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Doctors are sounding the alarm over research showing a link between drinking alcohol and cancer. More than 700,000 new cancer cases were linked to alcohol consumption in 2020 — a time when many Americans reported drinking more. The research, published in the July 13 edition of Lancet Oncology, found that over 4% of all new cancer cases in 2020 were caused by alcohol consumption. While most cancers linked to alcohol use were in people who have more than two drinks a day, more than 100,000 cases worldwide were in people who averaged less than that, the study said. (Chen, 8/2)

More children may have developed nearsightedness as an unexpected side effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study suggests. An analysis of eye test data from nearly 2,000 Hong Kong school-age children revealed that the rate of nearsightedness that developed during the pandemic more than doubled what was found in a pre-pandemic study of children the same age, according to the report in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. (Carroll, 8/3)

A New Jersey man who died last month had tested positive for West Nile virus, health officials confirmed. The man, who was in his 60s, was from Camden and was first admitted to the hospital for symptoms on July 16. After treatment, he was discharged to a sub-acute care center where he died, Camden County officials said Saturday. (Hein, 8/2)

In a monthly update on domestic Cyclospora activity, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 254 more cases have been reported, raising the national total to 462.So far no specific food item has been identified. Cyclospora infections in people who haven't traveled out of the country typically rise in warmer months. Past outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce such as mesclun, basil, cilantro, and fresh raspberries. (8/2)

No new cases of monkeypox have been identified among the people monitored for possible exposure after they came into contact with an infected person last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Health officials had been monitoring more than 200 people in 23 states and territories, as well as other countries, most of whom flew on one of the two flights the person took to travel from Lagos, Nigeria, to Dallas on July 8 and 9. (Joseph, 8/2)

Before a violent thunderstorm complex unleashed winds up to nearly 140 mph in Iowa last August, many residents had no idea it was coming. It was the most costly thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history, but severe thunderstorm warnings issued by the National Weather Service did not sound on smartphones like they do for tornadoes and severe flash floods. Starting Monday, the Weather Service is implementing changes to their warning alerts to differentiate the threats posed by typical severe thunderstorms and those that are particularly dangerous, such as the Iowa complex last year. With winds rivaling those in a major hurricane, meteorologist classified it as a “derecho,” which is an extreme, fast-moving wind storm. Now, your smartphone will blare ahead of such violent storms, but will not for more common events. (Jeromin, 8/2)

KHN: New Moms Latched On To Remote Breastfeeding Help. Will Demand Wane As Pandemic Fades? 

Madison Cano knew she wanted to breastfeed her son, Theo. But breastfeeding was painful for her. The skin on her breasts was chafed and blistered last July when she returned home from the hospital. And Theo sometimes screamed during feedings. Cano, 30, realized she needed help to get the short- and long-term health benefits of breastfeeding for moms and babies. New studies also have shown that covid-vaccinated mothers pass protective antibodies on to their newborns. However, Cano lives in Montrose in western Colorado, 60 miles away from her lactation counselor, Ali Reynolds, in Grand Junction — and it was during the thick of the pandemic. (Ruder, 8/3)

KHN: Long Drives, Air Travel, Exhausting Waits: What Abortion Requires In The South

Just a quick walk through the parking lot of Choices-Memphis Center for Reproductive Health in this legendary music mecca speaks volumes about access to abortion in the American South. Parked alongside the polished SUVs and weathered sedans with Tennessee license plates are cars from Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida and, on many days, Alabama, Georgia and Texas. Choices is one of two abortion clinics in the Memphis metro area, with a population of 1.3 million. While that might seem a surprisingly limited number of options for women seeking a commonplace medical procedure, it represents a wealth of access compared with Mississippi, which has one abortion clinic for the entire state of 3 million people. (Varney, 8/3)

After 17 months of virtual classes stretching the patience of everyone involved, school communities are celebrating a return to normalcy. Aug. 11 is just around the corner and area school districts are working to update their COVID-19 plan for the start of the new year. “We return to in-person instruction when school begins on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021,” said Sherry Williams, director external communications at Fort Bend ISD. “We know that this is, by far, the most effective setting for learning and we are excited about that.” (Varma, 8/2)

Parents can ease children’s transition to in-person learning after months of virtual schooling, depending on the district, through clear talks over safety guidelines, structured sleep schedules, validating worries and addressing grief after a tumultuous year, experts told Fox News. Kids are going to have a lot of questions, and it’s important for parents to keep calm so children feel secure, Dr. Carmen Lopez-Arvizu, medical director of the psychiatric mental health clinic at Kennedy Krieger, told Fox News. (Rivas, 8/2)