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Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
Common joint pain treatment may be making arthritis worse, studies suggest
November 29, 2022
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A common injection for treating arthritis may be speeding up the onset of the disease rather than preventing it, according to new studies.
Both of the studies were presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
In the first study, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, studied patients who had been diagnoses osteoarthritis, the most common form of the disease, affecting more than 32 million adults in the U.S.
Among the subjects, 70 received intraarticular injections, while 140 did not during a two-year period. Statistical analysis showed that corticosteroid knee injections were "significantly associated" with the overall progression of osteoarthritis in the knee.
WHO OFFICIALLY RENAMES MONKEYPOX UNDER PRESSURE FROM BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
The group who received hyaluronic injections showed a decreased progression of osteoarthritis, specifically in marrow lesions, according to the study.
In the second study, researchers at the Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science studied the progression of osteoarthritis in patients who received injections of corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid.
Patients injected with corticosteroids had "significantly more" osteoarthritis progression – including medial joint space narrowing – than patients who received an injection of hyaluronic acid.
"The results suggest that hyaluronic acid injections should be further explored for the management of knee osteoarthritis symptoms, and that steroid injections should be utilized with more caution," researcher and medical student Azad Darbandi said in a statement.
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Mistakes at UK coronavirus testing lab may have led to 20 deaths
November 29, 2022
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England's government agency responsible for responding to public health emergencies said mistakes at a testing laboratory resulted in tens of thousands of positive COVID-19 cases reported as negative may have led to the deaths of 20 people.
Britain has one of the highest coronavirus death tolls in the world, with more than 177,000 deaths since the pandemic started in 2020.
An investigation by the UK's Health Security Agency found the Immensa laboratory in central England, was found to have misreported around 39,000 tests as negative when they should have been positive between Sept. 2 and Oct. 12 last year.
CHINESE POLICE FLOOD STREETS IN ATTEMPT TO CRACK DOWN ON INTENSIFYING PROTESTS
"Through this investigation we have looked carefully at the arrangements in place for overseeing contracts of private labs providing surge testing during this time," said Richard Gleave, UKHSA director and lead investigator.
"It is our view that there was no single action that NHS Test and Trace could have taken differently to prevent this error arising in the private laboratory. However, our report sets out clear recommendations to both reduce the risk of incidents like this happening again."
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Monday, November 28, 2022
WHO officially renames monkeypox under pressure from Biden administration
November 28, 2022
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The World Health Organization, or WHO, will officially begin using the term "mpox" instead of "monkeypox" after the Biden Administration pressured the international organization to change the name because of racial connotations associated with it.
On the international organization’s website, it says both names will be used simultaneously for a year until "monkeypox" is phased out.
"When the outbreak of monkeypox expanded earlier this year, racist and stigmatizing language online, in other settings and in some communities was observed and reported to WHO," the organization said in a press release. "In several meetings, public and private, a number of individuals and countries raised concerns and asked WHO to propose a way forward to change the name."
WHO DECLARES MONKEYPOX STILL A GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY
The WHO is tasked with assigning names to diseases, whether new or existing. Through consultations with experts, countries, and the public, the WHO recommended that mpox be adopted as the new term in English for the disease, will become the preferred term after one year, and that "monkeypox" will remain as a searchable term for historical information.
Last week, the WHO announced it was set to change the name of "monkeypox" to "mpox" after senior Biden officials urged the WHO to make the change. The administration even reportedly threatened to adopt new terminology without the WHO’s approval.
According to the report, the Biden administration believed the name "monkeypox" carries an unnecessary stigma for people of color.
After the WHO’s announcement of the name change on Monday, the Biden Harris Administration announced its support for the change.
WHO TO RENAME ‘MONKEYPOX’ TO ‘MPOX’ AT BIDEN ADMIN'S REQUEST
"We welcome the change by the World Health Organization," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "We must do all we can to break down barriers to public health, and reducing stigma associated with disease is one critical step in our work to end mpox."
In the same release, the administration said Human monkeypox first got its name in 1970, before the WHO published its best practices when naming diseases in 2015.
The best practices for naming new diseases should "minimize unnecessary negative impact of names on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare, and avoid causing offense to any cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups."
The monkeypox outbreak is a global health emergency and the WHO has given it the highest level of alert.
The U.S. has seen 29,200 cases of monkeypox within its borders.
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Getting pregnant soon after abortion or miscarriage might have lower risks than previously suspected: study
November 28, 2022
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A new medical study conducted in Europe is suggesting there may be fewer "adverse pregnancy outcomes" for women who get pregnant weeks after they’ve had a miscarriage or an abortion.
The cohort study, which was conducted by various academic researchers from around the world, analyzed pregnancies in Norway to see if the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended six-month waiting period after a miscarriage or induced abortion in order to lower the chance of a pregnancy complication.
Adverse pregnancy outcomes the WHO’s guidance reportedly aims to prevent include preterm births, spontaneous preterm births, small for gestational age births, large for gestational age births, preeclampsia (high blood pressure) and gestational diabetes mellitus diagnoses.
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The study investigated the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes post-pregnancy loss because the evidence "underlying [WHO’s] recommendation is scarce" and may not pose as much of a risk as previously thought.
The study’s findings were published in PLOS Medicine, a peer-reviewed medical science journal, on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
Researchers studied 72,765 birth records from three Norwegian health registries from Jan. 1, 2008, to Dec. 31, 2016, including the Medical Birth Registry of Norway, the Norwegian Patient Registry and the General Practitioner database.
The interpregnancy interval (IPI) and the six adverse pregnancy outcomes were analyzed separately for births that happened after miscarriages (total of 49,058) and births that happened after induced abortions (total of 23,707) within the eight-year period.
The birth-related patient records were analyzed for maternal age, gravidity, the year they gave birth, smoking status during pregnancy and pre-pregnancy body mass index.
Researchers sorted and compared pregnancies that occurred in less than three months after a pregnancy loss, three to five months after a pregnancy loss, six to 11 months after a pregnancy loss and more than a year after a pregnancy loss.
The six adverse pregnancy outcomes were examined and calculated for each interval group.
Women who got pregnant in under three months or three to five months after a miscarriage reportedly had lower risks of small for gestational age births at 8.6% and 9%, respectively.
Pregnancies that happened in less than three months after an induced abortion were "associated with a nonsignificant but increased risk of [small for gestational age births]" at 11.5% compared to those who got pregnant after six to 11 months (10%).
MORE COLLEGE-EDUCATED WOMEN ARE HAVING BABIES BEFORE MARRIAGE: STUDY
Conversely, women who got pregnant within three to five months after an induced abortion had a lower risk of large for gestational age births (8%) compared to those who got pregnant after six to 11 months (9.4%).
Instances of gestational diabetes mellitus were found to be lower in women who got pregnant in less than three months of a miscarriage (3.3%) compared to women who got pregnant within six to 11 months of a miscarriage (4.5%).
"There was no evidence of higher risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes among women with an IPI of greater than 12 months after miscarriages or induced abortions," the study claims.
