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Tag: June

  • June 13 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    June 13 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    The Tompkins County Wellbeing Department says there have now been 22,147 total optimistic cases in Tompkins County, 29 much more than on Friday, and a total of 1,912,648 checks done. The Wellbeing Division is also now reporting positive self-test final results that have been submitted as a result of their online portal. They say there are 8 new positive self-take a look at results for a complete of 3,067 submitted.

    Linked: TCHD: If you test good on an at-home examination

    As of Monday at 8:45am, the Overall health Section suggests 187 assessments were carried out in the former working day. The Tompkins County Health and fitness Division publishes NYS vaccine tracking data, exhibiting 85,976 Tompkins County citizens have a initially dose and 78,620 have finished vaccination (which could be a person or two doses, dependent on vaccine).

    Relevant: Several are suitable for 2nd booster or extra doses, claims Wellness Office

    The Overall health Section states 1 person is currently hospitalized for COVID-19, four less than in Friday’s update. As of a shift in knowledge final wintertime, “TCHD is reporting only energetic conditions who are hospitalized,” somewhat than which includes clients recovered from COVID who continue to be hospitalized for other factors.

    “Of the recent uptick in hospitalizations, a broad majority have been of vaccinated persons,” Tompkins County Community Wellness Director Frank Kruppa tells us, but “of the folks who are vaccinated and have been hospitalized for COVID-19 relevant good reasons, the development retains that they are mainly more mature grownups, age 65+. This data details to the significance of boosters and 2nd boosters for those people age 65+.”

    There have been 62 fatalities from COVID-19 recorded between Tompkins County residents, like the dying of two place citizens documented in early Might.

    On June 12, Cornell University reported 1 active university student circumstance and active school and team scenarios. Cornell has switched to weekly updates, and the timing of their updates does not allow for a direct comparison to the county’s studies.

    As of June 6, Ithaca Higher education documented 1 energetic college student circumstance, with 588 recovered, and 1 energetic personnel circumstance and 253 recovered staff members.

    The Health Department claims the community requires to stop the distribute of COVID-19 not just to shield themselves, but some others in our community who are most vulnerable to getting really ill – older adults, all those who are immune-compromised, and those with underlying continual health circumstances.

    Related: BA.2 variant most likely, but not confirmed, amongst “ebbs and flows” of Tompkins situations, claims Overall health Department

    TCHD’s Frank Kruppa states, “There is a quite large vaccination price for our neighborhood, specially with the successes that have been reported by our area faculties. In addition to the arrival and surveillance testing, lots of of our new conditions are arising from sustained shut get in touch with with a good person, meaning a lot more than 10 minutes in just 6 ft of a favourable circumstance. These close contacts are developing far more routinely in large indoor gatherings that combine various groups of folks.”

    “Over the past handful of months, our endeavours have focused on vaccinating our younger people today and furnishing booster doses to all those who are suitable,” Kruppa suggests. “We are distributing self-checks and masks all through the county as we receive shipments and thank our community partners for assisting in this exertion.”

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    Similar: Coronavirus protection in 14850 Today

  • First Edition: June 8, 2022

    First Edition: June 8, 2022

    Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.

    KHN:
    Some People In This Montana Mining Town Worry About The Dust Next Door 

    Steve McGrath stood in an empty lot a block from his home watching for dust. In this southwestern Montana city nicknamed “The Richest Hill on Earth,” more than a century of mining left polluted soil and water that has taken decades to clean. But at that moment, looking across the road toward Butte’s last operating open-pit mine, McGrath was worried about the air. “Here comes another truck,” McGrath said, pointing to a hillside across the street as a massive dump truck unloaded ore for the mine’s crusher. A brown cloud billowed into the air. “And there’s the dust.” (Houghton, 6/8)

    KHN:
    Patients Seek Mental Health Care From Their Doctor But Find Health Plans Standing In The Way

