Patient at high risk

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The vast majority of people suffer only moderate to mild symptoms during SARS-CoV-2 infection — sore throat, fever, fatigue, and so on. But a portion of those infected go on to develop severe disease. This includes hyperinflammation, immune dysregulation, and serious organ damage. Such cases often require hospitalization and even intubation. A group of international researchers has discovered a new metric to help predict Covid-19 disease outcome: autoantibodies against type 1 interferons (IFNs). Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) , the work by Manry et al. will allow for a more efficient distribution of care, affording the most at-risk patients priority access to limited resources including beds in intensive care units (ICU) and ventilators. What are Interferons and Autoantibodies? Our immune system helps protect us from microbial threats. It can roughly be broken down into two … [Read more...] about Biggest Risk Factor For Severe Covid-19 Other Than Age? Autoantibodies

In photo – Dr. Rafael R. Castillo , a leading Filipino heart doctor. MANILA, Philippines — A leading Filipino heart doctor said alternative tobacco products such as vapes and heated tobacco products should be considered as part of smoking cessation intervention programs, and encouraging its regulated use in current smokers may be an effective solution to address the smoking epidemic that kills millions of people globally each year. In a recent satellite symposium during the annual convention of the Philippine Heart Association, Dr. Rafael R. Castillo, the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to be elected as a trustee of the United Kingdom-based International Society of Hypertension (ISH), said smokers need a viable alternative that can wean them off from cigarette smoking, and help them quit. He said quitting smoking is still the primary goal. But for recalcitrant smokers or those who can’t quit despite smoking cessation interventions, “the use of electronic nicotine delivery … [Read more...] about Vapes, heated tobacco, ‘best bet to kick’ smoking problem — heart health expert

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin InnovationRx is your weekly digest of healthcare news. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here . A World Health Organization committee will meet on Thursday to discuss the growing global monkeypox outbreak and if it rises to the level of a public health emergency of international concern. This high alert designation from the U.N. body means there is a “serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected” public health risk that crosses international borders. There are currently two ongoing international public health emergencies: the Covid-19 pandemic declared in 2020 and poliovirus declared in 2014. The monkeypox virus, which is characterized by a blister-like rash, is usually found in Western and Central Africa, but the WHO has confirmed more than 2,100 cases and one death across 42 different countries as of June 15. The U.K. has seen the highest number of confirmed cases at 524, followed by Spain with 313 cases and Germany … [Read more...] about InnovationRx: The Next Public Health Emergency?; Plus, Moderna’s Omicron Booster

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Recently I reported on the San Francisco Fire dept. being upset at how a Cruise robotaxi coming the other direction couldn’t clear out of that lane when the fire engine was blocked by a stopped garbage truck. Discussion suggest there was concern over whether cars like the Cruise were ready for driving on a road with emergency vehicles. While there may be some small issues to resolve, emergency crews should take heart. A future is possible where they will be able to respond to emergencies far better than they can today, thanks to robocars and other future technologies like e-VTOL aircraft. Robotaxi developers build simulations of situations on the road, including encountering emergency vehicles. They do thousands of variations of those situations to try to make sure their car will do well. When it doesn’t, they fix it. They may not get everything, but they will constantly improve as they learn — and one of the ways they … [Read more...] about Forget SFFD Being Upset At Cruise, The Future For Emergency Vehicles With Robocars & e-VTOL Is Super Positive

FIRST IN PH With the urine-albumin-to-creatinine-ratio (uACR) machine, presented here at a press conference in Mandaluyong City on Friday, kidney patients may now easily get tested by their primary care physicians or through their local governments, according to proponents.  CONTRIBUTED PHOTO In 2010, Reynaldo Abacan Jr. went to the doctor to have his kidneys checked for the first time—and he had to go straight to his dialysis treatment 24 hours later. The checkup showed that he had stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD), which meant that his kidneys were severely damaged. “When I was diagnosed, I was at stage 5 and it was already too late. The problem with CKD is that when [symptoms] develop, it is only then that you know your illness is already severe and you need to go through dialysis,” Abacan said on Friday at the launch of the urine-albumin-to-creatinine-ratio (uACR) machine, a device used in measuring kidney damage. Yearly testing His family supported him throughout his … [Read more...] about Chronic kidney disease: 1 Filipino develops it every 40 minutes

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to an abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. This decision marks the end of 49 years of legal precedent for abortion access, which began with the Roe v. Wade decision, passed in 1973. After the court released its response Friday morning--which has been anticipated for weeks--entrepreneurs responded by voicing their own dissent. Some founders have shared how they will continue to support their employee's access to an abortion, in spite of SCOTUS's decision. "In light of today's devastating Supreme Court decision surrounding Roe v. Wade, it's clear that the responsibility to uphold women's reproductive rights in this country falls increasingly on the private sector," says Alina Vandenberghe, co-founder and co-CEO of the remote, New York City-headquartered software company, Chili Piper , which has employees worldwide. Chili Piper has instituted a policy that will pay for … [Read more...] about The Supreme Court Just Struck Down Roe v. Wade. Female Founders Responded With Their Dissent

Christine Kanetzki takes almost an hour to check the patient for breast cancer. She gently feels each centimetre of her breasts and the lymph nodes under her arms, on her neck and near her collarbone. The inspection gives her an overview of the temperature, shape and tissue firmness. Kanetzki, who is blind, has been working as a medical tactile examiner (MTE) for nearly 10 years, at gynaecologists' practices. Employed as a specialist for the early detection of breast cancer, she currently works at the Paracelsus Hospital in Reichenbach, Germany and practices in other towns too. Not being able to see has enabled her to develop a unique sense of touch, she says. "As blind people, that sense is something we depend on every day." Kanetzki found the work through Discovering Hands, which has trained almost 60 blind or visually impaired people in MTE since 2011. The firm was founded by obstetrician Frank Hoffmann who says often, by the time a patient comes to a gynaecologist … [Read more...] about How blind people are helping to diagnose breast cancer through touch

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin You've probably seen the pictures of the mountains of luggage at London's Heathrow Airport. You've heard about the heat wave. And maybe you have friends who got Covid while they were in Europe. With all that's happening, maybe you need a better guide to traveling to Europe this summer. "Tourism is back," says David Corsun, director of the University of Denver's Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management. "Hotels are full. Flights are full. Restaurants are full." Travel by Americans to Europe will soar 600 percent over last summer , according to new projections by Allianz Partners. Europeans are traveling more, too. A new survey by insurance company Europ Assistance Group found that 71% of Europeans intend to travel during the summer . That's a 14 percentage point increase compared to 2021. But you don't have to get stuck in a crowd and miss the best part of your European vacation. Europe has changed … [Read more...] about The Ultimate Guide To Traveling To Europe This Summer

AFP Geneva, Switzerland   ● Sun, June 26, 2022 2022-06-26 15:10 0 53ea05b5fe2e13733519dbf4e3304c07 2 Europe WHO,monkeypox,pandemic,Tedros-Adhanom-Ghebreyesus,emergency,health Free The World Health Organization's chief said Saturday that the monkeypox outbreak was a deeply concerning evolving threat but did not currently constitute a global health emergency. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened a committee of experts on Thursday to advise him whether to sound the UN health agency's strongest alarm over the outbreak. A surge of monkeypox cases has been detected since early May outside of the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic. Most of the new cases have been in Western Europe. More than 3,200 confirmed cases and one death have now been reported to the WHO from more than 50 countries this year. "The emergency committee shared serious concerns about the scale and speed of the current outbreak," … [Read more...] about WHO says monkeypox not currently a global health emergency