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CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

The world also said goodbye to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died Nov. 29. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesAnother political figure who died this year was former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19. Among the entertainers who left the world this year was singer Tina Turner, who died May 24. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2023 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___Fred White, 67. A Hall of Fame forward who helped the Chicago Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup Final.

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Supreme, United Nations, Greek Foreign, Republican, Hong, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBC, CBS, Television, Fame, Chicago Blackhawks, ”, New, of Fame, Louis Cardinals, “, Palestinian, Israel, South Dakota Democrat, Arab, Arab American U.S, Britain’s, Commons, . 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☆ What do we know about China’s respiratory illness surge?
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Andrew Silver | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SHANGHAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A request by the World Health Organization for more information on a surge in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children in China has attracted global attention. The following is what we know about the surge in illness in the world's second most populous country so far, and why experts think there is no need to panic. The National Health Commission told a news conference on Nov. 13 that there was an increase in incidence of respiratory disease without providing further details. IS MYCOPLASMA PNEUMONIAE A BIG WORRY? One concern about the surge in respiratory illness is mycoplasma pneumoniae, which has also spiked in other countries.

Persons: Maria Van Kerkhove, Rajib Dasgupta, mycoplasma pneumoniae, it's, Cecille Brion, Van Kerkhove, We're, Andrew Silver, Miyoung Kim Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Program, National Health Commission, Reuters, Pacific, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Doctors, Raffles Medical Group Beijing, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Taiwan, WHO China, COVID, South East Asia, New Delhi

☆ Maker of Wegovy, Ozempic showers money on U.S. obesity doctors
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

Novo spent at least $25.8 million over the past decade on U.S. medical professionals to promote its two obesity drugs, Wegovy and Saxenda, the analysis found. Jastreboff has also worked on clinical trials of obesity drugs for Eli Lilly, which markets a Wegovy competitor. Some doctors said Novo’s payments exemplify how the flood of industry money can dominate decision-making about care and coverage. Government pharmacy officer Solaru said her agency concluded that the new obesity drugs could be cost-effective by preventing other weight-related diseases and boosting workplace productivity. In January, the personnel office told its health plans they must cover at least one GLP-1 obesity drug for 8 million workers, retirees and family members.

Persons: Lee Kaplan, Kaplan, ”, gastroenterologist, He’s, Novo, Donna Ryan, Ryan, “, ” Kaplan, ” Novo, Robert Lustig, “ I’m, Lustig, They’re, Ania, ” Jastreboff, Jastreboff, Eli Lilly, Lilly’s Zepbound, Lilly, ” Lilly, Novo’s, Ayana, Sanders, Arthur Kellermann, ” Kellermann, mouthpieces, ’ ”, “ I'm, Jamy Ard, Ard, Dele, ” Solaru, ” Ryan, Scott Kahan, Kahan, Solaru, Christine Gallagher, Wegovy, Rebekah Carl, Carl, Jen Wexler, gaunt, Wexler Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Dartmouth, Nutrition Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Reuters, Cambridge, Obesity Society, U.S ., Management, Reuters . Pharmaceutical, ”, U.S, United, National Health Service, University of California, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Doctors, Wegovy’s, BMI, Yale University’s Center, Weight Management, Wall Street, American Medical Association, Rutgers University’s School of Public Health, Affordable, . Pharmaceutical, Companies, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Wake Forest University, Wake Forest Baptist Health Weight Management, Obesity, Pennington Biomedical Research, U.S . National Institutes of Health, Personnel Management, Coalition, STOP, George Washington University, Novo Locations: CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Boston, U.S, Novo, Danish, United States, Louisiana, San Francisco, Wegovy, Pennington, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, Government, New Columbia , Pennsylvania, Florida

☆ Fact Check: Iceland has not banned COVID vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A headline shared online falsely claims that Iceland has banned COVID-19 vaccines and cites sudden deaths for which there is no evidence, according to the Icelandic national health authority. Iceland has not banned COVID vaccines and “there are no soaring sudden deaths,” Guðrún Aspelund, chief epidemiologist at the Icelandic Directorate of Health, told Reuters in a Nov. 29 email. In 2021, Iceland along with other Scandinavian countries temporarily discontinued giving some COVID vaccines to younger adults. As of Oct. 5, 80.5% of the population (archived) in Iceland has received the primary course, that is two doses of a COVID vaccine. Iceland has not banned COVID vaccines and vaccination is recommended for specific groups of the population.

