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☆ Flu and RSV Are Sickening More Kids This Year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Brianna Abbott | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

After two years in the background, RSV and the flu have roared to the fore in pediatricians’ offices and children’s hospitals across the country. Pediatric hospitals have been strained for weeks by an early surge in common seasonal pathogens including respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Hospitalizations for RSV among kids under 5 are outpacing those for Covid-19, CDC data show. Public-health experts said the crush of patients is likely due in part to a larger pool of susceptible children compared with prior seasons, giving the virus more room to spread as people mingle indoors.

☆ Teens’ brains aged faster during the first year of the pandemic, study says, and stress may be to blame
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The brains of US teens have physically changed during the Covid-19 pandemic, aging faster than normal, a new study says. Dozens of studies have found that teens’ and adolescents’ mental health has suffered during the pandemic. “The pandemic has not been kind to adolescent mental health,” said Gotlib, a psychology professor at Stanford University. There is a chance that their brain changes could have just been an immediate response to a stressor that will normalize over time, he said. Gotlib hopes parents and guardians keep in mind that although lockdowns and school closures may be over, the mental health consequences may be lingering.

☆ U.S. FDA declines to approve Y-mAbs's pediatric cancer drug
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The FDA's decision follows a unanimous vote by its advisers in October against the drug, omburtamab, to treat neuroblastoma due to insufficient evidence that it improves overall survival. The FDA and its advisers had raised issues over the strength of the data and uncertainty over trial results. The company already has a neuroblastoma drug Danyelza, approved in 2020, which generated $32.8 million in revenue in the first nine months of 2022. Omburtamab was being developed to treat cancer in the cerebrospinal fluid that provides nutrients and chemicals to the brain and spinal cord. Danyelza, on the other hand, is approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow.

☆ How almost $427 million in taxpayer money is locked away in a forgotten government fund — and lawmakers won't spend it or return it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | 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. An accounting of the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, as of October 31, 2022. 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.

Some 83 percent of babies in the United States start out on breast milk, but by 6 months, just 56 percent are breastfed — and at that stage, only a quarter drink breast milk exclusively, as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends. To find out what it takes to breastfeed a baby, The New York Times followed four mothers for a day as they nursed, pumped and supplemented their milk with formula. Dr. Ma returned to work four weeks after her oldest daughter’s birth and two weeks after her second arrived. While performing long operations, she leaked breast milk under her surgical gown. Now her hours are more reasonable, and she has an office with a door that locks — but Dr. Ma still feels relentless pressure to keep up.

☆ America’s gun epidemic is deadlier than ever, and there are vast disparities in who’s dying
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The researchers found that firearm mortality rates increased for most demographic groups in recent years – especially during the pandemic – and vast disparities persisted. With infant mortality in the United States, when you look at Black infants versus White infants, there’s over a two-fold (difference in) mortality rate. There are two key factors driving community gun violence, says Jonathan Jay, an assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health: disadvantage at the neighborhood level and exposure to gun violence at the individual level. “Gun violence is most likely in spaces that show signs of physical disinvestment. The gun suicide rate increased 10% while the non-gun suicide rate decreased by 8%, and the gun homicide rate increased 45% while the non-gun homicide rate increased only 6%.

☆ Flu season continues to intensify in the US, and holiday gatherings could make it worse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And the CDC estimates that there have been at least 6.2 million illnesses, 53,000 hospitalizations and 2,900 deaths from influenza this season. Less than two months in, the RSV hospitalization rate this season is already nearing the total RSV hospitalization rate from the entire 2018-19 season. The latest surveillance data does not capture Thanksgiving week or the effects of holiday gatherings. Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths reached record high levels during last year’s holiday season – and this holiday season could also bring a rise in spread. Flu shots are lagging, too, with millions fewer vaccinations at this point in the season than in the past two years.

This year, hospitals are being overwhelmed with a combination of Covid, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu. This “tripledemic” of flu, Covid and RSV is a reminder that even as the pandemic ends, the threat of seasonal respiratory viruses remains. When and where respiratory viruses are surging, mask mandates should be reinstated. A recent study found that Boston school districts that had lifted mandates averaged 45 more Covid cases per 1,000 students and staff than those with mandates. This means that RSV — for which a vaccine is still being developed — can be mitigated through both mask-wearing and hand-washing.

Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are together driving a national wave of respiratory illnesses. Covid, flu and RSV can be difficult to distinguish, since they share many common symptoms. But a loss of taste and smell is more commonly associated with Covid than with flu or RSV. Flu symptoms tend to develop more suddenly than those of Covid or RSV. To reduce the length of flu symptoms, though, doctors usually prescribe Tamiflu or one of three other approved treatments.