    When a longtime patient visited Dr. William Sawyer’s office after recovering from covid, the conversation quickly turned from the coronavirus to anxiety and ADHD. Sawyer — who has run a family medicine practice in the Cincinnati area for more than three decades — said he spent 30 minutes asking questions about the patient’s exercise and sleep habits, counseling him on breathing exercises, and writing a prescription for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medication. (Pattani, 6/8)

    KHN:
    ‘An Arm And A Leg’: Good News For Your Credit Report 

    Credit reporting bureaus announced in March that they would start taking most paid medical debt off people’s credit reports. At first, we weren’t sure that would be such a huge deal. After all, the unpaid medical debt would still exist, people would still get harassed by debt collectors, or even sued over it. But it turns out, there are a bunch of reasons these changes could be life-changing, and we want to give credit (the good kind) where it’s due.  (Weissmann, 6/8)


    Stat:
    FDA Advisers Recommend Authorization Of Novavax’s Covid-19 Vaccine

    Experts who advise the Food and Drug Administration voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to recommend the agency issue an emergency use authorization for Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine — a long-awaited win for a company that has struggled to get to this point. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 21 to 0 to recommend that the vaccine receive an EUA, with a single abstention. The strong vote belied the tenor of much of the day’s discussion, which started with one member of the committee, Eric Rubin, editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, questioning whether additional EUAs are needed when three vaccines are already in use in the country. (Branswell, 6/7)


    The Washington Post:
    FDA Advisers Recommend Authorizing Novavax Coronavirus Vaccine 

    Bruce Gellin, chief of global public health strategy at the Rockefeller Foundation, abstained from voting but said he was giving the vaccine a “conditional yes.” He said the vaccine was shown to be generally safe and effective when clinical trials were conducted but that “we don’t know whether that is true today.” He said it was important to monitor the vaccine’s performance as it comes into use. (Johnson and McGinley, 6/7)


    Reuters:
    Novavax COVID Shot, Aimed At Vaccine Skeptics, Overwhelmingly Backed By FDA Panel

    The timeline for Novavax is not clear. Novavax Chief Commercial Officer John Trizzino said the agency is still reviewing documents detailing its manufacturing processes submitted last week. “We hopefully expect to have product in the U.S. in our warehouse by the end of June,” he said in an interview, adding that the company plans to ship millions of doses made by its partner, the Serum Institute of India, soon after authorization. (Erman and Mishra, 6/7)


    The New York Times:
    Monkeypox Can Be Airborne, Too 

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance last week for travelers wishing to protect themselves against monkeypox. This was one of its recommendations: “Wear a mask. Wearing a mask can help protect you from many diseases, including monkeypox.” Late Monday night, that recommendation was deleted. However, the agency still says that in countries where monkeypox is spreading, “household contacts and health care workers” should consider wearing masks. That guideline also applies to “other people who may be in close contact with a person who has been confirmed with monkeypox.” The turnabout hints at a little-discussed aspect of the current monkeypox outbreak: The virus can be airborne, at least over short distances. (Mandavilli, 6/7)


    Reuters:
    U.S. CDC Removes Mask Recommendation From Monkeypox Travel Notice To Avoid Confusion 

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Tuesday it had removed a mask recommendation from its monkeypox travel notice to avoid “confusion” over the disease, which primarily spreads through direct contact. “Late yesterday, CDC removed the mask recommendation from the monkeypox Travel Health Notice because it caused confusion,” a CDC spokesperson said on Tuesday. (6/7)


    AP:
    Arizona’s 1st Probable Monkeypox Case In Maricopa County

    Arizona health officials announced Tuesday that they have identified the state’s first probable monkeypox case in Maricopa County. They said testing at the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory returned a presumptive positive result and confirmatory testing is underway at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said the case involves a man in his late 30s who is currently in isolation and recovering. (6/7)


    The Hill:
    Here Are The States With Monkeypox Cases

    The U.S. has not reported any deaths from the monkeypox cases, and officials are working to contain cases by identifying who was exposed to the virus and getting them a vaccine. There are currently more than 30 cases in the nation. (Lonas, 6/7)


