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☆ Omicron subvariants pose a new threat to people with immune deficiencies
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Benjamin Ryan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Troubling recent reports reveal the emergence of new omicron subvariants that not only evade AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, the antibody drug authorized to prevent Covid infection, but also the sole antibody drug that has retained effectiveness as treatment for Covid, Eli Lilly’s bebtelovimab. Doctors have cautioned that should Laura get Covid, this could aggravate her autoimmune disease and lead to catastrophic kidney damage. Evusheld is a long-acting antibody injection given every six months that studies have suggested provides a robust buffer to the immunosuppressed. For now, immunocompromised people are anxiously watching the pandemic forecast to see if the subvariants that research indicates evade monoclonal antibodies will become predominant. “If fewer people are prescribed Evusheld,” she said, “there’s less incentive for drug companies to start developing newer therapeutics.

☆ Addiction drug shows promise lifting long COVID brain fog, fatigue
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | Nancy Lapid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Lauren Nichols, who has long COVID, takes a break and rests in a lounge bed in the office in her home in Andover, Massachusetts, U.S., August 3, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterResearchers chasing long COVID cures are eager to learn whether the drug can offer similar benefits to millions suffering from pain, fatigue and brain fog months after a coronavirus infection. Younger, author of a scientific review of the drug as a novel anti-inflammatory, in September submitted a grant application to study LDN for long COVID. It worked so well that he ran a pilot study among 38 long COVID patients. He studied LDN in 18 long COVID patients, with 11 showing improvements, and said he believes larger, formal trials could determine whether LDN offers a true benefit.

☆ Hair-straightening chemical products linked to increased uterine cancer risk in new study
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists are uncovering new details in the connection between using certain hair straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, and an increased risk of cancer in women. The study, published Monday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, estimates that among women who did not use hair-straightening chemical products in the past 12 months, 1.6% developed uterine cancer by age 70, but about 4% of the women who frequently use such hair-straightening products developed uterine cancer by age 70. That finding “also communicates that uterine cancer is indeed rare. “In this study, women with frequent use in the past year had an over two-fold higher risk of uterine cancer,” she said. The researchers found a strong association between hair straightening products and uterine cancer cases but the use of other hair products – such as dyes and perms or body waves – was not associated with uterine cancer.

Women using chemical hair-straightening products are at a higher risk of uterine cancer than women who reported not using them, a new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found. Researchers noted that Black women may have a higher risk because they are more likely to use those products more frequently. “Sixty percent of the participants who reported using straighteners were Black women. The bottom line is that the exposure burden appears to be higher among Black women,” Chandra Jackson, an NIEHS Earl Stadtman Investigator who co-authored the study, said. Advocates like Greene, one of the leading voices in the movement against Black hair discrimination, have highlighted that wearing natural hair isn’t easy or always safe for Black people.

☆ Moderna and Merck will jointly develop a cancer vaccine for high-risk melanoma patients
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Moderna this week started testingModerna and Merck will jointly develop and sell a cancer vaccine that is personalized for individual patients, the companies announced on Wednesday. Moderna's vaccine, based on its messenger RNA technology, is being studied in combination with Merck's Keytruda to treat patients with high-risk melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in a phase 2 trial. Moderna's vaccine is designed to trigger the immune system to deploy killer T cells that target the specific mutations of a patient's tumors. The companies originally entered the agreement in 2016, but Merck is now exercising its option through a $250 million payment to Moderna. Moderna expects $21 billion in Covid vaccine sales this year as it rolls out new booster shots that target the omicron variant.

Amid concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent nuclear threats came a bit of startling news: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday that it spent $290 million on a drug to treat radiation sickness. Nplate, manufactured by U.S. drugmaker Amgen, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2021 to treat injuries caused by acute radiation syndrome, also known as radiation sickness. Amgen will maintain the supply of the drug, an approach the HHS says lowers costs for taxpayers and allows the drug to be used in the commercial market before it expires. Chris Meekins, former deputy assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said that he sees no cause for alarm over the purchase. Greg Burel, the former director of the Strategic National Stockpile, agreed, saying that he doesn't think the HHS' purchase of the drug is related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February.

☆ Covid vaccination linked to slight increase in menstrual cycle, NIH study confirms
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

However, the longer menstrual cycle, typically about a month long, didn't necessarily increase the number of days of bleeding, according to NIH. A change in menstrual cycle length of eight days or less is considered within the normal range of variation, according to NIH. Women who received both vaccine doses in a single menstrual period saw their cycle increase by 3.91 days. The changes in menstrual cycle length did not differ between vaccines. The researchers had released preliminary findings in January suggesting an association between Covid vaccination and increased menstrual cycle length, but the study published this week confirmed the link.

