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☆ Kids’ average daily screen use increased by more than an hour and twenty minutes during the pandemic, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Carma Hassan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Average daily screen use by children during the Covid-19 pandemic increased by more than an hour and twenty minutes, according to an analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics on Monday. Kids’ average daily screen use increased by 1.5 times during the pandemic – from a baseline of 162 minutes a day before the pandemic to 246 minutes during the pandemic, according to the analysis. Also, some of the studies in the analysis used retrospective estimates, meaning parents could have misremembered how much screen time their kids had before the pandemic. Parents and caregivers’ amount of screen time, as well as their stress levels, during the pandemic were found to be associated with the duration of kids’ screen use, the analysis said. It is also critical to discuss balancing screen use with other important daily functions, such as sleep and physical activity,” the researchers advised.

☆ Long Covid: Paxlovid reduces risk of long Covid, Veterans Affairs study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Jamie Gumbrecht | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Paxlovid, the antiviral pill that reduces the risk of hospitalization and death from Covid-19, also reduces the risk of long Covid, according to a new study by researchers at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. That corresponded to 2.3 fewer cases of long Covid conditions per 100 people three months after their diagnosis. In the analysis, there wasn’t a statistically significant link between taking Paxlovid and risk of two long Covid conditions: cough and new diabetes diagnosis. The analysis captured Paxlovid use only through the VA system and considered only 12 long Covid conditions, although many people with long Covid describe a wide variety of symptoms. The National Institutes of Health said last month it would launch a study of Paxlovid as a treatment for patients already experiencing long Covid.

☆ Don’t bother with dietary supplements for heart health, study says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Six supplements that people commonly take for heart health don’t help lower “bad” cholesterol or improve cardiovascular health, according to a study published Sunday, but statins did. Some people believe that common dietary supplements – fish oil, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, plant sterols and red yeast rice – will lower their “bad” cholesterol. The fatty deposits can block the flow of oxygen and blood that the heart needs to work and the blockage can lead to a heart attack or stroke. He calls these supplements “21st century snake oil.”In the United States, the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act of 1994 sharply limited the US Food and Drug Administration’s ability to regulate supplements. “The good news, we know statins work,” Khera said.

But this focus obscures what is happening on the ground, every day: Local and national public health workers and epidemiologists, or “disease detectives,” around the world are stopping outbreaks in their tracks and preventing epidemics. The case studies show what is possible when local, state and national communities mobilize a whole-of-society effort to prevent epidemics. When local efforts are supported by national and local government, we can stop and prevent epidemics. Another lesson is the substantial return on investment we can realize by prioritizing and funding preparedness efforts. Finally, there is a crucial role that coordination among local, state and federal agencies plays in epidemic prevention.

☆ Pfizer/BioNTech say updated Covid-19 booster generates 'substantially higher' protection against Omicron subvariants than original vaccin
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Pfizer and BioNTech said Friday that the immune responses against Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants were “substantially higher” in people who got its new bivalent booster compared with people who received the companies’ original Covid-19 vaccine. The bivalent booster that targets the original coronavirus strain and the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants became available in the US in early September. When someone gets any vaccine, it can take a few weeks to build up immunity and generate its full protection. The Omicron BA.5 subvariant had dominated US Covid-19 infections since July, but a mix of other Omicron subvariants have been gaining against it. So far, 26.3 million people age 5 and older in the United States have received updated Covid-19 boosters.

Across the United States, cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, and influenza are increasing. Influenza activity continues to increase in the US – the number of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths so far this season nearly doubled in the past week. RSV cases are also increasing nationally, although there are regional differences in the circulation of these viruses, Romero said. In the South and Mountain West, RSV cases appear to have peaked in October. There are signs that RSV cases are slowing in the southern region of the US, but test positivity rates and cases continue to rise in other regions, especially the Midwest.

☆ Don’t use infant head shaping pillows, FDA warns
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Raenu Charles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“The FDA is not aware of any demonstrated benefit with the use of infant head shaping pillows for any medical purpose,” the agency said in a statement. “If you own an infant head shaping pillow, throw it away; do not donate or give it to anyone else,” the agency said. For health care providers, the FDA recommends they discourage the use of infant head shaping pillows, and ensure that patients understand the risk of infant death with use. Infant head shaping pillows are easily available, and found at many major infant retailers according to Dr. Sarah Schaffer, pediatrician at the National Children’s Hospital. “Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), is the leading cause of injury death in infancy,” said the American Academy of Pediatrics on their website.

“If I won the lottery, I’d do this for free because I have a passion for public health,” Bernstein said. I had to put other projects on hold to do pro bono work for the CDC. “If we want CDC to get better at fighting diseases, we need to stop tying their hands behind their back,” he said. A senior CDC official called it an “antiquated” system that “has not evolved over time.” The official spoke on the on the condition of anonymity so she could speak freely on the matter. ‘A real challenge to solve’The CDC is preparing a presentation to urge Congress it to fix this, Walensky said.