Persons: ” Guðrún Aspelund, epidemiologist, Aspelund, Moderna's Spikevax, Read Organizations: Icelandic Directorate of Health, Reuters, Twitter, Facebook, Health, Iceland’s, Pfizer, BioNTech's, Thomson Locations: Iceland

☆ Covid vaccine rates in the U.S. are slumping — and it will be a challenge to boost them
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

In this article PFEMRNANVAX Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA sign advertises Covid vaccine shots at a Walgreens Pharmacy in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Aug. 14, 2023. Brian Snyder | ReutersThree years into the Covid-19 pandemic, few Americans are rolling up their sleeves to get a Covid vaccine. Experts and vaccine makers can agree that low Covid vaccination rates are concerning, even as cases of the virus dwindle from their pandemic highs. However, Iovine of the University of Florida doesn't believe combination shots will have a significant effect on Covid vaccination rates. If combination shots don't do the trick, it's unclear what else could boost Covid vaccination rates down the line.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Ali Mokdad, Mokdad, Irfan Khan, Jennifer Kates, Brad Pollock, Nicole Iovine, epidemiologist, Iovine, Michael Yee, Albert Bourla, Arpa Garay, Garay, John Trizzino, Trizzino, Jamey Mock, Andrew Pekosz, Jefferies, Yee, doesn't Organizations: Walgreens, Reuters, Pfizer, Moderna, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, University of Washington, CVS Pharmacy, Los Angeles Times, KFF, UC Davis Health's, University of Florida, Jefferies, Arpa, CNBC, Istock, Getty, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Locations: Somerville , Massachusetts, U.S, Novavax, Covid, Eagle Rock , California

☆ Americans ditched big cities during the pandemic. Now many are regretting it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Kelli María Korducki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Susan, a 30-something artist, lived in New York City when the pandemic struck. The pair had talked about moving to a smaller town someday — the pandemic just shortened their timeline. As rent prices in big cities shot up and jobs went remote, cash-strapped people were quick to take advantage of an unprecedented situation and try someplace new. It was also a favor to her husband, who never felt at peace in the bustle of the big city. A few months ago, she and her husband found a renter for their house and returned to the city.

Persons: Susan, Eager, Riordan Frost, Millennials, Frost, Alex Gatien, he's, Gatien, Alexander von Hoffman, von Hoffman, Sandro Galea, Galea, Kelli María Korducki Organizations: Harvard's, for Housing Studies, National Association of Realtors, New, Boston University School of Public, Boston University School of Public Health Locations: New York City, McMansions, Toronto, St, Lawrence, Canada, New York

☆ Northern China hospitals overwhelmed with surge in respiratory illnesses among children
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Hong Kong CNN —Hospitals in Beijing and northern China are grappling with a surge of children with respiratory illnesses as the country enters its first winter since relaxing stringent Covid-19 controls nearly one year ago. Wait times to see doctors stretch for hours, with hundreds of patients queuing at some children’s hospitals in major cities across northern China, according to CNN reporting and Chinese state and social media. The surge in cases across northern China comes amid a rise in seasonal respiratory infections around the northern hemisphere, including in the United States, where RSV is spreading at “unprecedented” levels among children. Children receive intravenous drips at a children's hospital in Beijing on November 23, 2023. It’s unclear if there’s been an increase in respiratory illnesses or severe cases among children relative to pre-pandemic years because of limited public data released by China.