Though, there were observable exceptions to "an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus among women" who got pregnant 12 to 17 months (5.8%), 18 to 23 months (6.2%) and more than 24 months (6.4%) after a pregnancy loss compared to those who got pregnant six to 11 months (4.5%) after a miscarriage.
Researchers also state that their findings suggest that pregnancies that occurred "within six months" or "as short as three months" weren’t "associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes."
The interpregnancy interval study found that three out of five Norwegian women who experienced a miscarriage conceived within six months while one of five Norwegian women who underwent an induced abortion conceived within six months.
"Our study suggests that conceiving within three months after a miscarriage or an induced abortion is not associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes," the study concludes. "In combination with previous research, these results suggest that women could attempt pregnancy soon after a previous miscarriage or induced abortion without increasing perinatal health risks."
Authors of the study noted that the researched results "do not support current international recommendations to wait at least six months after a miscarriage or an induced abortion," but the "differences in pregnancy outcomes according to interpregnancy interval after miscarriage as opposed to induced abortions remains unclear."
The study says its findings should motivate a review of current guidance on birth spacing after miscarriage or induced abortion from international health agencies.
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The interpregnancy interval study was funded by the Research Council of Norway — a Norwegian government agency — through its Centre of Excellence, which provides long-term funding for targeted research on complex problems, according to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Fox News Digital reached out to the WHO for comment.
The full study can be found on journals.plos.org.
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Sunday, November 27, 2022
Biden as oldest US president at age 80: Nation deserves a 'full neurological assessment' of him
November 27, 2022
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President Joe Biden turned 80 on Nov. 20, 2022 — and debate is ongoing, from a health perspective, about his advanced age and the capacity of individuals of that age to serve in the highest office in the land.
Biden has surpassed former President Reagan as the oldest president to serve in the White House — and the milestone has people wondering: Is there an age that is too old for someone to be president?
"I think it’s a legitimate thing to be concerned about anyone’s age, including mine," Biden himself told MSNBC in October.
BIDEN BECOMES FIRST PRESIDENT TO REACH 80 WHILE IN OFFICE
He added, "But I think the best way to make the judgment is to watch me."
When the Founding Fathers, who were mostly in their early 40s, were deciding the age of the president in 1787, they were more concerned with someone appearing "too youthful" than too old, according to History.com.
Article II of the U.S. Constitution specifies a minimum age — 35 — for someone to be president of the United States without setting a maximum age limit, the website added.
"I'm concerned about age-related dementia, which the job can accelerate given the pressure of the office," Gary J. Schmitt, resident scholar in strategic studies at the American Enterprise Institute, told History.
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"But I'm also concerned about the higher percentage of the chance of death while in office, meaning [the American people] will be voting for one candidate but getting someone else who we have not vetted as seriously."
President Biden has a past medical history significant for non-valvular atrial fibrillation, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of his feet, according to his November 2021 health summary.
Wat is atrial fibrillation, exactly? The heart is composed of two upper chambers, called the atria, that pumps blood into its two lower chambers, known as ventricles, per the American Heart Association.
HOW TO REVERSE YOUR BIOLOGICAL AGE AND FEEL YOUNGER WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE
It normally contracts and relaxes to a regular beat. But in atrial fibrillation — or aFib — the atria beat irregularly so that blood does not flow into the ventricles efficiently, the association added.
This can lead to blood clots.
"If a clot breaks off, enters the bloodstream and lodges in an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results," the cardiology association noted on its website.
Depending on their risk factors, including advanced age, some patients are placed on blood thinners to prevent this complication — including Biden, who is on the blood thinner called Eliquis as of November 2021.
The medical report also noted a stiffened gait that was largely attributed to arthritis changes in his spine, although it was noted "to be perceptibly stiffer and less fluid than it has been in the past."
The report attributed his persistent coughing and throat-clearing to his acid reflux.
A comprehensive neurologic exam did not reveal any neurological disorder, the report noted, but it did confirm mild peripheral neuropathy in his feet.
The doctor attributed his subtle gait changes in part to "limp and compensation" changes after he suffered a fracture in his right midfoot the year before.
"President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief," wrote Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor, physician to the president.
Former President Ronald Reagan, the nation’s 40th president, was almost 78 years old at the end of his second term in January 1989, according to the History.com website.
While in office, he survived an assassination attempt as well as surgery to remove a cancerous polyp in the colon — proving resilience is a quality not reserved for only the youth, History added.
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Reagan famously deflected attention from his age with humor during the 1984 debate with Democratic opponent Walter Mondale, joking, "I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience."
Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald J. Trump, was 74 years and 200 days old when he left office, according to History.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel in July 2020, Trump said he could successfully recall a sequence of five words on a cognitive screening test.
Dwight Eisenhower was 70 years and 98 days old when he left office in January 1961.
He survived a massive heart attack scare the year before he won reelection, per History's website.
But James Buchanan, our nation’s 15th president, had his health deteriorate while in office because of the stress of the job. He left office after only one term, at 69 years and 315 days old, the same source noted.
A 2011 study on aging of U.S. presidents found that the men in the White House tended to live longer once inaugurated compared to men of the same age — "even if they hypothetically aged at twice the normal rate while in office."
"All living presidents have either already exceeded the estimated life span of all U.S. men at their age of inauguration or are likely to do so," the study noted in 2011.
Not all experts, however, agree that the medical report in November 2021 was adequate to assess Biden’s functional and mental status.
"Most troubling was the report his gait had stiffened significantly over the prior year," Dr. Siegel, professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, recently wrote in the New York Post.
Biden's health report did not mention an MRI of the brain or a cognitive test, Siegel added.
A "stiffening gait can be associated with multiple conditions (including white matter damage or normal pressure hydrocephalus) that cause cognitive decline."
Siegel reminded readers that Biden had two brain aneurysms surgically clipped in 1988 and had a bleed in the head.
Both conditions can lead to long-term risks of cognitive decline in certain patients, according to the medical literature, Siegel added.
As another presidential annual physical is due, he advocates for Biden to have a comprehensive cognitive neuropsychiatric test — as Trump did with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment while in office — and to release it publicly, as his predecessor did.
"Of course, there’s substantial precedent for ill presidents hiding their ailments from the public, from Woodrow Wilson’s severe case of Spanish flu (which arguably affected the Treaty of Versailles) and subsequent stroke to Franklin Roosevelt’s heart failure to the extent of Dwight Eisenhower’s heart disease to John Kennedy’s Addison’s disease, all while still in office," Siegel wrote.
Other experts suggest Biden will continue to function well despite being in his golden years.
"The older people become the less like each other they become," Dr. John W. Rowe, professor of health policy and aging at Columbia University in New York, told Fox News Digital.
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"Factors beyond chronological age, such as race, gender, educational attainment, marital status (being alone is risky, especially for men), access to good health care and financial status, in addition, obviously, to general health status, have very important impacts," he added.
"By these criteria, President Biden is in a privileged group and is likely to continue to function very well for several years."
But Siegel requests full transparency because Biden’s "erratic" public behavior has called his mental fitness in question.
"Dr. O’Connor has an obligation based on medical ethics to determine the functionality of the president," Siegel noted. "This ongoing assessment should include a full neurological evaluation."