    Stat:
    Lessons From AIDS Crisis Guide Response To Monkeypox Outbreak 

    As officials, researchers and activists scramble to control an emerging monkeypox outbreak, many are doing so with another virus constantly wedged in the back of their minds: HIV. The parallels between the two infections are limited but clear. Although the monkeypox strain now in circulation is infinitesimally milder than HIV — zero fatalities have been reported out of the more than 1,000 cases so far — it is another virus that emerged in sub-Saharan Africa and has popped up outside the continent largely in men who have sex with men. “There are, you know, echoes,” said Chris Beyrer, director of the Duke Global Health Institute. (Mast, 6/8)


    Fortune:
    Florida Is Once Again Becoming An Area Of Concern For COVID Cases

    COVID-19 cases are once again topping 100,000 per day in the U.S., and that number could be significantly higher as the number of unreported cases grows, thanks to at-home testing. But not all areas are equal when it comes to risk levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ranked the risk level by county through the U.S.—and, as of Tuesday, 241 counties are ranked as having high COVID-19 levels, which is determined by whichever is higher: either new hospital admissions of people with the virus, or the percentage of inpatient beds in use by COVID-19 patients. (Morris, 6/7)


    AP:
    Washington Hospitals Again Strained By COVID-19 Spread

    Hospital officials in Washington are urging people to wear masks and warning that facilities are heading toward another COVID-19 case peak amid high spread in the community. Washington State Hospital Association CEO Cassie Sauer on Monday said at the end of last week, almost 600 people with COVID-19 were in hospitals across the state with about 20-25 patients a day on ventilators, The News Tribune reported. (6/7)


    AP:
    Bonus Pay Coming For Minnesota’s Frontline COVID-19 Workers 

    Minnesota residents who came into work during the height of the coronavirus pandemic will soon be collecting bonus pay. Workers who are eligible for so-called hero pay can begin applying online Wednesday morning and will have up to 45 days to sign up, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said. The money be divided evenly, following a period for appeals. (6/7)


    CBS News:
    Hospital Studying Long-Term Effects Of COVID In Kids

    Adriana Vaughan tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2021. Eight months later, the 12-year-old has a string of new medical issues: fatigue, headaches, stomach problems and more. Vaughan can’t even walk for six minutes without losing her breath. She says swimming, which she did before getting COVID, is also hard. … Vaughan is one of more than 70 kids being treated in the long COVID clinic at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. Dr. Alexandra Yonts, an infectious disease specialist who runs the clinic, said fatigue is the top complaint among patients young and old. (Duncan, 6/7)


    CIDRAP:
    COVID-19 Was Leading Cause Of Duty-Related Police Deaths In 2020 

    COVID-19 caused 62{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of duty-related deaths of US police officers in the first year of the pandemic—a rate that rose to 77{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} to 82{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} among minority officers—according to a new study published in Policing: An International Journal. (Van Beusekom, 6/7)


    CIDRAP:
    Those Who Believe In COVID-19 Conspiracies May Be At Risk For Depression

    People who believe in conspiracies about the COVID-19 pandemic are at an increased risk of experiencing anxiety and depression, according to new research presented at the European Congress of Psychiatry and published in Frontiers in Psychiatry. The research was based on survey results of 700 volunteers who answered a newly created COVID-19 Conspiratorial Beliefs Scale developed by researchers at several Polish universities. Participants also took the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale survey, as well as the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (covering topics such as aliens from other planets) to compare results. (6/7)


    Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
    Wisconsin Supreme Court OKs Releasing COVID Data On Businesses

    More than a year after Wisconsin’s largest business lobby sued to stop the state from releasing data on companies with COVID outbreaks, a narrowly divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of releasing the records. The majority opinion, written by Justice Rebecca Dallet, asserts that Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce did not have the right to challenge the state health department’s authority to release public records. The state legislature in 2003 limited when people can challenge the release of public records to a few clearly defined circumstances after a number of high profile cases in which teachers accused of having sex with students tried to stop the release of their personnel records. The slew of subsequent lawsuits bogged down the open records process in local government so much that it essentially defeated the intent of the open records law. (Chen, 6/7)