Persons: “, Jin Dongyan, ” Catherine Bennett, ” Bennett, Jade Gao, drips, ”, there’s, Jin, that’s, Christine Jenkins Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Hospitals, CNN, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Health, World Health Organization, WHO, Wednesday, “, University of Hong Kong’s, of Biomedical Sciences, Deakin University, Getty, Weibo, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, National Health Commission, NHC, ”, China’s, Hong Kong University, UNSW Sydney Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tianjin, United States, Australia, AFP, Beijing’s

When Daniel Skousen scrubs at the ash and soot covering his Maui home, he worries about the smell. Crews have installed air quality monitors throughout town and are spraying a soil sealant to prevent toxic ash from being washed into the ocean or blowing around. The Hawaii Department of Health's Environmental Health Services Division also told Skousen's attorney it had no records about residential testing of contaminants to release. “If it smells like burned plastic or burned electrical cables, then probably those chemicals are in the air and not healthy,” Hertz-Picciotto said. Whether a home can be made safe enough for residency comes down in part to the resident's risk tolerance, Hayes said.

Persons: Daniel Skousen, ”, Bill Hayes, Hayes, Char, ” Hayes, Crews, Kellen Ashford, Shawn Hamamoto, ‘, ’ ”, Edward Neiger, ” Ashford, Andrew Shoemaker, it's, Shoemaker, Dioxins, Skousen, Irva Hertz, Davis, Picciotto, ” Hertz, He’s Organizations: Hawaii Department of Education, Environmental, Agency, Associated Press, Hawaii Department of Health, Hawaii Department of, Environmental Health, Health Department, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, Lahaina Civic Center, World Health Organization, University of California, Hertz, Cooperative Institute for Research, Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Locations: Lahaina, Boulder County , Colorado, Maui, ” State, Skousen, “, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder

☆ China says no unusual pathogens found after WHO queries respiratory outbreaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The WHO had asked China for more information on Wednesday after groups including the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in north China. No unusual pathogens have been detected in the capital of Beijing and the northeastern province of Liaoning. The U.N. health agency had also asked China for further information about trends in the circulation of known pathogens and the burden on healthcare systems. WHO China said it was "routine" to request information on increases in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children from member states, such as China. The WHO said that while it was seeking additional information, it recommended that people in China follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, pneumoniae, Ben Cowling, Deena Beasley, Andrew Silver, Jennifer Rigby, Emma Farge, Urvi, Robert Birsel, Miyoung Kim, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, World Health Organization, WHO, International, National Health Commission, FTV News, Hong Kong University, Health Commission, Xinhua, Influenza, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Liaoning, Wuhan, WHO China, Taiwan, Los Angeles, Shanghai, London, Geneva, Bengaluru

☆ Another study links ultraprocessed foods to cancer, but questions remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“This study adds to a growing pool of evidence suggesting a link between UPFs (ultraprocessed foods) and cancer risk,” said Dr. Helen Croker, assistant director of research and policy at World Cancer Research Fund International, which funded the study, in a statement. Ultraprocessed foods are often calorie-dense and are considered to be a driver of excess weight, experts say. An unusual linkOddly, the study also found a link between ultraprocessed food and accidental deaths, which was being used as a control for the study. A growing associationThis is not the first study to find a link between ultraprocessed food and cancer. In that study, eating more ultraprocessed animal products and sweetened beverages explained a good part of the association.

Persons: ”, Helen Croker, Ingre, UPFs, ” Huybrechts, David Katz, Katz, ” Katz, “ UPFs, George Davey Smith, “ Organizations: CNN, Cancer Research Fund, Metabolism, International Agency for Research, Cancer, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, European, of Nutrition, Investigation, Cancer and Nutrition, EPIC, US Centers for Disease Control, BMI, True Health Initiative, University of Bristol Locations: United States, UPFs, Europe, United Kingdom

☆ Opinion: Trust in science is declining. Here’s how we can regain it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Opinion Megan L. Ranney | Katelyn Jetelina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And what if more Americans refuse to get their kids vaccinated or if our public health institutions are shut down? Trust in scientists, physicians and science itself — amongst all demographic groups — is still higher than Americans’ trust in, say, elected officials or journalists. The public health workforce has declined by half over the past two years, according to research from Harvard T.H. Data-sharing efforts like Connecticut’s DataHaven show how urban neighborhoods can be involved in gathering and analyzing health data. By combining facts with stories, we can share tangible examples of how science and public health protect us, thereby increasing trust.