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Friday, November 25, 2022
Court rejects San Diego school district's COVID vaccine mandate
November 25, 2022
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The California 4th District Court of Appeal ruled against the San Diego Unified School District’s COVID-19 student vaccine requirement this week.
On Tuesday, the appellate court agreed with a lower court's ruling from last year that the school district does not have the authority to establish its own mandate.
The court rejected the district's several defenses of its mandate, including that it is in line with the responsibility to keep students safe, that programs can be created to meet "local needs" and that the mandate is not actually a mandate because it allows for students to do at-home independent study should they choose not to comply.
"We doubt that students and their parents perceive a real choice. For some, independent study would likely be a step backwards," it wrote.
WHITE HOUSE SHUTS DOWN REPORTER'S FAUCI QUESTION ON COVID ORIGIN: 'I'M DONE'
San Diego Unified is examining the appeals court ruling and "will consider its next steps," district spokesperson Mike Murad said in an email to the Los Angeles Times.
In May, the district decided to stay the mandate – which would have immediately required students ages 16 and up to get the shots in order to attend school in person and participate in extracurricular activities – until at least July 2023.
There were exemptions allowed for medical reasons, but not based on personal beliefs.
CALIFORNIA HOMELESS WOMEN RETURN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOUND IN BURNED VAN TO OWNER
The mandate faced a legal challenge from the parent group "Let Them Choose," whiled filed a lawsuit in October 2021.
The group argued that the decision to mandate vaccines must be made at the state level and also needs to include a "personal belief exemption" – unless the state legislature acted to eliminate the exemption.
The district first adopted its vaccine mandate for students in September 2021.
It is one of several large school districts in California to announce such a mandate. Those with similar mandates include the Los Angeles, Oakland, Sacramento and West Contra Costa Unified school districts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Vaccinated Americans a majority of COVID deaths for first time in August: analysis
November 23, 2022
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For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, a majority of Americans dying from the coronavirus were at least partially vaccinated, according to a new analysis of federal and state data.
The waning efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and increasingly contagious strains of the virus being spread to elderly and immunocompromised people have resulted in more deaths among those who have taken at least one vaccine dose, a Washington Post analysis published Wednesday finds.
"Fifty-eight percent of coronavirus deaths in August were people who were vaccinated or boosted," the Post reported.
The paper described a "troubling trend" as the share of deaths of people who were vaccinated has been "steadily rising" over the past year.
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"In September 2021, vaccinated people made up just 23 percent of coronavirus fatalities. In January and February this year, it was up to 42 percent," the Washington Post's Fenit Nirappil and Dan Keating wrote.
"We can no longer say this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated," said Kaiser Family Foundation vice president Cynthia Cox, who conducted the analysis on behalf of the Post.
Top health officials have repeatedly urged Americans to complete their primary vaccine series and get boosted to maximize vaccine protection against COVID-19.
WHITE HOUSE URGES AMERICANS TO DISCUSS COVID-19 VACCINES OVER THANKSGIVING
At a press briefing Tuesday, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha unveiled the Biden administration's new "six-week sprint" campaign to get Americans vaccinated this holiday season.
"Bottom line is that we're doing everything we can in the next six weeks to help families get their updated COVID shots by the end of the year, because it's the best protection for this winter," Jha said, adding that the latest iteration of the COVID-19 vaccine is a "once a year shot," similar to the flu shot.
Outgoing White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci also spoke at Tuesday's press briefing, where he delivered his "final message" before stepping down at the end of the year.
WASHINGTON D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO REQUIRE NEGATIVE COVID TEST AFTER THANKSGIVING
Fauci emphasized the safety and efficacy of the approved COVID-19 vaccines in preventing severe illness and deaths and encouraged Americans to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible. He noted that coronavirus vaccine effectiveness wanes over time and said the disease shouldn't be compared to other vaccine-treatable illnesses like measles because of new emerging variants every few months.
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"My message, and my final message, maybe the final message I give you from this podium, is that please, for your own safety, for that of your family, get your updated COVID 19 shot as soon as you're eligible to protect yourself, your family and your community," Fauci said. "I urge you to visit vaccine.gov to find a location where you can easily get an updated vaccine, and please do it as soon as possible."
Multiple medical experts, including Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, have acknowledged that the coronavirus vaccines do not necessarily protect people against infection and transmission.
Despite this, several people, including Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Lapado, were criticized for suggesting that COVID vaccines were not as effective as originally claimed.
In October, a New York state Supreme Court ordered all employees who were fired because of New York City's vaccine mandate be reinstated with back pay, finding that "being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting COVID-19."
Fox News' Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2022
White House urges Americans to discuss COVID-19 vaccines over Thanksgiving
November 22, 2022
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The White House on Tuesday encouraged Americans to talk about COVID-19 vaccination at the Thanksgiving table, insisting that widespread vaccination could prevent almost every coronavirus death in the country.
At a press briefing, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha rolled out the Biden administration's plan for a "six-week sprint" to convince Americans to take the updated COVID-19 vaccine shots before the end of the year. The campaign includes hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding for community health centers to increase the pace of vaccinations, but Jha said every American needs to "step up" and be involved in conversations on vaccination as well.
"Bottom line is that we're doing everything we can in the next six weeks to help families get their updated COVID shots by the end of the year, because it's the best protection for this winter," Jha said, adding that the latest iteration of the COVID-19 vaccine is a "once a year shot," similar to the flu shot.
"Now, while I'm encouraged by the work that so many are doing, we need everybody to step up. We need to make protecting our loved ones an important part of the conversation we have around the Thanksgiving table, an important part of the conversation we have in the days and weeks ahead," he continued. "Because here's what we know: If folks get their updated vaccines, and they get treated, if they have a breakthrough infection, we can prevent essentially every COVID death in America."
WHITE HOUSE SHUTS DOWN REPORTER'S FAUCI QUESTION ON COVID ORIGIN: ‘I’M DONE WITH YOU'
Jha urged every American to get both the COVID and flu shots, repeating his controversial remark from September, saying, "That's why God gave you two arms, one in each arm."
The Biden administration's six-week COVID-19 vaccination campaign is aimed at reaching communities that were "hardest hit by COVID-19" through paid media and new vaccination sites.
The Department of Health and Human Services is spending $350 million to expand local vaccination efforts at community health centers and another $125 million on efforts to get older Americans and people with disabilities vaccinated, according to a White House fact sheet.
White House officials said that in 2020 and 2021 there was a substantial increase in COVID-19 infections as the winter months began, and they want to head off an expected increase for 2022 as well.
White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke at Tuesday's pres briefing, where he delivered his "final message" before stepping down at the end of the year.
FAUCI REJECTS COVID RESPONSE CRITICISM, SAYS IT'S ‘COMPLETELY CRAZY’ TO CALL HIM POLITICAL
Fauci emphasized the safety and efficacy of the approved COVID-19 vaccines in preventing severe illness and deaths and encouraged Americans to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible. He noted that coronavirus vaccine effectiveness wanes over time and said the disease shouldn't be compared to other vaccine-treatable illnesses like Measles because of new emerging variants every few months.
