(2023-11-11). Perspectives] The drama of epidemics and the promise of vaccines. thelancet.com COVID-19 inquiries, reflections on the pandemic, and revised preparedness plans for the next outbreak signal that we have moved into the end stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, although infections and illness continue. The end of an epidemic is marked not by the disappearance of disease, but by looking back to make sense of what happened, identifying what went wrong, and transforming affliction into lessons learned, linking past frustrations to future optimism. Simon Schama's sweeping history of vaccines, Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines, and the Health of Nations, fits neatly into this stage of epidemic trajector…
(2023-11-11). Perspectives] Anurag and Madhavi Bhargava: enhancing TB prevention and care. thelancet.com At the non-profit Jan Swasthya Sahyog (People's Health Support Group) that Anurag and Madhavi Bhargava set up with fellow physicians, the toll of tuberculosis was clear. Between 2000 and 2009, in their single centre in rural Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India, they diagnosed around 600 people with tuberculosis each year. One underlying issue stood out to them—the impact of widespread undernutrition on the disease. Yet the pair knew current national and international treatment guidelines for tuberculosis had no system for assessment of nutritional status or support.
(2023-11-11). Why is there an epidemic crisis of congenital syphilis in the United States? wsws.org The rates of congenital syphilis among newborns have risen tenfold over the last 10 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(2023-11-11). Mayo Clinic Minute: Stomach cancer concerns. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer, is an abnormal growth of cells that begins in the stomach. It can affect several areas of the stomach, including the main stomach lining or where the esophagus meets the stomach. November is Stomach Cancer Awareness Month, and experts at Mayo Clinic say there is hope for patients with the disease as treatments continue to improve. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/hAexmiycYOA Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1: 20) is in the…
(2023-11-11). Consumer Health: Breast cancer in men. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Breast cancer may be thought of as a disease that affects only women. It's the second-most common cancer diagnosed in women in the U.S., and it will affect 1 in 8 women, according to the American Cancer Society. Much of the messaging around breast cancer research focuses on the disease in women. However, breast cancer can occur in men as well. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn about breast cancer…
(2023-11-11). Consumer Health: Living with COPD. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org November is National COPD Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. COPD is a leading cause of disability and death in the U.S., according to the American Lung Association. More than 12.5 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COPD, but millions more may have the disease without knowing it. COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung disease caused by long-term exposure to irritating…
(2023-11-11). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Treatment for a parastomal hernia. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My friend had a stoma created after years of managing Crohn's disease. She recently had surgery to repair a hernia. What is a stoma, and are these types of hernias common? What is the typical treatment? ANSWER: Occasionally, the surgical treatment of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and other gastrointestinal, gynecologic, or urologic conditions, both cancerous or benign, may require reconstruction or removal of the bladder, colon, or rectum. Surgeons may use other…
(2023-11-11). Mayo Clinic expert explains why a change is needed when talking about dementia. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org One of the challenges in addressing Alzheimer's disease, dementia, cognitive impairment and aging is not related to the conditions themselves but rather the terminology. That's according to Dr. Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, who suggests a new framework for dementia nomenclature is needed. Inconsistent use of terms such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia has compromised progress in clinical care, research and development of therapeutics. Dementia-associated stigma further contributes to…
(2023-11-11). Mayo Clinic Healthcare expert shares good news and bad news about angina. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org LONDON — Angina, chest discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart, is a common symptom of coronary artery disease. There is good news and bad news, explains Stephen Brecker, M.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London. The good news: Angina often is treatable. The bad news: While people may think angina affects only the elderly, it can occur in younger people too. The pain of angina can vary widely. Most often,…
(2023-11-11). Mayo Clinic Minute: When to consider deep brain stimulation for essential tremor. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Essential tremor is a nervous system condition that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking. While it is often mistaken for Parkinson's disease, Dr. Philip Tipton, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, says essential tremor is very different. There are treatment options for essential tremor, including deep brain stimulation. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/AWzoMEbpExQ Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1: 10) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script. Essential…
(2023-11-11). Researchers discover new molecular drug targets for progressive neurological disorder. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org There is no cure for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a brain disorder marked by walking and balance difficulties. Its symptoms also mimic Parkinson's disease and dementia. The condition leads to rapid, progressive decline and death. In a new paper published in Nature Communications, Mayo researchers and collaborators outline new therapeutic targets that may lead to potential future treatments for PSP, as well as Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. People with PSP usually are diagnosed in their late 60s and 70s….