☆ Fauci says the Chinese government is 'probably' hiding something about the origins of COVID, but he's not sure it's a lab leak
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dr. Anthony Fauci said he's "keeping a completely open mind" about the origins of the pandemic. Fauci told an audience the Chinese government is "probably" hiding something about the origins of the virus. Fauci recalls the painstaking efforts it took to get information on that outbreak from Chinese officials. Hiding information creates a perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories, Fauci said"It's natural, totally natural for conspiracy people who are thinking it's a conspiracy to say, 'see? And, "they probably are," Fauci said, but it may not have anything to do with a lab leak at all.

☆ How more than $424 million in taxpayer money is locked away in a forgotten government fund — and lawmakers won't spend it or return it
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The intended beneficiaries of the taxpayer-fueled Presidential Election Campaign Fund — presidential candidates — don't want it, as they're soured by its restrictions on their election fundraising and spending. A US Treasury document detailing the finances of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Several nonprofit leaders told Insider that Congress could use the Presidential Election Campaign Fund money to immediately ease suffering, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2019-20 congressional session, two Republican lawmakers sponsored similar bills that attempted to kill the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Until that or any other repurposing decision comes down, the FEC continues to spend taxpayer resources keeping the Presidential Election Campaign Fund alive.

☆ How to stay cool without air conditioning
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-18 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Take a cold shower or bathTaking a cold shower or bath helps cool your body by lowering your core temperature, Porter said. Use box fansPlace box fans facing out of the windows of rooms you’re spending time in to blow out hot air and replace it with cold air inside. The outdoors can pull the hot air from your home, leaving a cooler temperature or bringing in the breeze. Don’t refrigerate or freeze blankets or clothingCommon advice for staying cool without air conditioning includes refrigerating or freezing wet socks, blankets or clothing then ringing them out to wear while you sleep. To make the switch, watch for sales on energy-efficient bulbs, then slowly replace the bulbs in your house, Porter said.

Persons: that’s, Wendell Porter, Porter, ” Porter, Shutterstock, Samantha Hall, Don’t, ”, Hall, Cook, don’t, “, you’ve Organizations: CNN, US National Institutes of Health, University of Florida, READ Locations: Australia, you’re

Ai fost infectat recent cu coronavirus, însă nu știi când poți să te vaccinezi. Specialiștii recomandă să te tratezi de infecție ca să nu mai fii contagios, iar ulterior poți să-ți pui prima doză. Mai mult, s-a descoperit că persoanele care au fost infectate până la vaccinare dezvoltă un răspuns mai puternic al sistemului imunitar după cele doze, în comparație cu persoanele care nu au fost infectate niciodată. Persoanele cu simptome severe sunt sfătuite să aștepte cel puțin 20 de zile înainte de vaccinare. Dacă ai fost expus la COVID-19, trebuie să stai în carantină timp de 14 zile și să monitorizezi simptomele.

Persons: William Schaffner Organizations: Organizația Mondială a Sănătății, Universității Vanderbilt, ABC News Locations: SUA, New England

☆ Louie Gohmert, the mask-averse congressman who contracted COVID-19, is postponing his in-person 'birthday bash' fundraiser
▼ + stars: | 2020-08-10 | by ( Dave Levinthal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An updated invitation indicates Rep. Louie Gohmert is rescheduling his big-dollar event from August 20 to sometime in October. Gohmert had promised guests a "special gift" and photo opportunity at his August birthday BBQ in Tyler, Texas. Fox News host Jeanine Pirro was scheduled to appear at the postponed fundraiser but isn't listed on the updated invitation seen by Insider. An updated invitation to Gohmert's fundraiser says the event will take place on a yet-to-be-set date in October. Pirro, who was slated to appear during the original fundraiser, is not listed on the updated fundraiser invitation.

☆ 6 terrible and potentially dangerous health tips from Gwyneth Paltrow
▼ + stars: | 2017-07-05 | by ( Caroline Praderio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

ShutterstockGoop recently made headlines for selling a $66 jade egg meant to be placed inside the vagina and squeezed using a series of muscle contractions. Is is true that having a strong pelvic floor leads to stronger orgasms, and using a jade egg might strengthen those key muscles. But a $66 jade egg is not the only way to achieve this. Plus, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes that some Ayurvedic supplements can contain toxic amounts of dangerous heavy metals. Obviously not all Ayurvedic products are dangerous, and people all over the world have used them without issues, as proponents argue.

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