make sure your family gathering doesn't end up with a bout of food poisoning. More than 1 million Americans each year become sick with salmonella infection. Most people get sick from eating foods contaminated with salmonella bacteria including fresh produce, raw eggs and uncooked meat. Dr. Summer ...Read more