☆ FDA expresses concern about providers who offer abortion medications before pregnancy, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Medication abortion, also known as medical abortion, is a method by which someone ends their pregnancy by taking two pills, rather than having a surgical procedure. Medication abortion now accounts for more than half of all US abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health. “We’re also proud to offer ongoing, supportive abortion care from our providers as part of our advance provision service to support patients throughout the process,” she said. “Providers are fully able to prescribe medications off-label, and in fact, some prescribe mifepristone up to 12 weeks” into a pregnancy, Upadhyay said. To prescribe the abortion medication, providers have to be certified, and the patient must sign paperwork that says they understand that there is a risk of complications.

☆ RSV vaccine trial shows promising results, Pfizer says; company will seek FDA approval this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Pfizer’s vaccine candidate is administered to pregnant women who then make antibodies that cross the placenta and protect the baby after birth. In March, the FDA designated Pfizer’s RSV vaccine a breakthrough therapy, a status that speeds its review. Pfizer’s vaccine contains the virus’ F-protein, the site that it uses to attach to human cells. Pfizer’s RSV vaccine is bivalent, containing F-proteins from both the A and B subgroups of the RSV virus, which are the two most commonly circulating strains. “Further analysis to better understand safety data from these trials is ongoing,” spokesperson Alison Hunt said in a statement to CNN.

☆ New RSV vaccines may soon put an end to rough seasons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The monoclonal antibody, Synagis, is given monthly during RSV season to protect preemies and other high-risk babies. In the failed RSV vaccine trial, the chemical the researchers used to deactivate the virus denatured its proteins – essentially flattening them. Four companies have RSV vaccines for adults in the final phases of human trials: Pfizer and GSK are testing vaccines for pregnant women as well as seniors. Janssen, Pfizer and GSK each appear effective at preventing infections in adults for the first RSV season after the vaccine. The vaccines for pregnant women are meant to get newborns through their first RSV season.

☆ Staff shortages make patient surges harder for children’s hospitals – and the situation won’t get better soon
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“We’re extremely overwhelmed,” said Dr. Rishi Lulla, director of pediatric hematology/oncology at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. Seasonal respiratory viruses fill children’s hospitals every year, but the number of beds that are full now is well above the average. Driving much of the current need for beds at children’s hospitals is a spike in cases of RSV, which are 60% higher than at 2021’s peak. Nurse turnover is up 50% across the country since 2019, according to Mark Wietecha, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.

☆ Flu season in the US hasn't been this bad this early in more than a decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Flu season has ramped up early in the United States, and flu hospitalizations are worse than usual for this time of year, according to data published Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s been more than a decade – since the H1N1 swine flu pandemic – since flu hospitalization rates have been this high at this point in the season. “We’re in a bit of a race with the virus,” he said, with the flu season starting at least a month earlier than usual. “The flu season will be with us for at least a few more months. And the flu season is ramping up amid the surge of RSV that is filling pediatric hospitals and an ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

☆ ‘Scrabble variants’ now cause the majority of new Covid-19 infections in the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Omicron BA.5 subvariant is no longer the dominant cause of Covid-19 infections in the United States, according to estimates released Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The gaggle of new variants have been gaining ground against BA.5, which has dominated Covid-19 infections in the United States since July. Together, they now account for more than 1 in 4 new Covid-19 infections nationwide, according to CDC data. BQ.1.1 is now causing about 1 in 5 new Covid-19 infections in the Northeast, where cases and hospitalizations are rising. But that strain is causing just 3% of new Covid-19 infections in the Pacific Northwest.

☆ Black and Hispanic adults less likely than Whites to receive ‘potentially lifesaving’ bystander CPR during cardiac arrest, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The data also showed that 38.5% of Blacks and Hispanics received bystander CPR when the cardiac arrest happened at home, compared with 47.4% of Whites. He added that not receiving bystander CPR during a cardiac arrest can have “significant clinical outcomes” for the person whose heart stopped pumping. “Bystander CPR ensures some level of blood circulation, oxygenation of the brain and other vital organs,” Benjamin said. “Certainly time to intervention is critical, and bystander CPR and defibrillator access and use is a part of that,” she said, adding that disparities in how much CPR training is conducted in communities also plays a role in the likelihood of someone receiving bystander CPR. “We need to use what we learn about disparities to help improve the likelihood of bystander CPR for everyone.

☆ RSV: Pandemic 'immunity gap' is probably behind surge in respiratory cases, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

That “immunity gap” from the last few years is probably behind the “unprecedented” early surge in RSV infections this year, scientists say – and it has thrown other seasonal respiratory viruses out of whack around the world. Across the US, the number of flu cases has also been increasing a little earlier than usual. A handful of schools have seen large absences, and medical offices say they are seeing more people sick with other respiratory viruses at times that don’t fit the usual patterns. Like Covid-19, RSV and the flu spread through droplets released into the air when people cough or sneeze. The pandemic behaviors created an “immunity gap” or “immunity debt” that makes more people in the US vulnerable to diseases like RSV.