☆ This Is Your Brain on ‘Deep Reading.’ It’s Pretty Magnificent. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

But if over time, we have begun to elaborate this brain so that it includes deep reading, the unnatural apex of the achievement of reading is what deep reading provides. And every time I get off of a plane, I say to myself, I’m going to do that more. I’m going to sit and I’m going to have quiet time with a book. I’m going to bring this to me in a second, so I’m not just putting this on little kids. maryanne wolfThe first thing I do is understand the purpose of whatever I’m reading.

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On social media, families say they’ve hunted for hours for Tamiflu and the first-line antibiotics amoxicillin and Augmentin. They have one viral illness after another. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of US states have “high” or “very high” respiratory virus activity. As for the antibiotics amoxicillin and Augmentin – a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate, an agent that helps guard against antibiotic resistance – it’s not entirely clear why demand is so high. Some viral illness, like influenza, can leave the body more vulnerable to secondary bacterial infections that may need treatment with antibiotics.

Emergency rooms and pediatric hospitals across the U.S. have said they’re strained due to an early surge in RSV and other common respiratory viruses. The flu season is off to a fast start. Outside an RSV, flu, and Covid-19 testing site in Missouri.

☆ At 3 weeks old, she caught RSV, the virus that's packing hospitals across the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Christina Zdanowicz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

And pediatric hospitals are feeling the strain, with more than three-quarters of their hospital and ICU beds occupied for the past few months. Her prematurity “increased her risk of how her body would react to the RSV virus,” the doctor explained. Medical teams at Greater Baltimore Medical Center helped Ayra Pokharel before she was transferred to another hospital. Sending patients to other facilities for treatment is common during the height of flu and RSV seasons, Nguyen said. RSV symptoms RSV is a common virus, but it can cause serious illness, especially in younger infants and older adults.

☆ Flu, RSV and Covid-19 Add to Crunch on Pediatric Hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Brianna Abbott | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The early rise in RSV cases might be due to prior Covid-19 precautions that reduced exposure to many viruses. A drive-through testing center in Berkeley, Mo. Flu activity continued to rise across the U.S. in the past week, adding to a crunch on emergency departments and pediatric hospitals from an early surge in respiratory viruses. Flu has caused an estimated 4.4 million illnesses, 38,000 hospitalizations and 2,100 deaths so far this season including seven pediatric deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The highest flu hospitalization rates are among adults ages 65 and older, followed by children under the age of 5, the CDC said.

☆ RSV Cases Surge in Kids and Adults. What Symptoms to Watch for and When to Worry.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Sumathi Reddy | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Respiratory syncytial virus—commonly referred to as RSV—has hit earlier than usual this year, causing a surge of cases in emergency rooms and pediatric hospitals. Doctors say the early rise in cases and hospitalizations this year is likely due to Covid-19 precautions that reduced our exposure to many viruses, including RSV, in the past few years. Many young children who weren’t exposed to RSV earlier are getting it for the first time this fall.

☆ Children’s health leaders call for emergency response as respiratory viruses continue to spread across the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And health care systems nationwide continue to feel the strain of a respiratory virus season that has hit earlier and harder than usual. There have been about 8 flu hospitalizations for every 100,000 people this season – rates typically seen in December or January. While the Covid-19 emergency declaration remains in place, the federal government has not made a formal emergency declaration around children’s health care. HHS and the CDC are in regular contact with health care leaders and providers, actively monitoring situational needs and ready to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis, an HHS spokesperson told CNN. They also urge all those eligible to get their flu and Covid-19 vaccines, along with other routine vaccinations.

☆ Children's hospitals call on Biden to declare emergency in response to 'unprecedented' RSV surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

The president should declare an emergency under the Stafford Act or the National Emergencies Act, and the health secretary should declare a public health emergency, Wietecha and Del Monte wrote. ACEP described the situation as a public health emergency. Oregon this week became the first state to declare on emergency in response to the RSV surge. A national public health emergency would be determined based on countrywide data, science trends and the insight of public health experts, the spokesperson said. UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh has faced a huge surge in respiratory illnesses since September, said Dr. Raymond Pitetti, director of the hospital's emergency department.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday sidestepped calls from pediatric groups who have been urging the government to declare a public health emergency in response to the surge in respiratory illnesses in children. As of Wednesday, 78% of pediatric hospital beds were full nationwide, with seven states reporting capacity levels above 90%, according to an NBC News analysis of data from the Department of Health and Human Services. Biden has encouraged people to get the flu shot and the updated Covid booster. “We’re already seeing a rise in the flu and RSV and other respiratory illnesses, especially among young children,” Biden said last month at the White House. We’ve made these updated vaccines easy to get and available for free at tens of thousands of convenient locations.”The Covid public health emergency, which has been extended several times since the pandemic first hit, is set to expire in January.