(2023-11-11). Obituary] Victor Robert Fuchs. thelancet.com Health-care economics pioneer. He was born in New York City, NY, USA, on Jan 31, 1924 and died in Palo Alto, CA, USA, on Sept 16, 2023 aged 99 years.
(2023-11-11). World Report] WMO calls for greater use of climate services in health. thelancet.com Sharing and supply of data are essential for the health sector to function as extreme weather events become more frequent. John Zarocostas reports from Geneva, Switzerland.
(2023-11-11). 'Operation Al-Aqsa Flood' Day 35: Tanks Besiege Gaza City Hospitals. popularresistance.org The Gaza Ministry of Health said that Israeli army tanks were surrounding the al-Rantisi and al-Nasr hospitals in Gaza City on Friday, as medical centers across the besieged Gaza Strip were subjected to an escalation of Israeli bombardment in the past 24 hours. | "Thousands of patients, medical staff, and displaced people are trapped inside hospitals, without water and food, and are at risk of death at any moment. The world should be ashamed of itself for not doing anything in the face of massacres, and targeting and besieging hospitals," Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra wrote. | Al-Jazeera meanwhile reported t…
(2023-11-11). ICRC calls on Israel to respect hospitals and patients in Gaza. plenglish.com Ramallah, Nov 11 (Prensa Latina) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is urgently calling for the respect and protection of medical facilities, patients and healthcare workers in Gaza.
(2023-11-11). Israel strikes Gaza's biggest hospital complex. plenglish.com Ramallah, Nov 11 (Prensa Latina) Israel has attacked four hospitals in Gaza, including the enclave's biggest medical complex, resulting in what appear to be multiple casualties, the health ministry in the Hamas-governed enclave has said.
(2023-11-11). WHO admits favorable situation of Covid-19 and immunization. plenglish.com By updating the risk groups and treatment recommendations against Covid-19, WHO considered that the risk of serious illness and death has been reduced for most patients. | The UN health agency created a new moderate-risk category which now includes many of those previously considered high-risk, including older adults and/or those with chronic conditions, disabilities and co-morbidities of chronic conditions. | Immunocompromised individuals remain in the high-risk category, while all others are considered low risk. | WHO continues to strongly recommend nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (also known as Paxlovid) for those at h…
(2023-11-11). Perspectives] Listening to the experiences of pandemic physicians. thelancet.com It's fair to say that the first floor of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a safe space; it is light and airy, with high ceilings and stained-glass details in the windows. The RCP's new exhibition, Fortitude: Healthcare Workers' Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic, arranged down a long wall, does not try to dominate. At first sight, it is a disparate and eclectic collection; glass cases with snapshots in candid moments, scraps of writing and small mementos, headphones promising voiced accounts, notwithstanding the short film and professional photographs of health-care workers that are prominently displaye…
(2023-11-11). World Report] Sudan facing humanitarian crisis of "epic proportions" thelancet.com Conflict has led to the biggest internal displacement of people in the world, causing widespread harm to health. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2023-11-11). 100 bodies to be buried in mass grave inside Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital. muslimmirror.com GAZA CITY, Palestine : The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said a mass grave inside the Al-Shifa Hospital will be dug on Saturday to bury 100 bodies lying in the hospital. Talking to Al Jazeera Media Network early Saturday, Palestinian Health Ministry Director General Dr. Munir Al-Borsh said Israeli bombing around the hospital has not …
(2023-11-11). Editorial] Gambling: a harmful commodity. thelancet.com Gambling is often seen as a bit of harmless fun: a light-hearted flutter on a sporting event or a quick try with a scratch card. But gambling harms physical and mental health and can do wider damage to societies. One study suggests that past-year problem gambling affects 0 ∑1—5 ∑8% of adults globally. When measured in quality-adjusted life-years, the burden of harm from gambling in some countries is similar to that of depression and alcohol, mostly resulting from financial loss, damage to relationships and health, mental distress, and adverse effects on work and education, disproportionately affecti…
(2023-11-11). "No one is safe" in Gaza -WHO chief says. telesurenglish.net World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday that there is nowhere safe in Gaza. | RELATED: | "Half of the Gaza Strip's 36 hospitals and two-thirds of its primary care centers are not functioning at all. Those that are functioning do so far beyond their capacities," Tedros said at a session on the Israel-Palestine conflict. | The situation o…
(2023-11-11). Obamacare and the Science of Prolonged Decay. realprogressives.org The failure of a health care "reform" fostered within the blight of the capitalist model reveals how incrementalism cannot solve the most formidable ecological and social crises of our day.