"My message, and my final message may be the final message I give you from this podium is that please, for your own safety, for that of your family, get your updated COVID 19 shot as soon as you're eligible to protect yourself, your family and your community," Fauci said. "I urge you to visit vaccine.gov to find a location where you can easily get an updated vaccine, and please do it as soon as possible."
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Monday, November 21, 2022
Why Somalia has not declared famine amid one of its worst cases of widespread hunger
November 21, 2022
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Somalia is on the brink of its worst famine in half a century as drought intensifies and global food prices soar, leaving hundreds of thousands of people at risk of dying from starvation.
The United Nations has warned that parts of the country will be hit by famine in the coming weeks - and the projection is it will be more severe than in 2011, when famine killed more than a quarter of a million people there, about half of them children.
More than $2.2 billion is needed to provide food, water, shelter, health and sanitation and other support to drought-hit communities, but Somalia has only received about half of that from foreign donors.
HALF A MILLION SOMALI CHILDREN UNDER 5 AT RISK OF DYING FROM FAMINE
"The international community must not wait for a famine declaration to act," U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Natalia Kanem told the Thomson Reuters Foundation after visiting Somalia this month. "We need to get in there with a life-saving response now."
Aid workers said the threshold for famine had already been passed in some areas, calling for an immediate official declaration, which would draw global attention to the disaster, mobilise much-needed foreign aid and save lives.
"We have been raising the alarm about famine for months but aid has been slow. Now we are facing a catastrophic situation, people are dying," said Adil Al-Mahi, head of the charity Oxfam in Somalia. "A declaration of famine will certainly bring in more support."
But declaring famine is a complex process which is highly influenced by politics. Here are some facts:
What is a famine?
Famine is declared in an area when severe hunger is already widespread, and when people have started dying of starvation because they do not have enough nutritious food.
According to the United Nations, the affected area must meet three conditions:
- At least 20% of the population is facing extreme food shortages
- At least 30% of children are suffering from acute malnutrition
- At least two people out of every 10,000 inhabitants are dying each day due to starvation, or a combination of severe hunger and illness
Why is Somalia facing another famine?
Climate change is the main reason, say aid workers. Somalia - and parts of neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya - are facing the fifth failed rainy season in a row.
This has pushed vulnerable populations - already hit by years of insurgency by Islamist insurgents al Shabaab and loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic - to the brink.
Hunger has been worsened due to the soaring cost of grain, fuel and fertilizer following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Somalia relies on Russia and Ukraine for 90% of its wheat, and prices of some basic commodities have risen by up to 160%.
INTERNATIONAL FOOD CRISIS STEMMING FROM UKRAINE WAR HAS NO QUICK FIXES, EXPERTS SAY
How is the drought affecting Somalis?
About 6.7 million people - nearly half the country's population - face severe hunger as a lack of rain for more than two years has decimated their crops and killed livestock.
More than one million people have been uprooted from their homes and forced to trek for days in search of food, water and medical treatment.
Hundreds of malnourished and disease-hit children have already died and more than 300,000 people face starvation.
If people are dying, then why has famine not been declared?
The decision to declare a famine is generally made jointly by the government and the United Nations.
A famine declaration can be politically contentious as governments may see it as a blight on their rule and an opportunity for opponents to point to a failure of governance and inability to provide basic protection.
Aid workers in Somalia said part of the newly elected government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was hesitant to declare famine as it would damage public support and play into the hands of al Shabaab insurgents.
The government also fears a famine declaration could dissuade investors and divert foreign aid aimed for long-term development projects to the famine response.
In September, Mohamud admitted that the prospect of famine in parts of Somalia was serious.
"Declaring famine itself is a very difficult situation that does not affect famine victims only, but halts development and changes perspectives," Mohamud said at an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think-tank.
Will a famine declaration enforce action?
No. The declaration of famine carries no binding obligations on the United Nations, the government or other U.N. member states, but serves to focus global attention on the situation and galvanise resources to provide emergency aid. When another drought crippled Somalia in 2017, rapid action helped avert a famine.
What are the projections for Somalia for the coming months?
Forecasts are bleak, indicating there will be poor rainfall during the current rainy season and this is likely to extend to the next rainy season in March-May, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).
"Regardless of next year's rainfall performance, recovery from a drought of this magnitude will take years, with extremely high humanitarian needs set to persist and even increase in 2023," said a statement from FEWS NET.
"Many people have completely lost their livelihoods and coping capacities and are relying heavily on assistance to meet basic needs," it added.
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Sunday, November 20, 2022
Enoki mushrooms linked to Listeria outbreak in two states: public health officials
November 20, 2022
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Listeria monocytogenes infections have sparked a collaborative investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and public health and regulatory officials.
At least two people, one in Nevada and one in Michigan, have been infected by the strain since November 15 and were hospitalized, though the CDC says the actual number of those infected is likely higher.
"This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Listeria," the CDC noted in its report.
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"In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported, as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak," the CDC also noted.
Epidemiologic and laboratory data collected from sick people’s samples during the period of Oct. 5-Oct. 8, 2022, confirmed that enoki mushrooms contaminated with Listeria are making people sick. The people who got sick reported eating enoki mushrooms or eating at restaurants with menu items that had enoki mushrooms in them, according to Fox 17.
Investigators are working to identify specific brands of the white, long-stemmed mushrooms typically used in Asian cuisines such as soups and stir-fried dishes that may be linked to these illnesses.
One brand, Green Day Produce, has recalled its enoki mushroom packages sold between September and October due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.
It's the bacteria that causes Listeria infections, according to a report the FDA website posted.
Enoki mushrooms are a product of Korea. They were packed in 7.05-ounce clear plastic and distributed nationwide to distributors and retail stores, according to the FDA's posted statement.
Consumers are urged to return the items for a full refund, the website stated.
Listeria poses a threat to pregnant women, newborn babies, and older or immunocompromised individuals.
These are the people who are at the greatest risks of complications, according to board-certified emergency medicine physician Dr. Fred Davis, the associate chair of emergency medicine at Northwell Health in Long Island, New York.
"In those [individuals] that are at risk, it can lead to overwhelming infection seen as sepsis or meningitis that can lead to death," said Dr. Davis.
He also said it can lead to pregnancy complications.
Davis noted, however, that people with a normal immune system rarely develop invasive infections.
"In most people, the common symptoms of a Listeria infection can just be diarrhea; but it can also include symptoms similar to many viral illnesses such as fever, body aches, nausea and vomiting," David also said.
"Symptoms will usually resolve with minimal intervention as long as one can remain hydrated."
Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, chief of infectious diseases and a hospital epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital that it is important to seek medical treatment as quickly as possible if you believe you have a listeria infection.
"Listeria is a treatable infection in most cases, and, if diagnosed early and properly, can be successfully treated with available antibiotics," he said.
The CDC recommended that people call their health care provider right away if they experience any symptoms of Listeria illness after eating enoki mushrooms.
Some symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, in addition to fever and muscle aches in those who are not pregnant, the CDC said.
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Pregnant women usually experience fever, fatigue and muscle aches, the agency also said.
