Strong immune response underlies acute kidney injury related to COVID-19

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have found that acute kidney injury associated with COVID-19 resembles sepsis-caused kidney injury, and the immune response triggered by the infection plays a pivotal role. The findings, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, also suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction — a loss of function in cellular energy production — is commonly…

Patients billed up to $219 million in total for preventive services that should be free

Experts say these unexpected healthcare costs may discourage people from seeking recommended preventive care. Despite a sharp reduction in out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for preventive care since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, patients are still receiving unexpected bills for preventive services that should be free, according to a new study co-authored by a…

White House Dispute Exposes Facebook Blind Spot on Misinformation

“The suggestion we haven’t put resources toward combating Covid misinformation and supporting the vaccine rollout is just not supported by the facts,” said Dani Lever, a Facebook spokeswoman. “With no standard definition for vaccine misinformation, and with both false and even true content (often shared by mainstream media outlets) potentially discouraging vaccine acceptance, we focus…

Covid’s Beta Variant: Here’s What We Know

England lifted nearly all of its pandemic restrictions on Monday, which some Britons have hailed as “freedom day.” The British government, however, made a notable exception: People traveling to England from France must continue to quarantine upon their arrival, even if they are fully vaccinated. The rule, announced on Friday, was spurred by concerns about…