(2023-11-11). Portland's first teachers strike. workers.org 
Portland, Oregon For the first time ever, Portland's 4,300 teachers are on strike and closed down schools beginning on Nov. 1. They are demanding smaller class size — meaning more individualized attention to students — cost-of-living adjustments, and safe, healthy classroom and building conditions for over 40,000 students and educators. . . . |
(2023-11-11). Consumer Health: Do you need more dietary fiber or less? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Dietary fiber, also known as roughage or bulk, includes the parts of plant foods your body can't digest or absorb. Unlike other food components, such as fats, proteins or carbohydrates — which your body breaks down and absorbs — fiber isn't digested by your body. Instead, it passes relatively intact through your stomach, small intestine and colon and out of your body. Fiber is commonly classified as soluble, which dissolves in water, or insoluble, which…
(2023-11-11). Mayo hospitals earn highest grades for patient safety from Leapfrog Group. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Hospitals across Mayo Clinic scored high marks for patient safety, earning A grades from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization that provides safety ratings. The ratings are intended to help patients choose their preferred healthcare destinations. Mayo Clinic hospitals that received an A grade are: Arizona Mayo Clinic Hospital Florida Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester Mayo Clinic Hospital — Rochester Mayo Clinic Health System Albert Lea and Austin, Minnesota Eau Claire, Wisconsin Fairmont, Minnesota…
(2023-11-11). Costa Rican group lost their legal appeal to have covid vaccines banned but vow that this is just the beginning. expose-news.com On 13 September, a Costa Rican Appellate judge ordered an oral hearing in the case of Interest of Justice vs State of Costa Rica. In a case originally filed a year ago, …
(2023-11-11). Dr Peter McCullough: No one should take another Shot, COVID vaccines are not safe for Human use. expose-news.com Dr Peter McCullough recently gave a speech at the European Parliament during a hearing hosted by five Members of the European Parliament ("MEPs"). The hearing was to raise awareness about the World …
(2023-11-11). Mayo Clinic Minute: What a Mayo Clinic pediatrician says about the flu vaccine and kids. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Young children and older adults are particularly susceptible to severe flu-related illness. That's why Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician with Mayo Clinic's Children's Center, says it's important that kids and adults get their seasonal flu vaccine. She says you should get vaccinated well before the holidays because it takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to become fully effective. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/eleYLD8mfkY Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1: 10) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: …
(2023-11-11). Passing Observations 212. expose-news.com In his recent passing observations, Dr. Coleman covers a variety of topics including taxes, inflation, bankers and politicians — and Pfizer has a new "covid treatment" with which to rip off the …
(2023-11-11). A winter surge of COVID-19 is underway in the US. wsws.org There are projections that by early December the pandemic, far from being "over," will be causing 1 million new infections every day in the United States.