Health News

B.1.1.7 variant more transmissible but does not increase disease severity, two new studies suggestBy Jacqueline HowardPosted by CNN 3 hours agoTwo new studies suggest that the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, is more transmissible, but the variant does not appear to impact disease severity.www.cnn.com

What you can do to minimize COVID-19 vaccine side effectsBy Rebecca PetitPosted by FOX 4 WFTX 2 hours ago With about four million people in Florida being fully vaccinated, some are experiencing side effects. A few people will have no reaction after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but if you do experience symptoms, doctors say it’s a good thing. “It means your body is doing what it’s supposed to be doing and chances are you're getting a good immunity against COVID-19,” said Dr. Thomas Unnasch, Professor at USF College of Public Health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the most common side effects from the COVID-19 vaccines include pain, redness or swelling at the injection site. Body aches, fatigue and fever can also occur. Doctors say making sure you’re well-rested and hydrated before going to get your shot can help prevent these symptoms. “We all feel better when we’re well-hydrated so this isn’t the time to go on a fluid strike, but really try to overdo it with the fluids. To the point where, when one’s urinating that it’s a clear color,” said Dr. David Berger with Wholistic Pediatrics and Family Care. Though the CDC does not recommend using over-the-counter pain relief medications prior to getting vaccinated, they do recommend them if symptoms develop after the shot. “About seven or eight hours after I got the shot the symptoms came on and I had some muscle aches and pain in my shoulder and in my chest and I felt really fatigued. I went home, took a few Tylenol, went to bed and got up the next morning and ran a 5K,” said Dr. Unnasch. If you’re looking for a more natural approach Dr. Berger recommends cooking with or taking curcumin supplements. Dr. Unnasch says side effects shouldn't be used as an excuse to skip vaccination. “Side effects are really, really minor compared especially to what would happen if you got the infection and the side effects disappear within a couple of days,” he said.

Texas Tech analysis shows mask mandates reduced COVID-19 in roughly two-thirds of statesLubbock Avalanche-Journal 3 hours agoThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended face masks to protect against COVID-19 practically since the pandemic began, and still the debate about their efficacy endures. But a new analysis from Texas Tech University's Department of Environmental Toxicology suggests how much of a difference those face coverings...www.lubbockonline.com

Michigan-born musician Ted Nugent plays a song for attendees at a Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 Trump campaign event in Hanover, Mich. (Nicole Hester | MLive.com)Nicole Hester/Mlive.comFacebook ShareTwitter ShareBy Paul Egan Detroit Free Press (TNS) and Tribune Media Services Ted Nugent, the aging rocker who performed at campaign events for former President Donald Trump, has raised a question about the COVID-19 pandemic that possibly nobody else had considered.“Why weren’t we shut down for COVID one through 18?” asked Nugent, 72, in an interview shared to his Facebook page, in which he said he has no fear of the virus.Of course, the coronavirus that has killed close to 560,000 people in the U.S. was named for the year in which the first infection was reported — 2019.“You know, I guess I would ask you — because I’m addicted to truth, logic and common sense — and my commonsense meter would demand the answer to why weren’t we shut down for COVID one through 18?” Nugent asked in a 12-minute video.Some wondered if the quote attributed to Nugent might be a hoax, but the fact-checking website Snopes verified it as true.Nugent, known as the “Motor City Madman,” moved to Texas from Michigan more than 18 years ago.He has performed at several Trump rallies, including one in Lansing, Michigan, in October 2020.___(c)2021 the Detroit Free PressVisit the Detroit Free Press at www.freep.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

New York Times calls Florida Gov. DeSantis 'polarizing leader' with 'mixed' COVID record in profileBy Joseph A. WulfsohnPosted by Fox News 2 hours agoThe New York Times published a less-than-flattering profile of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis over the weekend, saying he had "elbowed his way to the front of the line of 2024 Republican hopefuls." "Mr. DeSantis’s inclination to keep his own counsel and drive hard at reopening Florida has made him...www.foxnews.com

