Researchers are considering possible benefits of psychedelic drugs against Alzheimer's disease, reports Being Patient . Last year, scientists at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research launched a program to examine how psychedelics affect mood, behavior, brain health, and cognition. "If you're looking at cells like neurons and expose them to these drugs, they create this kind of synapto-genesis," said Johns Hopkins Professor Albert Garcia-Romeu. "There are new outgrowths off the neuron, so that's one thing they've found in studies in people and cells derived from people." Psychedelics also affect the brain's default mode network, which is involved in the sense of self and "autobiography," moral reasoning, and processing emotions of others. Emergent research focuses on the drugs' ability to augment mood, behavior, or memory in people with Alzheimer's. The Johns Hopkins study will observe whether moderate to high doses of psilocybin have a therapeutic effect against depression in people with mild cognitive impairment or early onset Alzheimer's. Garcia-Romeu said another area of research is whether high-dose psilocybin can lift the mood of people with Alzheimer's, as it appears to do in people with cancer.

Regular use of hearing aids can decrease feelings of social isolation and loneliness, which is especially important for older men and women, reports the San Diego Union Tribune . Still, the National Institute on Deafness reports that less than 30 percent of people over 70 who could benefit from hearing aids have actually used them. Senior San Diego resident Maureen Arrigo says even with the advances and increased comfort of modern hearing aid technology, "hearing aids can't bring you normalized hearing as well as eye glasses can bring you normalized vision." Affordability — or lack thereof — is another factor, with AARP estimating that the cost for prescription hearing aids is about $2,400 per ear on average. The Senate's passage of the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act allowed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to create an OTC class of hearing aids that could be purchased at pharmacies, online, and in stores. San Diego audiologist Linda Oliver has witnessed dramatic advances in the technology — she notes that whereas earlier models had to be manually adjusted by doctors for optimal sound, today's digitized models can be calibrated remotely with computers and an iPhone connection. Oliver adds that it is critical that a hearing aid is properly fitted and programmed to the wearer's ear. "I highly recommend having services that go along with the hearing aid," she says. "You can have a very expensive hearing aid that is not programmed properly, or you can have an inexpensive hearing aid that is programmed properly and function quite well."

A growing number of U.S. employees are willing to sacrifice additional pay in exchange for more generous retirement and health care benefits, according to a global survey of 40,000 employees — including 8,000 U.S. workers — by Willis Towers Watson . The global advisory and solutions company also found half of employees would rather receive more substantial benefits (37 percent) and time off (13 percent) than additional pay or bonuses. Over half of respondents (57%) say their benefit package is more important to them than ever before, driven largely by their desire for greater security. Fully two-thirds of respondents are willing to pay a higher amount each month for more comprehensive retirement benefits — an increase from 55 percent in 2011. Finally, 42 of workers polled said they would sacrifice additional pay each month for a more expansive health benefit plan — up from 27 percent in 2013.

China on Thursday reported no new local infections for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, reports the New York Times . Critics said earlier missteps to contain the virus forced China's government to crack down with extreme travel and quarantine restrictions, resulting in severe human trauma and economic loss. "The actions taken in China have almost brought to an end their first wave of infections," acknowledged Ben Cowling at Hong Kong University's School of Public Health. "The question is what will happen if there's a second wave, because the kind of measures that China has implemented are not necessarily sustainable in the long term." With China starting to gradually relax its restrictions, experts call for broadening testing in communities and monitoring travelers entering the country. Some residents in Wuhan, where the outbreak began, hope that the worst is over. However, there remains a widespread conviction that the city was sacrificed to save China, as almost two-thirds of the country's total infections and more than 75 percent of its fatalities were concentrated there.