    Axios:
    Biden Administration Seeks To Suppress Hospital Safety Data

    Consumer groups are pushing back against a Biden administration proposal that would block public access to key hospital safety data such as infection rates, falls and incidence of bed sores. Medicare is accepting comments from the public through June 17 on the rule, saying it is proposing the data suppression “due to the impact of the COVID-19 [public health emergency.]” … “The public has a right to know what happened during the pandemic. We have a right to know when lives are at risk and which hospitals did the best job of protecting their patients,” said Leah Binder, CEO of the Leapfrog Group, an organization that grades hospital care.(Reed, 6/7)


    CIDRAP:
    Molnupiravir Cut Need For Higher Levels Of Care In Non-Severe COVID-19

    Nonhospitalized, unvaccinated COVID-19 patients who received Merck’s antiviral molnupiravir had less need for respiratory support and fewer acute-care visits than those given a placebo, finds the secondary analysis of the phase 2/3 randomized, controlled MOVe-OUT trial published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (6/7)


    Becker’s Hospital Review:
    26 Million People Stuck In Paxlovid ‘Deserts’

    At-home COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid was inaccessible to more than 26 million Americans January through March, according to a recent GoodRx analysis. The pharmacy “deserts” spanned 42 percent of the nation’s counties and mainly fell in rural areas. One of the possible causes for the supply drought is the shaky test-to-treat initiative, which faces fewer COVID-19 tests and a public wary of taking a new medication. (Twenter, 6/7)


    CIDRAP:
    Moderna Launches Phase 3 Trial Of MRNA Flu Vaccine

    Moderna today announced the launch of a phase 3 trial of its mRNA seasonal flu vaccine, which has a goal of immunizing about 6,000 adult participants in the Southern Hemisphere, which is entering its flu season. In a statement, the company said the vaccine candidate, one of several respiratory disease vaccines in development, encodes for the hemagglutinin glycoprotein of the four flu virus strains recommended by the World Health Organization. It added that the surface glycoprotein is an important target for generating broad protection against flu and is the primary target for current flu vaccines. (6/7)


    Bloomberg:
    New Drug Prices Soar To $180,000 A Year On 20{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} Annual Inflation

    While gasoline and food prices soar, few products rival the inflation in prices on newly launched prescription drugs, according to a new study. The median launch price of a new drug in the US soared from $2,115 in 2008 to $180,007 in 2021, a 20{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} annual inflation rate over the period, researchers at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found. Even after adjusting for factors such as drugmakers’ focus on expensive disease categories like cancer and estimated discounts that manufacturers give some purchasers, the annual inflation rate in launch prices over the period was still almost 11{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}. (Langreth, 6/7)


    NBC News:
    Hospitals Are Required To Post Prices For Common Procedures. Few Do.

    Few hospitals are posting the prices of their common procedures online, despite a federal law that went into effect more than a year ago. The Hospital Price Transparency Law is intended to make the hidden costs of services such as X-rays, medical tests or colonoscopies clear to patients before they enter the hospital. But a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association added to mounting evidence that hospitals are largely ignoring the law.  (Sullivan and Dunn, 6/8)


    Stat:
    Study Suggests A New Harm From Hospital Mergers: Less Price Transparency

    Health care economists argue hospital mergers can raise costs and lower quality. And now, a new study adds another downside: Hospitals in concentrated markets are also less likely to be transparent about their prices. Researchers pored over the websites of more than 5,200 hospitals to check on their adherence to the federal Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule, which took effect in January 2021. Their research letter, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows compliance is dismally low — less than 6{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} — adding to previous research and media reports that found the same. (Bannow, 6/7)