Listeria can cause pregnancy loss or premature birth and serious illness or death in newborns, the CDC also stated.
The agency advised women who are pregnant, those who have weakened immune systems or those who are aged 65 or older to not eat raw enoki mushrooms.
The CDC also suggested restaurants avoid serving raw enoki mushrooms and thoroughly cook enoki mushrooms to kill any foodborne germs.
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Saturday, November 19, 2022
RSV surge raises questions about repeat cases: Can you or child get it again?
November 19, 2022
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As respiratory syncytial virus, otherwise known as RSV, continues to surge across the United States, experts warn it’s possible people can be infected with it more than once.
Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital this week, "A person can get RSV more than once in their lifetime."
A second infection is unlikely to occur immediately after a recent episode. Yet it can infect someone more than once in the same season, especially immunocompromised children and older adults, Glatt said.
"Weekly rates of RSV hospitalizations are currently far higher than they have been for the previous four seasons, exceeding the peak weekly rates in all pediatric age groups since pediatric data started being collected in RSV-NET in October 2018," a spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told Fox News Digital.
RSV-NET reports surveillance for recent laboratory-confirmed and RSV-associated hospitalizations in children younger than 18 years old, plus adults.
"The timing of this is also unusual, as we don’t usually see hospitalization rates this high in October and November," the CDC spokesperson also said.
"Rates are higher now than they were even compared to fall of 2021, when there was an unusual pattern of RSV circulation."
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"Certainly RSV is normally seen in the winter, so the weather does play a critical role and in its endemicity," added Glatt, also a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
"But if RSV is around wherever you are, you can get it in any type of weather — though it really is a winter illness," he said.
"Prior to 2020, seasonal patterns for RSV in the United States were very consistent," the CDC noted on its website.
"However, the patterns of circulation for RSV and other common respiratory viruses have been disrupted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic early in 2020," the agency added.
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"CDC is now publishing weekly hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed RSV hospitalizations, as determined through the RSV-NET sentinel surveillance system," a CDC spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
"RSV hospitalization rates are highest in children [who are less than] six months of age, but hospitalization rates have also increased in older children compared to previous seasons."
Many people focus on those who are at high risk of RSV, such as premature infants, young children with heart defects at birth and chronic lung disease — or those who have depressed immune systems.
But these patients only account for a third of hospitalizations, said Dr. James H. Conway, pediatric infectious disease physician and medical director of the immunization program at UW Health Kids in Madison, Wisconsin.
"About two-thirds of the kids who get admitted with RSV are actually healthy, normal kids," said Conway, who’s also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Adult RSV hospitalization rates have also increased, "with the highest hospitalization rates in adults occurring in those 65 years and older," said a CDC spokesperson.
The data, however, should be interpreted with caution, as the most recent two weeks of RSV-NET data are prone to a lag in reporting.
"We've known for decades that for most respiratory viruses — whether it's rhinoviruses or parainfluenza viruses or RSV — the immunity from naturally occurring respiratory viruses just isn't great," Conway noted.
"That’s why people can get these infections over and over again."
And as with the flu, people can get infected with different strains of RSV.
"Similar to influenza, there are multiple strains of RSV, so there's an RSV-A [strain] and there's an RSV-B [strain] — just like there's flu [type] A and flu [type] B," Conway told Fox News Digital.
"People can get it multiple times because even if they have one type, the cross protective immunity is only partial."
Our immunity includes multiple components, including different types of antibodies — circulating antibodies that patrol our bloodstream for foreign invaders and secretory antibodies, said Conway.
"There are parts of your immune system that are responsible for basically grabbing [the virus and] saying, 'This is important' [to] present to your immune system,' and ‘This is something we actually need to deal with.’"
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However, it’s often difficult to prevent an infection once the virus has already invaded the body, he added.
The next time the person is exposed to the virus, the immune system remembers it and "lines up" its arsenal of T cells to neutralize the virus.
"But as a temporizing measure, [the immune system] takes your B cells and turns on a bunch of antibodies that will circulate, grabbing onto these viruses to pull them out of this circulation [perhaps] before they cause disease," Conway noted.
Conway noted that by next fall, we may have our first RSV vaccines for older adults in the U.S.
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Multiple companies, including Pfizer, GSK and Janssen, have RSV vaccines in the final phases of human trials for adults, namely seniors, according to multiple reports.
"Protection for babies in the form of monoclonal antibody injections is already available for high-risk premature infants, and long-acting versions for all children are on the horizon as well," Conway added.
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Friday, November 18, 2022
Young people at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices: New study
November 18, 2022
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The prevalence of unsafe listening practices from headphones, earbuds and attendance at loud music venues may range from 24% to 48% in young people ages 12-34 years old, according to recent research published in BMJ Global Health.
This suggests that more than 1 billion teens could be at risk for hearing loss.
"Results from this study show that unsafe listening is common in adolescents and young adults and highlight the need to implement policy and public health initiatives to reduce unsafe listening," lead author Dr. Lauren Dillard told Fox News Digital.
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"Doing so requires the engagement of governments, industry and other stakeholders," added Dillard, who is a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO) and a postdoctoral fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina.
"Individuals should also be aware of the risks of unsafe listening and take steps to reduce their exposure to loud recreational noise if they engage in unsafe listening practices."
Over 430 million people around the world currently have disabling hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization.
The prevalence of unsafe listening practices or the global number of young people who engage in unsafe listening practices is not available in published literature, according to the study.
The researchers reviewed research databases for studies published in English, French, Spanish and Russian — involving 12-34 year-olds — that reported on objectively measured device output levels and length of exposure of personal listening devices (PLDs).
They conducted a meta-analysis, which is "an approach that can be used to systematically synthesize data from multiple high-quality studies to come up with a single estimate or conclusion," Dillard told Fox News Digital.
"In this study, we used a meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of unsafe listening practices among adolescents and young adults aged 12-34 years," added Dillard.
"More broadly, this provides us with an estimate of the proportion of individuals aged 12-34 years [who] are listening to music at levels that are considered to be unsafe — and therefore may be putting themselves at risk for developing hearing loss."
The study defined the risk of hearing loss, she noted, based on the loudness of the sound level and how long an individual is listening to the sound.
The study did not measure hearing loss directly.
Included were 33 studies, which involved 19,046 participants among 17 records focused on PLD use and 18 records focused on loud entertainment venues.
"The pooled prevalence estimate of exposure to unsafe listening from [personal listening devices] was 23.81%," per the study.
When the study evaluated unsafe listening practices due to loud entertainment venues, it was "more challenging to condense results from individual studies into a single estimate," Dillard said.
To study the impact of loud entertainment venues, the researchers evaluated "only studies that objectively measured sound levels and duration of noise exposure," she added.
"We then used mathematical modeling to equate the definitions of noise exposure across those studies and used that information to compute a prevalence estimate of individuals exposed to loud sounds from entertainment venues."
This model based on intensity thresholds and exposure duration found the prevalence estimate as 48.20%.