Story of the Day: Man Checks His Blood Sugar at His Desk When C-Worker Has Severe Blood PhobiaBy Cathrine MabvudzaPosted by Amomama 2 hours agoA man and his new coworker cannot reach a compromise because he prefers to check his blood sugar at his desk, and his coworker has severe blood and needle phobia. As a person with type one diabetes, David needs to check his blood sugar regularly throughout the day and admit insulin if necessary. The quick process involves pricking his finger and drawing blood on a test strip read by a portable glucose meter.Since David's condition is well-known throughout the company and the human resource office, he has never had any issues checking his blood sugar at his work desk in his office. Most of his coworkers are understanding and accomodating.However, the company recently hired a new associate, Todd, to work closely with David. The two seemed to get along swimmingly until last week when James walked into David's office and caught him checking his blood sugar.As soon as Todd saw the blood and needles on the desk, his face turned white, and he staggered a few steps before falling to the ground with a loud thud!After Todd regained consciousness, he revealed that he had a severe blood and needle phobia, and although he was in therapy for his condition, he still couldn't stand the sight or even thought of blood. David felt really bad about Todd's condition. He explained that he needed to check his blood sugar throughout the day because any unnoted changes in his blood sugar could lead to serious health consequences.At first, Todd seemed understanding and relayed his own concerns about accidentally walking into David's office and fainting in the future since their jobs required constant collaboration. David responded:"How about I warn you whenever I am checking my blood sugar?"Todd refused the suggestion and said that even knowing that there might be blood in the office would stress him out. David then suggested that he could even shut his door to his office, but Todd still refused.Instead, Todd argued that David should check his blood sugar in the bathroom despite knowing that it would be unsanitary since the entire company uses the same bathroom. As the conversation got heated, Todd accused David of refusing to compromise while David insisted he was within his rights to check his blood sugar in his office since it wasn't a shared space. Once it became clear that Todd and David had reached an impasse, they decided to take the matter to the human resources office for mediation. What do you think is the best compromise for the coworkers?In another workplace debacle, a man reported his coworker for constantly trying to force-feed him.

Editorial: Looking ahead, Virginia must ramp up its messaging with younger populationsRichmond.com 3 hours agoStates across the U.S. are facing a similar quandary: Could the number of COVID-19 vaccinations plateau before the population reaches herd immunity?. In Virginia, the population of people who have gotten vaccinated — or are in the process of getting there — continues to climb. As of Monday morning, 36.6% of people in the commonwealth (3.1 million) have received at least one dose. That’s almost half of the state’s stated goal of vaccinating at least 75% of people ages 16 and older, as cited in a March Virginia Department of Health (VDH) fact sheet.richmond.com

Former CDC Director Under Trump Now Promoting Unproven Virus-Killing Tech for 'Big Ass Fans'By Tom McKayGizmodo 59 minutes agoThe former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Donald Trump, Dr. Robert Redfield, has landed a sweet gig at...Big Ass Fans. Per Kaiser Health News (KHN), Redfield is now a strategic health and safety adviser for the company, effectively lending his scientific reputation to Big Ass Fans and the $9,450 ion-generating model it claims is 99.99% effective at sterilizing rooms from the coronavirus. Dr. Deborah Birx, the former coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, has signed on with a separate company called ActivePure which markets products that release small amounts of hydrogen peroxide as having a similar success rate. Experts told KHN that despite the endorsement from some of the nation’s highest-profile infectious disease specialists, these devices aren’t proven to work and similar ones have been shown to potentially generate harmful byproducts.gizmodo.com

This study shows the cause of ‘brain fog’ in people with COVID-19By KnowridgePosted by Knowridge Science Report 2 hours agoIn a recent study from Memorial Sloan Kettering, researchers found an underlying cause of the COVID brain: the presence of inflammatory molecules in the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord (called the cerebrospinal fluid).The findings suggest that anti-inflammatory drugs, such as steroids, may be useful for treating the condition.The study is published in the journal Cancer Cell. One author is Jessica Wilcox.One of the dozens of unusual symptoms that have emerged in COVID-19 patients is a condition that’s informally called “COVID brain” or “brain fog.”It’s characterized by confusion, headaches, and loss of short-term memory. In severe cases, it can lead to psychosis and even seizures. It usually emerges weeks after someone first becomes sick with COVID-19.The medical term for COVID brain is encephalopathy. It is a side effect in patients who are receiving a type of immunotherapy called chimeric antibody receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, a treatment for blood cancer.The study focused on 18 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and were experiencing severe neurologic problems.The patients were given a full neurology workup, including brain scans like MRIs and CTs and electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, to try to find the cause of their delirium.When nothing was found in the scans that would explain their condition, the researchers thought the answer might lie in the cerebrospinal fluid.The team devised a test to detect the COVID-19 virus in the fluid. Thirteen of the 18 patients had spinal taps to look for the virus, but it was not found.They found that these patients had persistent inflammation and high levels of cytokines in their cerebrospinal fluid, which explained the symptoms they were having.The team says the inflammatory markers found in the COVID-19 patients were similar, but not identical, to those seen in people who have received CAR T cell therapy (therapy for brain cancer).The initial inflammatory response with CAR T cell treatment is very similar to the reaction called cytokine storm that’s often reported in people with COVID-19.With both COVID-19 and CAR T cell therapy, the neurologic effects come days or weeks later.If you care about COVID-19, please read studies about this health problem is the leading risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization and findings of these people 7 times as likely to have severe COVID-19.For more information about COVID-19 prevention and treatment, please see recent studies about how this common drug may reduce death risk in severe COVID-19 and results showing that this old drug could prevent lung damage in people with COVID-19.Copyright © 2021 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.

U.K. variant isn't linked to more severe disease or death, study findsBy Denise ChowPosted by NBC News 2 hours agoPeople infected with the more contagious coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom did not experience more severe symptoms and were not at higher risk of death, according to a new study published Monday. Scientists are struggling to pin down the nature of the U.K. variant, which has become...www.nbcnews.com