    Modern Healthcare:
    FTC Takes Aim At PBM Business Practices In New Inquiry

    The Federal Trade Commission will intensify its scrutiny of pharmacy benefit manager business practices, the agency announced Tuesday. The probe, which the commission unanimously approved, will focus on how vertical integration in the PBM sector affects access and pricing in the prescription drug market, according to a news release. The FTC will require the six largest PBMs to provide information about their activities. The regulator plans to send compulsory orders to CVS Health’s CVS Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts, UnitedHealth Group’s OptumRx, Humana, Blue Cross and Blue Shield-affiliated Prime Therapeutics, and MedImpact Healthcare Systems. CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx collectively control about 80{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of the PBM market. (Goldman, 6/7)


    Modern Healthcare:
    California Doctors Union Avoids Strike With Tentative Contract

    A union representing 1,300 resident physicians and fellows at three Los Angeles County hospitals reached a tentative contract with the county, averting a potential strike, the labor organization said Tuesday. The Committee of Interns and Residents, a local chapter of Service Employees International Union, entered additional negotiations with the county following its vote late last month to authorize a strike. No details were released on the tentative pact’s specifics or when members would vote on it but in a news release, the union said the proposal contained “significant material gains for resident physicians.” (Devereaux, 6/7)


    The Boston Globe:
    ‘The Numbers Just Continue To Rise’: Patients Awaiting Psychiatric Treatment Crowd Emergency Rooms

    On Monday, nearly all of South Shore Hospital’s pediatric emergency beds were occupied by children who were suicidal. The 10 patients, some of whom had been there 12 days or more, were waiting for a place that could take them and care for their mental health needs. Another 18 adults were in the emergency department with behavioral health issues, also waiting for beds at South Shore or another facility. One person had been there 17 days. Hospital officials throughout the state say they are seeing unprecedented volumes of behavioral health patients who are sicker than ever before, a leading contributor to emergency room crowding, which officials say has worsened in recent weeks. (Bartlett, 6/7)


    Axios:
    Heat Waves Could Soon Have Names

    There’s a growing effort to name and categorize heat waves the way we do hurricanes — to call attention to their significance, alert people to dangerous temperatures and prod public officials into action. Heat waves are the deadliest type of weather emergency in the U.S. They’re bigger killers than floods, tornadoes or hurricanes — and they’re growing in frequency and intensity due to global warming. (Kingson, 6/8)


    Billings Gazette:
    Voters Want To Keep Recreational Pot, According To Early Returns

    Yellowstone County voters want to keep their access to local recreational marijuana dispensaries. In the first batch of results from Tuesday’s election, 21,903 voters opted to keep recreational marijuana sales legal in Yellowstone County compared to 15,869 who voted to ban sales. Voters were asked whether to overturn legalized recreational marijuana sales in Yellowstone County following a move in December by Yellowstone County commissioners to place the question on the June ballot. It’s the third time since November 2020 that Billings voters have cast a ballot asking about recreational marijuana. Montana voters in 2020 overwhelmingly approved legalizing recreational marijuana; in Yellowstone County the vote was more narrow, 50.7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} to 49.3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} in favor, a difference of roughly 1,100 votes. (Rogers, 6/7)


    Dallas Morning News:
    Garland ISD Will Clean Up Soil With High Levels Of Arsenic At Middle School Campus

    Garland ISD has plans to remove soil near Sam Houston Middle School after a third-party contractor report found some areas with high levels of arsenic. On Friday, Garland ISD’s executive director of facilities and maintenance, Paul Gonzales, sent out a letter to families attending the school announcing that there would be a cleanup process this summer. The report, which The Dallas Morning News obtained via an open records request, comes almost a year after the EPA alerted Garland ISD about its findings of lead contaminated soil at Park Crest Elementary, which is directly across the street from Sam Houston. The EPA began a cleanup process to remove the lead contaminated soil on district property and in the surrounding neighborhood last August. (D’Annunzio, 6/7)


    Oklahoman:
    Oklahoma City-County Health Department To Offer Free Mammograms On June 10

