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☆ As measles outbreak sickens children in Ohio, local health officials seek help from CDC
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A growing measles outbreak in Columbus, Ohio, has sickened dozens of unvaccinated children and hospitalized nine of them, and local public health officials are seeking assistance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One child is 6 years old.”Health officials with Columbus Public Health and Franklin County Public Health have been investigating these cases and tracing any contacts who may have been exposed to the measles virus. In the 1950s, researchers isolated the measles virus in a patient’s blood, and in the 1960s, they were able to transform that virus into a vaccine. As of October 28, a total of 33 measles cases have been reported this year in five jurisdictions across the United States, according to the CDC. “So the possibility that someone carrying measles virus coming into the country could spread into an unvaccinated population is always there.”

☆ These transformative leaders in healthcare are dealing with an unprecedented era of politics in the medical industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest healthcare news and analysis — delivered weekly to your inbox. But while the peak of the pandemic appears to be in the rearview, the healthcare industry has continued to be governed by political forces. This year, healthcare focused on transgender people and abortion rights has come under attack. Other healthcare professionals are using federal power to prevent the spread of infectious diseases other than COVID-19. Social stigma from the monkeypox outbreaks has mildly echoed the intense social and political stigma of HIV, which Daskalakis has focused on for the majority of his career.

☆ 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.

☆ Flu season already hitting hard across half of the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —About half of the US – 22 states, along with Washington, DC, New York City and Puerto Rico – is reporting high or very high respiratory illness activity, as flu season sweeps through the country weeks earlier than usual. “Among the people who study flu, there’s a little saying: ‘If you’ve seen one flu season, well, you’ve seen one flu season,’ ” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. Although the numbers are especially high for this time of year, experts say the trends are otherwise following an expected pattern, and the early arrival of flu season doesn’t necessarily mean it will last longer or be more severe. It’s not like we’re seeing a lot of hospitalizations without a lot of illness.”Flu activity has been highest in the South, CDC data shows. And millions fewer flu vaccines have been distributed this season than at this point in previous years.

☆ Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Get your updated Covid-19 shot now, health officials warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With Thanksgiving just two weeks away, people who are eligible for an updated Covid-19 vaccine booster but still haven’t received the shot will need to roll up their sleeves Thursday to get as much protection as possible before the holiday. After getting the updated Covid-19 vaccine, that biological process can take about 10 to 14 days. Health officials say it’s fine to get the updated Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time. The vaccine candidate contains components of the companies’ updated Covid-19 booster and their investigational flu vaccine. Moderna is also developing a combined flu and Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and another combination vaccine targeting flu, Covid-19 and RSV.

The recently authorized booster vaccine protects against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the more recent omicron variants, BA.4 and BA.5. But there's a new batch of so-called "Scrabble" variants circulating globally. But experts still expect the shots to ramp up your immunity against all Covid variants, to some degree. The Scrabble variants are descendants of omicronThe new variants are descendants of omicron, which is a promising initial sign for the boosters. That can "restore a level of immunity and patch up the holes that some of these new Scrabble variants have found," she explains.

☆ The world is heading toward a climate catastrophe and countries want the US and other top offenders to pay up — but the GOP likely won't let that happen
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Recent reports from the United Nations found the world is failing to meet climate goals, and it could be catastrophic. Some developing countries are calling on the top offenders, like the US and China, to pay reparations. GOP Sen. Ron Johnson recently called climate change "bullshit," and even centrist Democrats, like Sen. Joe Manchin, expressed hesitancy with the scale of climate funding President Joe Biden proposed in his Inflation Reduction Act, which ended up including $400 billion in climate investments. As Politico reported, other countries like Scotland and Denmark have already made small pledges to fight climate change, as well. "The climate crisis is killing us," Guterres said in a statement.

☆ How concerned should you be about Covid-19 ‘Scrabble' variants? Here's what we know so far
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Though BA.5 still accounts for most U.S. Covid-19 cases, percentages are rising for the other omicron variants circulating throughout the country, per the CDC. "The ones that are particularly concerning are BQ.1 and another related one called BQ.1.1. Internationally, another concerning variant, XBB, which first emerged in Singapore and hasn't been detected in the U.S., is being closely watched worldwide as it spreads quickly in other countries. The new variants were coined the "Scrabble" variants by Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, during an interview with the Houston Chronicle. The nickname refers to the letters that are used to define the variants like B, X and Q, which would rack up many points in a game of Scrabble.

Chickenpox vaccines have virtually wiped out severe complications and deaths in American children from the highly contagious virus, a new report finds. Chickenpox —which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, a type of herpes virus — was considered just a normal part of growing up until the vaccine became available in 1995. The chickenpox vaccine implementation is “a tremendous achievement,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Mona Marin, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease. An estimated 90.3% of children have been vaccinated against chickenpox by age 2, according to the CDC. The CDC recommends two doses of chickenpox vaccine for children, teens and adults who have never had the disease.

☆ An early rise in respiratory viruses in children is overwhelming some hospitals
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Chris Boyette | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A surge in respiratory illnesses among children is beginning to put a strain on hospitals. In addition, hospitals are seeing a rise in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a common cold virus that can be associated with severe disease in young children and older adults. Connecticut Children’s Hospital in Hartford is over capacity due to children admitted for RSV, WTNH reports. We’ve never seen this before, and it’s creating challenges,” Dr. Juan Salazar, executive vice president and physician-in-chief at Connecticut Children’s Hospital told WVIT. The rise in cases is also coming earlier in the year than doctors would usually expect.