Given that the estimated global population of 12–34-year-olds in 2022 is approximately 2.8 billion, the study extrapolated that "the global estimated number of young people who could be at risk of hearing loss from exposure to unsafe listening practices ranged from 0.67 to 1.35 billion."
But the study could "not conclusively say how many of these individuals will develop hearing loss as a result from these unsafe listening practices," Dillard said.
The study also had other limitations, including a lack standardized of research methodology among the studies included — especially the ones focused on loud entertainment venues.
Dillard recommended that people listen "to music at lower volumes and for shorter periods of time [and use] noise-canceling headphones (if available) to reduce background noise." That way, they are "less likely to turn the sound up to overcome loud background noise."
She added, "Noise-canceling headphones may be beneficial, because individuals do not need to turn up the volume to overcome excessive background noise, which would result in a higher sound level."
She also suggested using hearing protection at loud concerts and standing a distance away from the sound source at concerts.
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"If your device says you are listening at unsafe levels, turn down the volume and listen to music for shorter periods of time," she added.
"If the music feels uncomfortably loud, your ears are ringing or it's difficult to hear after listening to music through headphones or attending a concert — this is a sign that the music is too loud."
She noted the World Health Organization provides guidance through its "Make Listening Safe" initiative on its website, at https://ift.tt/Pi8B4wR.
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Thursday, November 17, 2022
Cancer screenings and diagnoses lag post-COVID, causing potential delays to treatment
November 17, 2022
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Screenings for a variety of common cancers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, potentially leading to diagnoses later in the course of the disease when it may be more difficult to treat successfully, U.S. data published on Thursday suggest.
In 2020 - the first year of the pandemic - average rates of screening for breast cancer fell by 40%, for cervical cancer by 36%, and for colorectal cancer by 45%, compared to the three previous years, according to an analysis of medical claims data from 306 million adults.
Diagnoses of breast, cervical and colorectal cancers dropped by roughly 6% to 7% between 2019 and 2020 and by an additional 5% to 6% between 2020 and 2021, the researchers also found.
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The decrease in diagnoses "does not mean these cancers are suddenly less common," said study leader Allison Oakes of data analytics company Trilliant Health in Brentwood, Tennessee. "Rather, it means there are people with cancer who are going to be diagnosed at a later, more severe stage of the disease."
By the end of 2021, screening rates had rebounded but were still below pre-pandemic levels, researchers reported in JAMA Oncology.
Ongoing analysis of 2022 data suggests screening rates in 2022 are unlikely to have improved dramatically, Oakes said.
"We do not see significant changes in behavior when looking quarter-over-quarter," she added.
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The issue appears to go beyond cancer testing, the study found.
Healthcare utilization for non-COVID, non-mental-health issues in the first quarter of 2022 was 6.2% lower than in the first quarter of 2019, Oakes said.
"Not only are people missing their annual cancer screenings, but they are using less primary care," Oakes said.
"While Americans appear to be getting back to normal everyday life, whether in-office work or leisure travel, many of them are still avoiding the healthcare system."
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Nearly 50% of human population suffers from oral diseases, according to WHO
November 17, 2022
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Nearly half of the world's population, or 3.5 billion people, suffer from oral diseases, the majority of them in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
The most common oral illnesses are tooth decay, severe gum disease, tooth loss and oral cancers, with untreated tooth decay affecting nearly 2.5 billion people, the United Nations agency said.
About 380,000 new cases of oral cancers are diagnosed every year, it said.
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WHO cited large out-of-pocket expenditure and the unavailability of highly specialized dental equipment in primary healthcare facilities as two of the reasons for the high prevalence of oral diseases, especially in poor countries.
"Oral health has long been neglected in global health, but many oral diseases can be prevented," said WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The agency suggested countries include equitable oral health services as part of their national planning and integrate oral health services into their primary health care models, while also improving access to affordable fluoride toothpaste, among other measures.
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Sperm counts and concentrations declining globally since 1970s but fertility implications unknown: study
November 17, 2022
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Researchers are raising the alarm that declining sperm counts "threaten mankind's survival" — yet experts remain cautious about the results of a new study.
A controversial paper recently published in the journal Human Reproduction Update noted that sperm counts declined globally by about half since the 1970s — and the trend has been accelerating since the year 2000.
"It is the first study to examine global trends in semen quality in recent years and the first to demonstrate declining sperm counts among men from South and Central America, Asia and Africa," said lead author Hagai Levine, professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Hadassah Braun School of Public Health.
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But many experts in the scientific community remain skeptical of the findings.
"The conclusions of the Levine group — that sperm concentrations are declining globally and that the decline has accelerated — are not shared by many in the andrology community," said Dr. John K. Amory, professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
"Moreover, the mean sperm concentrations observed in these studies remain well within the range of values thought to be consistent with normal fertility in men," Amory said.
He also said, "More data will be needed over time to fully understand these phenomena."
Levine’s international team from Denmark, Brazil, Spain, Israel and the United States performed a meta-analysis, which combined findings from more than 250 previous studies from 53 countries, including the United States, between 1973 and 2018.
"This meta-analysis looks at worldwide trends in sperm concentration (SC) and total sperm concentration (TCS) between 1973 and 2018," Levine told Fox News Digital.
The present study builds on previously published data in 2017 on sperm counts in North America, Europe and Australia.
It examined seven more years of data from 2011 to 2018 to focus on regions of the world that were not reviewed in their first study — South and Central America, Asia and Africa.
Levine noted that the study found sperm concentration declined globally by more than half, with a 62% decline in total sperm concentration between 1973 and 2018.
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"We found that the pace of decline increased from 1.2% each year since 1972, to 2.6% each year since 2000," Levine noted.
"The increased data and statistical power allowed us, for the first time, to assess trends in the 21st century, [up to] 2018."
The study concluded there is global decline in sperm concentration not only in North America, Europe and Australia, but also in South and Central America, Africa and Asia.
"Sperm count is an indicator of men's overall health, with low levels being associated with increased risk of chronic disease, testicular cancer and a decreased lifespan," Levine told Fox News Digital.
"On a larger scope, the decline signifies a global problem that is related to modern environment and lifestyle, reflecting a disrupted sick world, at least for human reproduction."
Sperm counts alone, however, are not a great indicator for infertility because they need to be considered in the context of a couple — namely, how they interact with the egg and female reproductive tract, according to The New York Times.
Sperm also grows from stem cells in the testes, but the development can take around two months, so one sperm count is only a "snapshot" in time, The Times also noted.
The authors noted the study’s limitations because they only analyzed the sperm count and concentration of participants — but not how the sperm moved or their shape.
These are qualities infertility specialists use to assess reproductive potential.
"The authors of this paper have conducted a very elegant meta analysis and I have no criticism at all about the way they have done this," said Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.
But Pacey told Fox News Digital that he is "concerned" about the quality of the data on which the study’s analysis was based.
"The quality of the meta-analysis is as good as the original data we have, as noted by Prof. Pacey," Levine told Fox News Digital.
"Luckily for us, the methods for counting sperm are rather simple and haven't really changed in the last 50 years."
The paper notes that "counting by hemocytometer is the classical way to assess [sperm count] and has been recommended by the World Health Organization in all versions of organizations semen analysis manuals."
