By Staff
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 12:27 AM
NEW YORK—Optical sales took a slight downturn last week, June 14-20, as the national average for gross revenue at ECP locations throughout the country fell 2 index points, bringing it to a slightly lower level (by only 1 index point) of where it was at the same time last year. When compared with two years ago during the same time period, gross revenue was 6 index points higher last week than where it was in 2019, according to data from Jobson’s latest Practice Performance Tracker.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 22, 2021 12:04 AM
While consumer spending is expected to continue strengthening, the pace will probably moderate as enhanced unemployment benefits expire and stimulus checks are spent. A sustained pickup in inflation may also cause consumers to limit discretionary expenditures.
By Staff
Monday, June 21, 2021 11:03 AM
As the pandemic eases its grip on many parts of the U.S., consumers are returning to in-store shopping. Traditional U.S. retail is now projected to climb to $4.95 trillion in 2021, a 2.2 percent increase over the prior year, according to a recent
blog post by Stella Rising’s Elizabeth Timmis McHugh. However, she notes that many consumers became comfortable purchasing a wider variety of items online during 2020, and predicts that e-commerce will continue accelerating.
By Staff
Friday, June 18, 2021 11:57 AM
NEW YORK—According to new research from
healthinsurance.com, many Americans are now ready to acknowledge that there are some pandemic-life silver linings. The national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that, because of the pandemic, 80 percent of respondents said they have been more focused on their health, while 73 percent said they worked toward improving their self-care.
It seems clear, according to healthinsurance.com, that living through the pandemic put a spotlight on self-care.
The survey also found that 73 percent of Americans say their self-care has improved since the start of the pandemic, which is an 81 percent increase from the healthinsurance.com June 2020 survey.
Respondents also are more self-aware and acting on it. Last month, 55 percent of respondents said they had packed on some "pandemic pounds," and now 49 percent say they are dieting for this summer season. The past 15 months of pandemic life have also taken a toll. Among respondents, 51 percent feel like they need some time off from work, which is a 22 percent increase from this time last year.
By Staff
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 2:26 PM
About 600,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 since the coronavirus outbreak began. But behind that huge figure is a more nuanced one that brings the human toll of the virus into even sharper relief.
In addition to the overall number of deaths from a given cause, researchers can estimate the number of “life years” lost due to it—a statistic that takes life expectancy into account. For example, if a person with a life expectancy of 80 dies at age 50, they are estimated to have lost 30 years of life. Examining this statistic underscores the extent to which the virus has cut Americans’ lives short, according to a recent story from Pew Research Center.
By Staff
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 12:30 AM
NEW YORK—Optical sales recovered last week, June 7-13, following the steep declines experienced during the Memorial Day holiday of the previous week (May 31-June 6), according to data from Jobson’s latest Practice Performance Tracker. Gross revenue recovered and surpassed the -17 index points it lost the previous week by adding 23 index points last week. Not only did gross revenue recover last week (Week 24), but it also surpassed the comparable weeks of both 2019 and 2020.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:29 PM
Will differences in COVID vaccination rates across the country ultimately divide America? The highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus is on the rise in the U.S., leading the CDC to predict that this concerning strain will soon predominate.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:27 PM
A scientist in Seattle found genetic data about the coronavirus that was stored on a National Institutes of Health archive and later deleted, according to
The Washington Post.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:26 PM
Several students who want to attend in-person classes at Indiana University in the fall have filed a lawsuit that says the school’s COVID-19 vaccine policy is unconstitutional. The policy requires students, faculty, and staff to be vaccinated or receive an exemption for religious or medical reasons before the fall term starts in August, according to CNN. Eight students filed the lawsuit on Monday in a district court in Indiana to ask a judge to prevent the university from enforcing the policy.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:24 PM
Physicians' weekly work hours decreased significantly after COVID-19 emerged in the United States, according to a research letter published online June 23 in
JAMA Network Open. Researchers also found a decline in the percentage of physicians working full time and a rise in the percentage who were laid off.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:23 PM
The number of people infected with the coronavirus in England has increased rapidly, with most infections happening in children and young adults who have not received a vaccine, according to new research.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:21 PM
A new study from researchers in the United Kingdom has found that the coronavirus may cause long-term brain loss and could be the reason some COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell and taste.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:20 PM
Giving a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as a seasonal flu vaccine appears safe and effective, according to a new study. Overall, the Novavax vaccine (Novavax) has shown 89.8 percent efficacy in an ongoing, placebo-controlled phase III study, the first to test how people react to getting both shots simultaneously.
By Staff
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 2:17 PM
Karyne Jones talks with WebMD's John Whyte, MD, about the impact of discrimination and racism on COVID care and vaccinations for Black people. Check out the
video, which is part of WebMD’s Coronavirus in Context video series.