Persons: Megan L, Katelyn, CNN —, —, Megan Ranney, ” Dr, Annenberg, We’re, Harvard T.H, there’s, Connecticut’s, Ranney, ” —, It’s, we’ve Organizations: Yale School of Public Health, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, Pew Research, KFF, Pew, Trust, Harvard, of Public Health, National Academy of Medicine, Council for Medical Specialty Societies, World Health, YouTube Locations: America, Chan, West Virginia, St, Louis , Missouri, Marin County , California, United States

☆ For Health, More Nuts, Beans and Whole Grains
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Alice Callahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The case has never been clearer: Eat less bacon and more beans. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved with the study. Researchers followed them for an average of 19 years and looked for correlations between their diets and health. They adjusted for other factors that can affect health, including calorie intake, physical activity, smoking and alcohol use. But the findings were consistent between studies, she said, and are supported by other research that points in the same direction.

Persons: Qi Sun, Sabrina Schlesinger Organizations: BMC Medicine, Harvard, of Public Health, German Diabetes Center Locations: Chan, United States, Europe, Asia, Düsseldorf, Germany

☆ Mexico's Acapulco hit by garbage pile-up after deadly hurricane
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Troy Merida | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

People protest against what they say is the lack of government help, in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis, in Acapulco, Mexico, November 5, 2023. The government has sent in thousands of soldiers to help clean up Acapulco, but residents say rubbish has engulfed some areas so quickly that even traffic is being held up. Mexico's Civil Protection authority did not reply to a request for comment, but the government said getting Acapulco cleared up is a top priority. When questioned about the garbage this week, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said authorities are fumigating the city to prevent disease, and would deal with the problem. "When you've got large numbers of yellow fever mosquitoes, dengue outbreaks are only a matter of time."

Persons: Hurricane Otis, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Rosa Pacheco, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Otis, Alejandro Macias, you've, Troy Merida, Dave Graham, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Hurricane, Acapulco, Mexico, Rights ACAPULCO, La Mira, Mexican

☆ Mexico's Acapulco Hit by Garbage Pile-Up After Deadly Hurricane
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The government has sent in thousands of soldiers to help clean up Acapulco, but residents say rubbish has engulfed some areas so quickly that even traffic is being held up. Mexico's Civil Protection authority did not reply to a request for comment, but the government said getting Acapulco cleared up is a top priority. When questioned about the garbage this week, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said authorities are fumigating the city to prevent disease, and would deal with the problem. If not, he said, conditions could be ripe for yellow fever mosquitoes. "When you've got large numbers of yellow fever mosquitoes, dengue outbreaks are only a matter of time."

Persons: Troy Merida, Hurricane Otis, Rosa Pacheco, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Otis, Alejandro Macias, you've, Dave Graham, Bill Berkrot Locations: Troy Merida ACAPULCO, Mexico, Acapulco, Hurricane, La Mira, Mexican

☆ Unpublished study finds elevated cancer rates at US military base
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( M.B. Pell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A sign at the entrance to U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in eastern North Carolina, U.S., sits in this undated handout photo. U.S. Marine Corps/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsNov 10 (Reuters) - Cancer and mortality studies conducted by a U.S. health agency have found elevated cancer rates in military and civilian personnel who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune, a major American military base, an epidemiologist familiar with the research says. Research for the Camp Lejeune cancer and mortality study began in 2015. Bove used data from every U.S. cancer registry to document elevated rates of some cancers among Camp Lejeune military personnel and civilians who fell ill with cancer from 1996 through 2017. In response, Congress ordered the ATSDR to study cancer and mortality rates among people who served, lived and worked there.