But Pacey said that counting sperm, even with the "gold standard" technique of haemocytometry, "is really difficult."
"I believe that over time we have simply gotten better at it because of the development of training and quality control programs around the world," Pacey added.
"I still think this is much of what we are seeing in the data."
Levine told Fox News Digital, "Nevertheless, as [with] any study, we are limited by the fact that we see what we look at."
"We had 41 estimates [data from studies] from the USA but only one from Israel or one from Cuba — and some countries are not represented at all," he added.
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"So we can summarize that there is strong evidence for global decline, including in Latin America, Asia and Africa, but we can't be certain for a specific population or country."
He stated more studies are needed to monitor semen quality and to better understand the causes of the decline.
The study comes after a recent United Nations report noted "the world’s population continues to grow, but the pace of growth is slowing down."
As of Nov. 15, 2022, the world’s population is estimated at 8 billion.
"In 2020, the global population growth rate fell under 1 percent per year for the first time since 1950."
Although the study did not examine the cause of sperm count declines, Levine suggested our modern environment and lifestyle are playing a role.
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"We have previously shown that disturbances in [the] male reproductive system are determined by prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals as well poor health behaviors in adulthood," Levine said.
"The study should serve as a wake-up call for clinicians, researchers, governments and the public, to address the reduced sperm crisis by investing in research for unknown causes and mitigating the known causes."
Nevertheless, Pacey remains "on the fence" about the findings.
"The problem is that the notion of a decline in sperm counts has [gotten] into popular culture and so it’s very difficult to have an even-handed debate about the issue — even among scientists."
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Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Transition surgery study raises questions about long-term results on quality of life after 'top surgery'
November 15, 2022
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A recently conducted study that evaluated young patients after they underwent double mastectomies as they transitioned into becoming male indicates that their quality of life drastically improved.
The study from Northwestern Medicine, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association — in JAMA Pediatrics — in September, compared two groups of patients ages 13 to 24. One group had the procedure, while one group did not.
Their findings showed that after three months, the group that had what is commonly referred to as "top surgery" experienced less chest dysphoria, compared to the group that did not have the surgery.
"Top surgery is associated with improved chest dysphoria, gender congruence, and body image satisfaction in this age group," reads a summary of the report.
Some have taken issue with the findings — saying that a sample study of only three months is not enough time to determine if these young patients experienced less dysphoria after surgery.
"I don't think it [the study] should shape clinical care because three months after an operation, people can easily feel happy because complications haven't happened yet," said Stella O’Malley, a psychotherapist and founder of Genspect.
The international nonprofit group Genspect advocates for "exploratory therapy" in support of gender dysphoria.
"What we need to know is how do they feel after a year, and how do they feel after five years, and how do they feel after 10 years? Then you've got something statistically significant, and you've got some serious data that you can actually shape your clinical care around."
"Sadly, the affirmative model is only 10 years old, so we don't have any long-term data," said O'Malley. "We don't know what the impact of a mastectomy is on a 14-year-old. We don't know what they're like when they're 24 because there isn't any data to show us."
When reached for comment by Fox News, officials for Northwestern Medicine stood by the findings of their study.
"We provide comprehensive and affirming medical treatment that honors every individual, including those who are transgender and gender-diverse," the statement from Northwestern Medicine says.
"This peer-reviewed study was accepted and published by one of the world’s leading medical journals," the statement continues.
"We stand with our patients and families, with members of the transgender and gender-diverse community and with our physicians and employees who provide gender-affirming care."
It was a year after her top surgery when Chloe Cole, 18, of Central California, says she regretted her decision.
"I was only a kid. I didn't really have the mental faculties or the life experience to be able to really understand what I was doing to myself. And they didn't even give me, like, a full picture of what might happen to me," Cole said in an interview with Fox News.
Cole was 12 when she began socially transitioning from female to male.
At 13, she started taking puberty blockers and testosterone. Two years later, she had a double mastectomy.
"I was kind of given the impression that I would be mostly fully healed by a year to about a year-and-a-half," she said. "Well, it's been well over two years, and I've actually had some regressions in the healing process."
Chloe says before her surgical transition, she genuinely believed that she was a boy trapped in a girl’s body, with a strong desire to form it to match the idea she had of herself — but her mental well-being did not improve in the months and years after her surgery.
"I was kind of given the impression that I would feel happier by transitioning and become my real self and feel more whole as a person," she said.
"But not only did I have some comorbid mental health issues, I also started to develop some over the course of my transition. After two years on testosterone, I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety — and I struggled with suicidal ideation."
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Cole says that after the surgery, she had initially felt happy — but after dealing with the post-operation process, she became upset over the loss of her breasts.
"I was doing this really adult thing as a kid. I took away opportunities for myself as an adult."
Dr. Erica Anderson, a California-based psychologist, says that any sort of invasive surgery can be traumatic.
"Historically, when people who have had gender-affirming surgeries have been surveyed. They’re very happy and there are very few who regret. And these are studies generally with adults," said Dr. Anderson, who has also transitioned herself.
"The concern I have currently, which I've been expressing, is that if a young person doesn't get all the support that ideally they should have, and they are rushed through the process, that they don't process the decision in a mature way."
Anderson says that she’d like to see the standards of care be observed, with comprehensive evaluations of all aspects of a child’s life before major decisions like top surgery or use of hormones.
"We used to require people to be on hormones for a minimum of a year before they would be eligible or a gender-affirming surgery," she says.
"I don't think that's being observed any longer or required. Not all providers are using the standards that have been set up to be cautious and affirming of young people in their gender."
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Others who made their transition are grateful to have had their gender-affirming surgery.
Noah Boutilier, 29, of Florida, says that it was a long time coming when he had top surgery two years ago at the age of 27.
"For me, it was the beginning of a new life," he said. "I waited 10 years into my transition to get my top surgery. The day I got it, I felt like I had always had it. I forget sometimes that I've had it, but it feels like this has always been my body, which is crazy to me."
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"Finally, I was home in my vessel. Finally, I could see me. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't see a stranger."
Fox News' Perry Chiaramonte contributed reporting to this story.
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Monday, November 14, 2022
Moderna’s Omicron vaccine shows better immune response than COVID shots
November 14, 2022
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Moderna Inc said on Monday its Omicron-tailored vaccines produced a better immune response against the BA.4/5 subvariants in a mid-to-late stage study, when given as a booster dose, compared with its original shot.
Data shows that both of Moderna's Omicron-tailored shots, mRNA-1273.214 and mRNA-1273.222, produced a higher antibody response against BA.4/5 subvariants than its original shot in vaccinated and boosted adults, the company said.
Moderna, however, said levels of neutralizing antibody response dropped nearly 5-fold against the emerging subvariant BQ.1.1 when compared with BA.4/5, in an analysis of about 40 participants, although the virus neutralizing activity still remained "robust".
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Rival Pfizer Inc and its German partner, BioNTech SE, said earlier this month their Omicron-tailored shot targeting the BA.4/5 subvariants produced a strong antibody response in older adults than the original shot after one month.