    The Oklahoma City-County Health Department will be offering free mammograms on Friday, June 10. The event is in partnership with OU Health, Stephenson Cancer Center and The Market at Eastpoint, 1708 NE 23. The mobile mammography unit will be at The Market to screen women over the age of 40. All services are free, and if any abnormalities are found, diagnostic testing and follow-up will also be offered at no cost. (6/7)


    Stateline:
    One Region Led A 13-State Pandemic Baby Boomlet

    New England has seen an unusual uptick in births during the coronavirus pandemic as more highly educated residents, especially those in their 30s, seized working from home as an opportunity to start a family. All six New England states were among the 13 states where births increased between 2019 and 2021. New Hampshire and Tennessee were the only states with more births last year than in 2014, the last time births rose nationally. The New England baby boomlet is notable in a region with the lowest birth rates in the nation—and it contrasts with a long-term national decline in births. (Henderson, 6/7)


    AP:
    Police: DNA Technology Connects Man To Florida Serial Rapes 

    Advanced DNA technology helped detectives link the cases of six women to a man accused of being the “pillowcase rapist” for a string of rapes back in the 1980s.Robert Koehler is currently jailed in neighboring Miami-Dade County, where he faces charges for assaulting a woman in the early ’80s as well, Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a Tuesday morning news conference. Authorities believe Koehler, 62, may have committed 40 to 45 rapes, terrifying victims by breaking into their homes at night, the sheriff said. (Frisaro, 6/7)


    CBS News:
    Jif Peanut Butter Recalls Now Include Ice Cream, Candy And Chicken Salad

    Add peanut butter cup ice cream to a growing list of recalled food made with Jif peanut butter that is linked to an outbreak of salmonella that has sickened 16 people in the U.S. Americans are being cautioned against eating a range of baked goods, sandwiches, candy, trail mix and ready-to-eat salad products made with the recalled Jif peanut butter, as snacks are pulled from stores, vending machines and restaurants nationwide amid a multi-state outbreak of salmonella. (Gibson, 6/7)


    NBC News:
    Family Sues Meta, Blames Instagram For Daughter’s Eating Disorder And Self-Harm

    A preteen girl’s “addictive” use of Instagram resulted in an eating disorder, self-harm and thoughts of suicide over several years, according to a lawsuit against the platform’s parent company, Meta. The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California late Monday, heavily cites the Facebook Papers, a trove of internal Meta research documents leaked last fall that revealed that the tech giant knew Instagram was worsening body-image and other mental-health issues among teenage girls in particular. (Cook, 6/7)


    AP:
    Some Cancer Patients Can Skip Treatments, 2 Studies Show

    After surgery, some cancer patients can safely skip radiation or chemotherapy, according to two studies exploring shorter, gentler cancer care. Researchers are looking for ways to precisely predict which cancer patients can avoid unneeded treatment to cut down on harmful side effects and unnecessary costs. One new study used a blood test to determine which colon cancer patients could skip chemotherapy after surgery. Another suggests some low-risk breast cancer patients can omit radiation after lumpectomy. (Johnson, 6/7)


    Reuters:
    Sanofi’s Dupixent Gets U.S. Approval To Treat Eczema In Young Children

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc’s anti-inflammation drug Dupixent to treat eczema in young children, the two companies said on Tuesday. Dupixent is now the first approved treatment for moderate-to-severe eczema in young children, Sanofi and Regeneron said. (6/7)


    CNN:
    Prescription Cannabis Products With More THC May Ease Chronic Pain, At Least A Little, Study Finds 

    People who suffer from chronic pain may find small-to-moderate pain relief for the short-term when using certain prescription cannabis products with higher THC to CBD levels, but there are some worrisome side effects, according to new research. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the chemical compound in the marijuana plant that makes you high. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the second most prevalent active chemical in cannabis, but it does not make you high. Both have been associated with pain relief. “The findings are in line with what we know,” said Yasmin Hurd, a professor of pharmacological sciences, neuroscience and psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She was not involved with the study. (LaMotte, 6/8)


    The Washington Post:
    Type 2 Diabetes May Accelerate Brain Function Decline As People Age