Persons: Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, Kenneth Cantor, Cantor, Jonathan Cardi, Cardi, Michael Partain, Partain, Aaron Bernstein, Bernstein, ”, Frank Bove, “ I’ve, ” Bove, Bove, Camp, M.B . Pell, Janet Roberts Organizations: U.S . Marine Corps Base, . Marine Corps, REUTERS Acquire, Agency, Toxic Substances, National Cancer Institute epidemiologist, U.S, ., Wake Forest University School of Law, Centers for Disease, Research, Camp Lejeune, Camp Pendleton, California Marine, Reuters, Community, M.B, Thomson Locations: U.S, North Carolina, Camp, Jacksonville, N.C, Camp Lejeune, ATSDR, Lejeune’s, California

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico health officials on Thursday declared an influenza epidemic in the U.S. territory. At least 25,900 cases have been reported since July, with 42 deaths and more than 900 hospitalizations on the island of 3.2 million people, Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said. Those who are 0 to 19 years old have been most affected, with more than 13,600 cases reported in that population, Mellado said. Health officials said there were plenty of vaccines, tests and treatments available on the island. Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesA record 53,708 influenza cases were reported in 2015 in Puerto Rico.

Persons: Carlos Mellado, Epidemiologist Melissa Marzán, Mellado Organizations: JUAN, —, Health Locations: Puerto Rico, — Puerto Rico, U.S

☆ Working in the sun creates large skin cancer risk, UN agencies report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Giri Viswanathan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Working under the sun could be a major cause of skin cancer worldwide, according to new data from the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization. The two United Nations agencies jointly announced new estimates Wednesday that link working outdoors in the sunlight to non-melanoma skin cancer. The researchers examined cases of workplace exposure to solar radiation and instances of non-melanoma skin cancer across nearly 200 countries. Workplace UV radiation exposure caused 18,960 deaths from non-melanoma skin cancer in 2019, the majority of whom were men. Previous WHO estimates have found that occupational exposure to UV radiation increases the odds of developing non-melanoma skin cancer by 60%.

Persons: It’s, ”, Frank Pega, “, Pega, it’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, International Labour Organization, United Nations, WHO, US Centers for Disease Control, WHO’s International Agency for Research, Cancer, Employers, CNN Health Locations: Europe, North America, Australia, Africa

☆ Wu Zunyou, the Face of China’s Covid Controls, Dies at 60
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Liyan Qi | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wu Zunyou became a household name in China during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: China News Service/Imago/Zuma PressWu Zunyou, China’s top epidemiologist, never wanted the spotlight, believing that a successful public-health professional should be “invisible.” His last role, as the face of China’s draconian Covid-19 restrictions, was anything but. In China, the decisions that kept the country in isolation with closed borders and rolling lockdowns for three long years—policies deemed extreme by the global public-health community—were made by the Communist Party leadership. Still, by the time Wu died, on Oct. 27 at the age of 60, he had become the target of much of his countrymen’s anger over China’s pandemic response.

Persons: Wu Zunyou, Wu Organizations: China News, Zuma, Communist Party Locations: China

BEIJING (AP) — Wu Zunyou, an epidemiologist who helped drive anti-COVID-19 measures in China that suspended access to cities and confined millions to their homes has died on Friday. An announcement from China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention about Wu's death gave no cause, but said that “rescue measures failed.”The news of Wu's death came just hours after the death of former Premier Li Keqiang was announced. Li was the country’s No. Wu was the chief epidemiologist of China's CDC and one of the public faces of the country's zero-COVID measures that suspended international travel, imposed draconian lockdowns and prompted protests at the end of 2022. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Persons: — Wu Zunyou, Li Keqiang, Li, Wu Organizations: BEIJING, China’s Center, Disease Control, China's CDC, Associated Press Locations: China

☆ What to Know About Dengue Fever as Cases Spread to New Places
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Stephanie Nolen | More About Stephanie Nolen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is unlikely that dengue will become a serious problem in the United States, “as long as people keeping living like they’re living now,” said Thomas W. Scott, a dengue epidemiologist and professor emeritus at University of California, Davis. Outside Puerto Rico and other territories where the disease is endemic, there are about 550 dengue cases each year in the United States, but they are imported by travelers who were infected abroad and passed the disease along to their close contacts. The case in Pasadena is a rare locally acquired case of dengue in the United States. But scientists say dengue will continue to spread to places that haven’t experienced it before. “But I think the general expectation that this is going to be a growing problem in the United States is reasonable.”