☆ Fact Check-Guillain-Barré syndrome, Bell’s palsy, acute flaccid myelitis and transverse myelitis are not polio ‘renamed’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Guillain-Barré syndrome, Bell’s palsy, acute flaccid myelitis and transverse myelitis are not polio “renamed”, despite claims posted online. It was NEVER eradicated, it's been renamed several times, Guillian Barre, Bells Palsy, Acute Flaccid Myelitis, Transverse Myelitis... Any neurological disorder has been renamed polio.”A similar post can be found here. Though primarily seen following an acute infection, GBS can also be a rare side effect of vaccination (here). Four medical syndromes with symptoms that can include muscle weakness and paralysis are not “polio renamed”, as claimed on social media. Poliovirus infection, while extremely rare, can lead to some of these syndromes, but the syndromes themselves also have other, more common causes and distinct symptoms.

☆ Surge in cases of RSV, a virus that can severely sicken infants, is filling hospital beds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Aria Bendix | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

He tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a common virus that causes lung infections. Aesop was moved to a pediatric ICU on Tuesday after his heart and breathing rates soared. Many RSV patients in Massachusetts are being transferred to nearby states, she added. At Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago, hospital and ICU beds have been full for over a month. He said the volume of RSV patients is "two to three times what we've ever experienced."

☆ Surge in RSV, virus that can severely sicken infants, fills hospital beds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

He tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, a common virus that causes lung infections. Aesop was moved to a pediatric ICU on Tuesday after his heart and breathing rates soared. Many RSV patients in Massachusetts are being transferred to nearby states, she added. At Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, hospital and ICU beds have been full for over a month. He said the volume of RSV patients is "two to three times what we’ve ever experienced."

There has been evidence that the omicron variant tends not to burrow deeply into the lungs as much as previous variants. How quickly do omicron symptoms appear? What is the duration of omicron symptoms? Although much about the omicron variant remains unknown, some experts say it could lead to long Covid, even with mild cases. The BA.5 omicron subvariant accounted for nearly 80% of new Covid cases as of Oct. 8, according to the CDC.

Flu cases are already rising in parts of the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The convergence of viruses is hitting health care systems as they're forced to reckon with staffing shortages that worsened during the pandemic. Staffing deficits mean there is little wiggle room to accommodate any additional surges of patients, whether they're sick with Covid, flu or other illness. But as the cold weather sets in and people increasingly gather indoors, Covid cases are expected to rise. The vast majority of Covid cases circulating now are an omicron subvariant, BA.5.

☆ Gastroenteritis, malaria kill 9 more people in Pakistan floods aftermath
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Syed Raza Hassan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A displaced woman holds her ailing boy, while taking refuge in a camp, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Sehwan, Pakistan, September 16, 2022. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe provincial government said in a report issued on Tuesday that nine people died of gastroenteritis, acute diarrhoea and suspected malaria on Monday. The report said over 72,000 patients were treated on Monday at makeshift or mobile hospitals set up in flood-hit regions. Malaria and diarrhoea are out of control, he said. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWriting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 3 charts show how extreme climate helped spread 218 infectious diseases, from leprosy to COVID-19
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A new study shows extreme weather, ocean changes, and land disruption have already helped spread more than 200 pathogens. That's an extreme case of climate change creating new contact between humans and infectious diseases, but the phenomenon is widespread. Extreme heat waves, for example, can kill off many infectious viruses, bacteria, fungi, and the creatures that spread them. Whatever survives, however, is adapted to extreme heat — including the fever our bodies produce to kill off pathogens. David Ryder/Getty ImagesHumans and their infrastructure are more vulnerable to the devastating impacts of disease when they're compromised by extreme weather.

☆ Cum interacționează COVID-19 cu virusul care provoacă răceala. Concluziile unui studiu scoțian
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-27 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +3 min

Virusul care provoacă banala răceală are abilitatea de a îndepărta SARS-CoV-2, virusul care provoacă boala COVID-19, arată un studiu efectuat de cercetători de la Universitatea din Glasgow, publicat în Jurnalul de Boli Infecțioase (Journal of Infectious Diseases), relatează BBC, transmite digi24.ro. Însă, același studiu avertizează că acest „beneficiu” este de scurtă durată, dar pentru că virusul care provoacă răcelile este atât de răspândit ar putea fi exploatat să suprime COVID-19. De exemplu, gripa este unul din cele mai „egoiste” virusuri și aproape de fiecare dată „lucrează” singur. Când rinovirusul a fost eliberat cu 24 de ore înainte, COVID nu a putut să intre, iar când SARS-CoV-2 a fost eliberat primul, rinovirusul l-a „detronat”. Însă, coronavirusul a putut să se răspândească din nou după ce răceala din „organism” a trecut iar răspunsul imunitar a încetat.

Persons: . Pablo Murcia, coronavirusul, . Organizations: Universitatea din, BBC, BBC News, Universității din Locations: Universitatea din Glasgow, Universității din Glasgow, . Murcia, Europa

☆ Christopher Columbus brought a host of terrible new diseases to the New World
▼ + stars: | 2015-10-12 | by ( Julia Calderone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Wikimedia CommonsWhen Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean and touched down in North America in 1492, he changed the world forever. He bridged the "old" world in Europe, Africa, and Asia with the "new" world in the Americas. Along with their own set of diseases at the time, Columbus' arrival created a devastating concoction of maladies. "But it also launched a clash of infectious diseases." AdvertisementOf the estimated 250,000 natives in Hispaniola, Columbus' first stop in the Americas in 1492, new infectious diseases wiped out a staggering 236,000 Indigenous people by 1517 — nearly 95% of their population.

Persons: Christopher Columbus, Stephen Prescott, — Organizations: Wikimedia, Stephen Prescott , Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Malaria Locations: West Indies, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Americas, Columbus, Stephen Prescott , Oklahoma, Hispaniola, Lyme

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