ABC News is reporting that the coronavirus outbreak has forced millions of people worldwide to limit what and who they touch and stay in place for the time being. For the blind community, in particular, these and other restrictions are creatjng additional obstacles that may contribute to their already vulnerable state. Working from home, shopping, and even a recreational walk outside isn't always easy for blind people because companies and leaders haven't put immediate thought into accessibility for the disabled, remarks Chris Danielsen, a spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). According to the NFB, nearly 7.6 million Americans over 16 years old have a visual impairment. Experts say transportation is the biggest challenge for the blind community. Many cities have cut back on their bus and train lines, and taxis and such rideshare options as Lyft and Uber are limiting pickups. Stacy Cervenka, the director of public policy for the American Foundation for the Blind, remarks, "Without Uber or Lyft, we're in a bind, especially in suburban and rural communities where everything is far away. She said the lack of transportation would hinder any blind person who seeks to get tested for the coronavirus, as more and more states are opting for drive-thru testing.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this week that up to eight in every 10 coronavirus-related deaths in the United States have involved adults 65 and older, with up to 70 percent of Americans requiring hospitalization 85 and older, reports Fox News . Intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and deaths from the virus support health officials' assertions that seniors, those with underlying health issues, and immunocompromised individuals are most at risk for developing complications from COVID-19. Up to 29 percent of persons requiring ICU care for COVID-19 were 85 or older, and 31 percent were 65 and 84 years old. Between 10 percent and 27 percent of adults who died after contracting the virus were 85 or older, and 4 percent to 11 percent were 65 to 84. As of Thursday, COVID-19-related illness was confirmed in more than 10,750 Americans and had resulted in at least 154 deaths. Nursing homes and other care communities have been on high alert since an outbreak in Washington state put senior residents at risk and led to at least 30 deaths. "We know that there is a risk that people who appear healthy will enter nursing homes and assisted living communities and still infect residents," said American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living President Mark Parkinson.

Rural areas in the United States face many hindrances with a coronavirus outbreak, and Americans most at risk of contracting COVID-19 and dying from the virus are those older than 60 and/or with preexisting health conditions, reports Fox Business . A Chartis Group study found about 69 percent of the U.S. rural population is older than 65, compared to 35 percent of the non-rural population. "If you have no place to go or if you have to drive an additional hour or two to get somewhere, people just don't go," noted Doug Farquhar at the National Conference of State Legislatures. "This virus doesn't seem to be avoiding rural areas." A total of 126 rural hospitals have closed since the Affordable Care Act went into effect in 2010, while the North Carolina Rural Health Research Program estimated 19 rural hospitals closed last year alone. The National Rural Health Association's Maggie Elehwany said although rural healthcare providers say they are prepared for a reasonable increase in patients, they will require access to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' reserve of medical and drug supplies in case of a national catastrophic pandemic. "We need to make sure there's an equitable distribution and find out proportionally where the pockets of the pandemic are," she explained. "If they're in rural communities, we need to be ready to get some supplies to them right away."

Health care hiring has surged over the last several years, notes Axios . However, this influx will not necessarily alleviate the impending wave of coronavirus cases. That's because a large number of the new health care jobs have been on the administrative and clerical side like hospital billing, IT, and insurance contracting — not doctors, nurses, or other clinical staffers needed to help triage and care for the sick. Over the past three years, the health care industry has added approximately 914,000 jobs, with a big chunk of these jobs having come in outpatient settings like physician offices. On the positive side, many home health jobs have been created, which could help seniors who have chronic illnesses and need to stay at home during the pandemic. The biggest need moving forward will be in hospital intensive care units.

University of Nevada, Reno pre-med student Jayde Powell has organized a growing volunteer network of "shopping angels" to provide free grocery delivery to seniors and sick people during the coronavirus outbreak, reports CNN . "As a pre-med student, I know that people who are older or people who have heart, lung, or immune conditions are especially at risk for contracting the virus," she said. Powell launched "Shopping Angels" by enlisting about 20 members of her medical fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon. As demand expanded, she invited other classmates and went on social media to recruit more. An interview with CNN affiliate KVVU was critical for drawing national attention to the initiative. Powell has been connecting volunteers across the United States with people in need through email, phone, and Facebook since March 13. Some clients give their volunteer a shopping list, budget, and money to cover the purchase, while others buy groceries online and have their shopping angel pick them up. Shopping angels must wear masks and gloves during transportation, pickup, and delivery, and are recommended not to enter homes to ensure everyone's safety.

A French study published in Cell Metabolism focused on the brain's metabolism in relation to the development of Alzheimer's disease, and identified another path to potentially help mitigate memory loss, reports Being Patient . Using mouse models, the researchers aimed to learn whether a decline in metabolism directly impacted cognitive deterioration. They observed that decreased glucose metabolism in the brain caused less production of the amino acid L-serine, which is produced by astrocytes in the brain but also found in supplements. L-serine is known to activate NMDA receptors, which are important in keeping the brain functioning properly and maintaining memory. Less L-serine in the brain corresponded with lower activity in NMDA receptors, leading to impaired cognitive function and memory in mice. Restoring L-serine concentrations was apparently accompanied by a return to normal function. "Our findings reveal that astrocytic glycolysis controls cognitive functions and suggest oral L-serine as a ready-to-use therapy for Alzheimer's," the authors concluded.