Cases of COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant have been detected in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mayo Clinic experts are actively monitoring the new variant to better understand how it behaves.

Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, is among the researchers around the world ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- When Candice Davis contracted COVID-19 in August, she quarantined herself in her South Philadelphia apartment and settled in for what she thought would be a short recovery.

But within days, Davis, 30, was in the ER, shocked by the directive she’d just gotten from a doctor: Go on a ventilator, or risk death.

Three weeks later,...Read more

Q: People who are grateful seem to appreciate life and be much happier, regardless of their external circumstances. This time of year, and after what we've all endured during the COVID-19 pandemic, practicing gratitude seems especially important and especially difficult. What's your advice on how to practice gratitude?

A: It is absolutely true...Read more

Q: My daughter is about to turn 12. Which COVID-19 vaccine should she get?

A: The short answer: Your child should get the vaccine product that is recommended for their age.

Right now, the only COVID-19 vaccine available for children in the U.S. is the Pfizer BioNTech mRNA vaccine. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for children 5 years and ...Read more

After 23 years as a physician assistant, Leslie Clayton remains rankled by one facet of her vocation: its title. Specifically, the word “assistant.”

Patients have asked if she’s heading to medical school or in the middle of it. The term confounded even her family, she said: It took years for her parents to understand she did more than ...Read more

Since the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus was dubbed "a variant of concern" just after Thanksgiving, a number of countries around the world began imposing new travel restrictions in response to its spread. And, while not much is known about it yet, leaders have called for calm as we wait to learn more.

"Do not get hysterical. That is not ...Read more

Dear Healthy Men: I see a lot of media coverage of homeless women (and, as we get closer to the end of the year, I receive a lot of solicitations from shelters for homeless women). But as I walk through our downtown area, it seems that most of the people panhandling or living on the street are men. What’s the actual gender breakdown and why ...Read more

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, medical executive Lyndi Church and her colleagues at Caring Hands Healthcare Centers in southeastern Oklahoma had been intrigued by telehealth, but they feared it was unworkable in their rural corner of the state.

Many residents of the area lacked reliable broadband or didn’t have the devices or technological ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My granddaughter was diagnosed with a severe case of scoliosis. What is scoliosis, and what treatments are available?

ANSWER: Scoliosis is a side-to-side curvature of the spine that can occur in about 1 in 300 children. In growing children, curves can progress rapidly, especially during the adolescent growth spurt.

Growth ...Read more

As No-Shave November ends, many men will be returning to their razors to take off that facial hair. But Mayo Clinic dermatologists say shaving too close to the skin can cause problems for some people.

Sometimes you can get too close of a shave.

"If you go to trim or shave your hair, particularly if you're a man or particularly if you are skin ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Three years ago, Stephen Borgese left the stress of emergency medicine to form a new practice in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, that uses shockwave therapy to help men with erectile dysfunction (ED). This relatively new and still largely unproven treatment aims to repair damaged tissue, not just increase blood flow with pills or prop ...Read more

The American health care system has become an actual impediment to public health. Americans are seeing that play out in real time as the pandemic progresses. Despite the heroic efforts of doctors, nurses and health care leaders, the staggering cost of care in this country, along with the number of people without health insurance and the lack of ...Read more

While there are more questions than answers right now, concern is growing about the emergence of the new COVID-19 strain called omicron.

While no cases of the variant have been confirmed in the U.S., Mayo Clinic is closely monitoring the research and clinical observations that are underway and will use this time to thoroughly evaluate evidence ...Read more

From leftovers in your lunch to planning a meal for family and friends, keeping food safe is important. Food poisoning — also called foodborne illness — is caused by harmful germs, such as bacteria, in contaminated food. Because bacteria typically doesn't change the taste, smell or look of food, you can't tell whether it's dangerous to eat. ...Read more

It was supper time in the Whittier, California, home of Air Force veteran Danyelle Clark-Gutierrez, and eagerly awaiting a bowl of kibble and canned dog food was Lisa, a 3-year-old yellow Labrador retriever.

Her nails clicking on the kitchen floor as she danced about, Lisa looked more like an exuberant puppy than the highly trained service ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am an active 43-year-old female who enjoys exercising and staying in shape. I usually try to work out at least three days per week at the gym, but I also like to exercise and run outside. Recently, I moved to a colder climate. As winter begins, should I do anything differently to exercise safely outdoors in cold weather?

...Read more

Matthew Loper’s mission to use technology and science to revolutionize health care began when he observed vastly different outcomes for relatives with the same disease.

The CEO and co-founder of Wellth, an app that incentivizes users to make healthy choices, like regularly taking medicine, had an aunt and an uncle diagnosed with Type 2 ...Read more

There are plenty reasons to add chickpeas to your diet.

The folklore

Known by so many names around the world — Spanish garbanzo, Italian ceci, Indian gram — the name chickpea comes from “chich pease,” a version of the French name for this beloved legume. Its Latin botanical name, Cicer arietinum, which means “small ram,” is a nod ...Read more

Whether you’ve been experiencing chronic gut issues for years or you’re new to the matters of a miserable microbiome, one thing is clear: A significant component of our overall health is determined by the (beneficial) bacteria that reside in our gut, aka our microbiome.

“Research has shown that all roads lead to the health of our gut ...Read more