    In older people with Type 2 diabetes, the brain appears to age at an accelerated rate — about 26 percent faster than normal, according to research published in the journal eLife. Relying on brain scans, brain functioning tests and other data from 20,314 people, ages 50 to 80, the researchers compared neurological changes in those who did and did not have Type 2 diabetes. In both groups, they found declines in executive functions such as working memory, learning and flexible thinking, as well as declines in brain processing speed. (Searing, 6/7)


    The Washington Post:
    ‘Needle Spiking’ Reports Grow In France, Belgium And Britain

    She had eagerly looked forward to going home for the holidays and reuniting with friends over dinner and drinks. Instead, Eva Keeling, 19, says, she wound up injected by a stranger with a needle, leaving her unable to speak or function while at a bar in her hometown of Stafford, in northern England. “We went outside [the bar] for some fresh air … then I ended up losing all control of my body, the ability to walk, hold my head up, I couldn’t talk — I was projectile vomiting everywhere,” Keeling told The Washington Post. (Suliman and Francis, 6/7)


    Reuters:
    Chernobyl Radiation Detectors Back Online, Levels Normal — IAEA

    Radiation detectors in the Exclusion Zone around Ukraine’s defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant are back online for the first time since Russia seized the area on Feb. 24, and radiation levels are normal, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Tuesday. “Most of the 39 detectors sending data from the Exclusion Zone … are now visible on the IRMIS (International Radiation Monitoring Information System) map,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement. “The measurements received so far indicated radiation levels in line with those measured before the conflict.” (6/7)


    This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

  • June 8 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    June 8 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    The Tompkins County Wellbeing Section says there have now been 22,077 whole beneficial circumstances in Tompkins County, 20 far more than on Tuesday, and a full of 1,910,840 checks conducted. The Wellness Section is also now reporting favourable self-check effects that have been submitted through their on line portal. They say there is just one new optimistic self-take a look at end result for a overall of 3,043 submitted.

    Similar: TCHD: If you take a look at beneficial on an at-house take a look at

    As of Wednesday at 8:30am, the Wellness Division says 573 checks were performed in the past working day. The Tompkins County Wellbeing Section publishes NYS vaccine tracking details, demonstrating 85,640 Tompkins County inhabitants have a initially dose and 78,323 have concluded vaccination (which could be a single or two doses, based on vaccine).

    Similar: Quite a few are suitable for 2nd booster or supplemental doses, claims Health and fitness Office

    The Health and fitness Division says 5 persons are at the moment hospitalized for COVID-19, 3 much less than in Tuesday’s update. As of a shift in details past winter season, “TCHD is reporting only active situations who are hospitalized,” instead than together with sufferers recovered from COVID who continue being hospitalized for other good reasons.

    “Of the latest uptick in hospitalizations, a vast vast majority have been of vaccinated people today,” Tompkins County Community Health and fitness Director Frank Kruppa tells us, but “of the folks who are vaccinated and have been hospitalized for COVID-19 linked good reasons, the pattern holds that they are mostly more mature grown ups, age 65+. This data factors to the significance of boosters and 2nd boosters for all those age 65+.”

    There have been 62 deaths from COVID-19 recorded between Tompkins County people, including the death of two region people noted in early Could.

    On June 6, Cornell University described 32 active college student circumstances and 30 lively school and staff members circumstances. Cornell has switched to weekly updates, and the timing of their updates doesn’t allow a direct comparison to the county’s stats.

    As of June 6, Ithaca Faculty reported 1 active college student instances, with 588 recovered, and 1 active staff situation and 253 recovered staff.

    The Wellness Division states the general public needs to protect against the unfold of COVID-19 not just to secure by themselves, but some others in our neighborhood who are most vulnerable to receiving extremely unwell – more mature older people, all those who are immune-compromised, and those people with underlying long-term overall health circumstances.