☆ Updated Covid-19 boosters offer protection, but new studies suggest they don't offer an edge against Omicron
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Similar immune responsesThe studies have important limitations, and they aren’t the final word on the updated boosters. In Barouch’s study, antibody concentrations were 15 times higher after the original boosters, rising from 184 to 2,829. They were 17 times higher after the updated shots, jumping from 211 to 3,693. After waiting the recommended three months since his last Covid-19 infection, President Joe Biden got an updated booster Tuesday and urged eligible Americans to do the same. Worobey says that when the strains are combined as they are in the updated boosters, they actually end up competing.

☆ First on CNN: Most people feel socially connected as Covid-19 precautions ease, but many still need support, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

They found that most people around the world feel a sense of social connection as Covid-19 precautions ease, but many still need support or help from others – and the factors that drive feelings of connection vary by country. In-person connection still mattersEven amid a pandemic, in-person interaction was the most common method for social connection. The nonprofit consulting group is focused on building healthy and equitable communities but was not involved in the new survey. It might be easier to feel that sense of connection with an in-person connection, she said, but positive interactions and inclusivity are critical. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.

☆ First on CNN: Administration’s new Covid-19 vaccine ads target ‘high-risk’ communities
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —New ads promoting the Covid-19 vaccines are making their debut this week, targeting specific communities that have had a slow uptake of the updated shots. “These ads also reflect our commitment to equity in our COVID response and the need to redouble efforts to reach Black and Hispanic communities about the benefits of the updated vaccines,” she said. We now have updated COVID-19 vaccines to protect you against the Omicron strain.”The new ads, first reported on CNN, will run in 15 US markets, according to HHS. The ads, with a special focus on communities that have historically been underserved, are part of the Biden administration’s effort to encourage people to get their updated vaccine ahead of winter. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.

☆ While respiratory viruses surge, shortage of pediatric hospital beds delays care for some kids
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Mikalsen knows this process intimately because in addition to being a worried mom, she works in health care. Seattle Children’s Hospital says it is seeing double the number patients they would normally see in October. The Illinois Department of Health alerted hospital systems in the state that they are running out of pediatric intensive care beds. “That’s actually an optimistic number,” says Dr. Deanna Behrens, a pediatric critical care specialist at a children’s hospital in Chicago. With hospital beds in short supply, Mattie McKoy waited weeks for scans he needed.

☆ US woman files lawsuit against L’Oréal, claiming chemical hair straightening products are linked to her cancer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Cosmetics company L’Oréal, along with multiple other parties, is being sued over claims that its chemical hair straightening products put women at an increased risk of uterine cancer. Debrosse Zimmermann told CNN on Monday that the lawsuit marks a “watershed moment” for women of color who have used chemical hair-straightening products, such as relaxers. In the lawsuit, she claims to have no family history of cancer or uterine cancer. Black women tend to use these chemical hair-straightening products more frequently than White women, the researchers noted. “Black hair has been and always will be beautiful, but Black women have been told they have to use these products to meet society’s standards.

☆ RSV in children: Symptoms, treatment and what parents should know
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Almost all children catch RSV at some point before they turn 2, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. That way, they know whether a sick child can be treated at home or needs to go to a hospital. Here’s what else parents need to know amid the surge of respiratory illnesses. When it comes to RSV, parents should be especially cautious if their children are preemies, newborns, children with weakened immune systems or neuromuscular disorders, and those under age 2 with chronic lung and heart conditions, the CDC says. And most of all, if anyone is sick – child or adult – they should stay home so they don’t spread the illness.

CNN —Six people who tested positive for monkeypox – two in New York City, two in Chicago, one in Nevada and one in Maryland – have died, local health departments have confirmed. The two Chicagoans who died after testing positive for monkeypox had multiple other health conditions, including weakened immune systems, according to the Chicago Department of Health (CDPH). A person with monkeypox in Houston died in August, but officials have not determined whether the virus caused the death. In late September, Ohio reported its first death of a person with monkeypox but noted that “the individual also had other health conditions.”It can be difficult to determine if someone has died of monkeypox. There were 27,884 probable or confirmed monkeypox cases reported in the US as of Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CNN —Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tested positive for Covid-19 Friday. Walensky is experiencing mild symptoms and is up-to-date on her Covid-19 vaccines, according to a statement released by the agency. Walensky received an updated Covid-19 booster in September. The updated Covid-19 booster shots are bivalent, meaning they target the original coronavirus strain as well as the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants. The booster doses are recommended to given at least two months after the last dose of any Covid-19 vaccine and up to three months after an infection.

☆ Flesh-eating bacteria: What to know about Vibrio vulnificus, and how to avoid it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Vibrio vulnificus causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the United States every year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vibrio vulnificus is one of the bacteria that can cause what’s commonly known as a flesh-eating infection. Vibrio vulnificus infection is the leading cause of death related to eating seafood in the United States. With skin infections, a doctor will first take samples from the infected area to determine if Vibrio vulnificus is what’s causing the problem. Up to 50% of Vibrio vulnificus infections don’t respond to certain antibiotics anymore, studies show.

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