Persons: ”, Thomas W, Scott, Alex Perkins, Dr, Perkins Organizations: University of California, University of Notre Dame Locations: United States, Davis, Puerto Rico, Pasadena

☆ Common contaminants linked to accelerated weight gain in children
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The research network aims to examine the lifetime impact of exposure in the womb to chemical contaminants in air, water and food. Both DDT and HCB contamination in people occurs “mainly through bioaccumulation in the food chain via fish, fish products, meat (and) dairy products,” Montazeri said. The July 2022 report also found PFAS exposure was sufficiently associated with decreased infant and fetal growth as well as decreased antibody response to vaccines in both adults and children. Pregnant people can take steps to reduce their exposure to various chemicals in commercial products, food and water. “Phthalates and phenols come from plastics and personal care products,” Montazeri said.

Persons: ”, Parisa Montazeri, “, Montazeri, Leonardo Trasande, HCB, ” Montazeri, Trasande Organizations: CNN, Barcelona Institute, Global Health, BMI, NYU Langone Health, Environmental, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Getty, NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Spain, United States, PFAS

☆ A tropical parasite, passed through the bite of a sand fly, is causing skin infections in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Sand flies are tiny tan flies — about the quarter of the size of a mosquito — that live in warm, wet, rural and forested areas. These patients all had leishmaniasis skin infections, which start with a small bump that erupts into ulcerous sores days to weeks after a sand fly bite. Like other types of insects that are finding new habitats as the climate warms, sand flies have been expanding their range in recent years. It’s not clear whether sand flies in all these states have transmitted infections to humans, however. When sand flies bite the infected rats, they can pick up the parasite and then pass it to humans.

Persons: you’ve, ”, Mary Kamb, Kamb, ” Kamb, leishmaniasis, Muhammed Abdullah, Luiz Oliveira, “ It’s, ” Oliveira, It’s, Pedro Cecilio, Gideon Wasserberg, Wasserberg, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, there’s, permethrin Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, American Society of Tropical Medicine, Hygiene, Anadolu Agency, Getty, CDC, National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, NIH, University of North, CNN Health, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: Atlanta, United States, Syria, Texas, Oklahoma, U.S, Delaware , New Jersey , Ohio, Maryland, Chicago, Puerto Rico, Virgin, mexicana, University of North Carolina, Greensboro

☆ Medical imaging struggles to read dark skin. Researchers say they’ve found a way to make it easier
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Kaitlyn Schwanemann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Traditional medical imaging – used to diagnose, monitor or treat certain medical conditions – has long struggled to get clear pictures of patients with dark skin, according to experts. Researchers say they have found a way to improve medical imaging, a process through which physicians can observe the inside of the body, regardless of skin tone. They found that a distortion of the photoacoustic signal that makes the imaging more difficult to read, called clutter, increased with darkness of skin. The applications of photoacoustic technology vary, but with the researchers’ new developments, it may help diagnose health issues more accurately and equitably. We know there’s no basis in the human genome for racial sub-speciation.”This study isn’t the first to find skin color biases in medical technology.

Persons: –, Muyinatu Bell, it’s, ” Bell, Theo Pavan, “, ” Pavan, ”, Guilherme Fernandes, Camara Jones, ” Jones, Bell Organizations: CNN, Ultrasonics Systems, JHU, University of São Paulo, American Public Health Association Locations: Brazil

☆ There is more to worry about than long Covid, study shows. You could get a long cold, too
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Researchers also inquired whether they had had a Covid-19 infection, another respiratory infection or neither. The study took into account other health problems that may have influenced these symptoms, Vivaldi said. Long history but little researchResearchers still can’t say how long a “long cold” could last in comparison with long Covid, but hopefully the new findings will motivate further work into the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of syndromes after an infection, the study said. “It took a strong patient voice to bring long COVID to the attention of the public and the medical community,” Vivaldi said in an email. It is important not to “belittle the very significant disability that some with Long COVID suffer,” Openshaw said in a statement.

Persons: ”, Giulia Vivaldi, Vivaldi, “, David Strain, Strain, Myalgic, ” Strain, wasn’t, ” Vivaldi, Peter Openshaw, Openshaw, Long COVID, ” Openshaw Organizations: CNN, Queen Mary University of London, University of Exeter Medical School, “, Imperial College London Locations: United Kingdom

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