☆ Michelle Obama's new book puts a spotlight on multiple sclerosis and her father's late diagnosis: Here are 5 early signs of the disease
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

With the arrival of Michelle Obama's new memoir, "The Light We Carry," readers will get a closer look at the illness that changed her father's quality of life – and inevitably her family's as well. At age four or five, Michelle Obama's dad began using a cane to maintain balance while walking, which he much later found out was as a result of multiple sclerosis (MS). Her family remained resilient by viewing her father's cane as "just a tool," similar to that of her mother's spatula and her grandfather's hammer. The fear that surrounded Michelle Obama's family about her father's health is something that many families with loved ones living with multiple sclerosis face, according to Dr. Lauren B. Krupp, the Nancy Glickenhaus Pier Professor of Pediatric Neuropsychiatry and director of the Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center at NYU Langone Health. Here are some early signs to look out for and common symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

☆ How to protect your family against Covid-19 illness this Thanksgiving
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

FG Trade/E+/Getty ImagesWhat are steps people can take to protect themselves and their loved ones against Covid-19 during Thanksgiving dinners and other gatherings over the coming holidays? The most important thing we can all do to reduce the likelihood of becoming severely ill is be up-to-date with the Covid-19 vaccine. Of course, masking is a precaution that will reduce risk, though it’s harder to do when attending events with food and drink. The other mitigation measures that help reduce the risk of Covid-19, including ventilation and masking, will also help to reduce other virus transmission. There are steps we can take to reduce risk and allow for happy, in-person reunions over Thanksgiving and other upcoming holidays.

Poison control centers in the U.S. have seen an increase in reports of children ingesting a type of prescription cough medicine, a study published Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration found. From 2010 through 2018, reports of pediatric poisonings involving the drug, benzonatate, increased each year, the study found. The reports included children who were unintentionally exposed to the drug, as well as children who abused or misused it intentionally. As non-narcotic drugs become more common in homes, "the likelihood of errors is going to increase," Creech said. Still, the study reminds doctors to provide good counsel about when and how to use the medication, Creech said.

☆ RSV hospitalization rate for seniors is 10 times higher than usual for this point in the season
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In the years before the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitalization rates for seniors were about 10 times lower at this point in the season. Based on best estimates, there are between 10,000 and 15,000 adult deaths in the United States from RSV each year and around 150,000 hospitalizations for RSV, Falsey said. Adults with weakened immune systems need to be careful in RSV season. Doctors’ offices have swab tests that can determine whether an illness is flu, RSV or Covid. Protective measures for this busy RSV season will sound familiar: Wash your hands frequently, disinfect surfaces, and wear a mask in crowded spaces.

☆ Covid-19 boosters could keep thousands of kids out of hospitals, but uptake remains low
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

And if Covid-19 booster coverage reached 80% among school-age children by the end of the year, more than 50,000 hospitalizations could be averted. Preventing Covid-19 hospitalizations could help ease the strain on pediatric hospitals, which have been especially full for the past few weeks as the respiratory virus season – including flu, RSV and Covid-19 – sweeps the country earlier than usual. But more than 2,400 children were admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 last week – nearly three times higher than the week before, CDC data shows. And Covid-19 vaccination rates among children have long lagged behind those for adults. Just 32% of children ages 5 to 11 and 61% of those ages 12 to 17 have competed their initial series of Covid-19 vaccination, compared with 78% of adults.

CNN —Even before their daughter was born in June, Aaron and Helen Chavez knew she would need heart surgery. Data reported to the US government shows that as of Friday, more than three-quarters of pediatric hospital beds and 80% of intensive care beds for kids are full. Federal data shows that the strain on hospital beds for kids began in August and September, which is right around the start of the school year in many areas. It may also mean children who have chronic conditions and need procedures or hospital care, but whose conditions are stable, may have to wait. She was very thin for a baby,” Aaron said.

In October 2021, Da’Vion Miller was found unconscious in the bathroom of his home in Detroit a week after receiving his first dose of Pfizer's Covid vaccine. Courtesy Da’Vion MillerMiller is one of a very small group of people in the United States who have experienced myocarditis following vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna Covid vaccines based on mRNA technology. Video: CDC says waiting longer between Covid vaccine doses could reduce myocarditis risk. Cooper joined an expert advisory panel formed by Moderna to monitor its Covid vaccine safety. The Pfizer study will include people who were previously hospitalized with vaccine-associated myocarditis, and it will also follow those who were more recently diagnosed.

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