HEALTH NOTES: Peanut Allergies May Be Brushed In A Dental Test

Scientists are testing whether a toothpick could help protect people suffering from nut allergies.

New York-based drug company Intrommune Therapeutics has enrolled 32 adults with nut allergy in a test they see using a toothpick containing nuts.

Oral immunotherapy, in which allergy sufferers are exposed to small doses of allergen over time, is commonly used by allergy specialists but is often blocked by the fact that users forget the take a dose.

Without constant exposure, allergy sufferers can quickly escape. Experts hope that by putting the doses in a toothpick, they can ensure that patients keep up with their treatment.

Intrommune founder Michael Nelson said if the trial is successful, future tests could test tooth bags that contain other allergens.

Paper towels are much more effective in stopping the spread of germs than air hand dryers.

Scientists conducted an experiment in which two groups of volunteers dipped their hands in a harmless viral solution, shaking and drying them using either paper towels or air dryers. The volunteers would then take a fixed route through a hospital, rubbing on common surfaces like lift buttons.

Samples were taken from these surfaces and a study showed that pollution levels were ten times higher for those who had dried their hands with an air dryer.

Study author Ines Moura said: ‘The study was conducted in a healthcare setting and has important lessons for health centers that have high-speed air dryers in bedrooms, but the results are also relevant for rooms. public rest with high foot traffic. ‘

Women living in cities are as likely to have children as their country counterparts.

A study in Finland found that women between the ages of 19 and 42 were 15 percent less likely to breed in cities. Researchers believe this is because there is more competition for husbands in cities because women are generally taller than men.

Previous similar studies have shown that women are more likely to move to urban areas than men. In cities, all percentage point increases of men in the population increased the likelihood of women at 2.7 percent, compared to an increase of 0.4 percent outside cities.

Britons are twice as likely to start eating unhealthily than to start exercising since the onset of Covid’s pandemic.

A study by the World Cancer Research Fund of more than 2,000 people in the UK found that 40 per cent were eating more unhealthy foods, and only 22 per cent had started exercising.

Over a quarter of adults drank more alcohol. The charity fears Covid’s side effects could lead to more cancer studies.