Based on data from preclinical studies, Omicron-tailored shots made by Moderna and Pfizer have already been approved in the United States for adults as well as for children as young as five years. According to government data, nearly 31.4 million Americans had received the updated shot as of Nov. 9, with around 5.1 million getting vaccinated last week.
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Sunday, November 13, 2022
Christina Applegate's MS: Here's why early symptoms are often overlooked
November 13, 2022
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Actress Christina Applegate apparently overlooked the early symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) before she was diagnosed last summer while on the set of the third and final season of "Dead To Me," which will drop on Netflix Nov. 17.
"I got diagnosed while we were working," the Emmy winner recently told Variety during an interview.
"I had to call everybody and be like, ‘I have multiple sclerosis, guys.’"
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She added, "And then it was about kind of learning — all of us learning — what I was going to be capable of doing."
The 50-year-old gained fame as the ditzy daughter in the raunchy TV comedy "Married … With Children," but continued to show her versatility in acting with shows like "Friends" to popular movies like "Anchorman."
For her work, she is being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Nov. 14.
She is opening up about her early signs and symptoms of MS.
Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease of the brain and spinal cord, which together make up the central nervous system that controls everything we do, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Although it’s unclear what causes the disease, something triggers the immune system to attack the nervous system, the group also says.
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That attack on the nervous system causes damage to the protective outer covering of the nerve fibers, known as myelin, as well as the nerve fiber themselves.
Nerves send electrical signals that help us feel sensations and move muscles in the body.
MS disrupts the transmission of these nerve signals between the brain, spinal cord and the rest of the body, per the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
"This interruption of communication signals causes unpredictable symptoms such as numbness, tingling, mood changes, memory problems, pain, fatigue, blindness and/or paralysis," the society noted on its website.
However, each patient’s experience with MS is different.
"Multiple sclerosis should be suspected when a younger person develops neurologic symptoms," said Dr. Jai S. Perumal, assistant professor of neurology at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
She relates it to "the way one suspects stroke when an older person" develops neurological symptoms.
Most people with MS experience early symptoms as young adults, typically between the ages of 20 and 40, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
One common early symptom includes difficulty with vision, such as blurry vision or even blindness in one eye, the same source added.
Most patients also experience muscle weakness in their arms or legs and difficulty with balance that can become so severe they have trouble walking or standing.
"MS can present with isolated eye vision loss, numbness, tingling in your face [and] double vision, usually lasting for days and not hours or minutes," said Dr. Michael G. Ho, assistant clinical professor of neurology at UCLA in California.
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Applegate said she was "sleeping all the time" after her diagnosis and was using a wheelchair to get around on set because it was difficult to walk, according to Variety.
But these symptoms are nonspecific and subtle, so they can be initially dismissed by patients.
"Approximately half of all people with MS experience cognitive impairments such as difficulties with concentration, attention, memory and poor judgment, but such symptoms are usually mild and are frequently overlooked," according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s website.
Applegate remembers having balance issues while filming a dance sequence on the first season of "Dead To Me" before being officially diagnosed, according to The New York Times.
"I wish I had paid attention," she told the publication. "But who was I to know?"
She later noticed her tennis game began to suffer, but she didn’t connect it to a medical issue, the same report noted.
But Applegate’s experience can be a common one for other MS patients.
"Sometimes when the symptoms are mild and people fully recover, they might decide not to see a doctor because they attributed it to any number of causes, including ‘pinched nerve,’ stress, etc.," Perumal told Fox News Digital.
Some cases, however, may lead to partial or complete paralysis, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke noted on its website.
Most patients experience temporary numbness, prickling or "pins and needles" sensations.
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Applegate told the Times she began having numbness and tingling in her extremities that worsened over several years before she was finally diagnosed last year.
Other hallmark symptoms include pain, difficulty speaking, tremors or dizziness.
"A diagnosis of MS is made based MRI findings," Perumal added. "A spinal tap is necessary only if the MRI is inconclusive."
An MS patient may only have symptoms temporarily — and then those symptoms partly or completely resolve over time. But then they can "relapse."
"An exacerbation of MS (also known as a relapse, attack or flare-up) is the occurrence of new symptoms or the worsening of old symptoms," according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The relapse must last at least 24 hours and occur at least 30 days from the previous attack, with other causes — such as infection — ruled out, the organization added.
"An MS relapse is any neurologic symptom, such as numbness, weakness, vision issues or gait impairment, among others, that comes on and lasts for a few days or weeks" — and then gradually recedes, Perumal said.
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"A patient with MS can have a normal exam between relapses."
The physician noted that today, there are very effective treatments for MS.
"Our current treatments work best when used early in the disease course. They are very good at preventing further injury and maintaining function, but they are not good at reversing injury sustained over years," she said.
The doctor added, "If there is one take away, it’s early optimal treatment."
"People are going to see me for the first time as a disabled person, and it’s very difficult," Applegate told Variety.
"I’m trying to figure it out — and I’m also in mourning for the person that I was," she added.
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Saturday, November 12, 2022
California hospitals using overflow tents for rising number of flu patients
November 12, 2022
Health, Health News Today on Fox News
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Several Southern California hospitals have begun using overflow tents outside emergency rooms to cope with a rising number of patients with flu and other respiratory illnesses.
The San Diego-Union Tribune reported Friday that overflow tents were put up at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas, Jacobs Medical Center at UC San Diego Health in La Jolla and Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa to handle an increase in respiratory illness.
Scripps hospitals and doctor's offices reported 1,695 positive flu tests since Sept. 1, up from 471 during the same time period one year ago.
The move comes amid a rise in flu symptoms in emergency room patients in San Diego County. About 9 percent of these patients had flu symptoms last week, up from 7 percent two weeks ago, according to a county report.
The San Diego-Union Tribune also flagged an increase in patients with COVID-19 symptoms, though not as quickly, according to the county’s weekly respiratory illness report.
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"The fear is that everything is just sort of bouncing off everything else and once you’ve been through the flu you could still get hit by COVID or whatever other virus you’re going to get," said Dr. Ghazala Sharieff, Scripps Health's chief medical officer of acute care operations and clinical excellence.
"I’m hopeful, but we’re still kind of planning that it’s going to be this way through February," Sharieff said.
Generally, the flu hits hardest from late December through February.
The Southern Hemisphere also dealt with an earlier than usual influenza season. Chile's influenza positivity rates reached epidemic thresholds as early as January, several months sooner than usual.
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Health experts said it was not immediately clear whether flu cases would reach an earlier-than-usual peak in California, which typically sees the bulk of cases in December through February, or a prolonged flu season.
Much of the United States is seeing a fast start to the flu season. Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more flu cases are being reported than is typically expected at this time.
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On Friday, the CDC reported that the flu and similar viral illnesses are notably high in Georgia, New York City, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C.
"Early increases in seasonal influenza activity continue nationwide. The southeastern and south-central areas of the country are reporting the highest levels of activity followed by the Mid-Atlantic and the south-central West Coast regions." the CDC said.
Most of those are influenza A, specifically a strain called H3N2. While any version of the flu can be dangerous in vulnerable populations, this strain has been known to cause more severe illness.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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