    Connected: BA.2 variant possible, but not verified, among “ebbs and flows” of Tompkins conditions, claims Health and fitness Section

    TCHD’s Frank Kruppa says, “There is a really significant vaccination level for our neighborhood, in particular with the successes that have been documented by our regional faculties. In addition to the arrival and surveillance screening, numerous of our new situations are arising from sustained near get hold of with a beneficial individual, this means much more than 10 minutes in 6 feet of a positive case. These close contacts are happening extra usually in large indoor gatherings that combine distinct groups of individuals.”

    “Over the earlier handful of weeks, our initiatives have focused on vaccinating our younger people and providing booster doses to individuals who are eligible,” Kruppa suggests. “We are distributing self-checks and masks during the county as we obtain shipments and thank our community associates for assisting in this exertion.”

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  • June 6 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    June 6 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    The Tompkins County Health and fitness Department states there have now been 22,030 complete favourable situations in Tompkins County, 34 a lot more than on Friday, and a whole of 1,909,737 assessments carried out. The Health and fitness Office is also now reporting good self-check benefits that have been submitted by way of their online portal. They say there are 14 new good self-check benefits for a total of 3,029 submitted.

    Connected: TCHD: If you test good on an at-house exam

    As of Monday at 8:30am, the Overall health Department suggests 516 exams were performed in the past day. The Tompkins County Wellbeing Section publishes NYS vaccine monitoring info, demonstrating 85,555 Tompkins County citizens have a very first dose and 78,251 have concluded vaccination (which could be one or two doses, depending on vaccine).

    Relevant: Numerous are eligible for next booster or added doses, claims Well being Office

    The Health and fitness Section suggests six people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, 3 much less than in Friday’s update. As of a shift in knowledge very last winter season, “TCHD is reporting only energetic cases who are hospitalized,” alternatively than like individuals recovered from COVID who stay hospitalized for other motives.

    “Of the recent uptick in hospitalizations, a vast the greater part have been of vaccinated men and women,” Tompkins County General public Well being Director Frank Kruppa tells us, but “of the individuals who are vaccinated and have been hospitalized for COVID-19 associated explanations, the pattern retains that they are largely more mature grownups, age 65+. This info details to the great importance of boosters and 2nd boosters for all those age 65+.”

    There have been 62 fatalities from COVID-19 recorded among the Tompkins County people, such as the death of two location people described in early May perhaps.

    On June 5, Cornell College claimed two energetic scholar scenarios and 6 active school and team conditions. Cornell has switched to weekly updates, and the timing of their updates doesn’t let a immediate comparison to the county’s stats.

    As of June 2, Ithaca College described 2 energetic college student situations, with 587 recovered, and 1 energetic personnel situation and 253 recovered workforce.

    The Wellbeing Department suggests the community needs to stop the distribute of COVID-19 not just to defend by themselves, but many others in our group who are most vulnerable to obtaining pretty ill – older adults, people who are immune-compromised, and these with fundamental persistent overall health situations.

    Associated: BA.2 variant probably, but not verified, amid “ebbs and flows” of Tompkins situations, states Health Department

    TCHD’s Frank Kruppa says, “There is a pretty large vaccination amount for our neighborhood, particularly with the successes that have been reported by our community schools. In addition to the arrival and surveillance screening, quite a few of our new conditions are arising from sustained near call with a good unique, that means much more than 10 minutes in 6 ft of a good case. These shut contacts are transpiring much more commonly in big indoor gatherings that combine distinctive teams of people.”

    “Over the past number of months, our initiatives have targeted on vaccinating our youthful persons and supplying booster doses to people who are suitable,” Kruppa states. “We are distributing self-assessments and masks during the county as we get shipments and thank our local community partners for assisting in this energy.”

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    Linked: Coronavirus protection in 14850 Right now

  • Multi-country monkeypox outbreak: Situation Update (4 June 2022) – World

    Multi-country monkeypox outbreak: Situation Update (4 June 2022) – World

    The current publication of Ailment Outbreak News is an update to the earlier printed Ailment Outbreak Information of 29 May possibly and also delivers brief summaries of guidance, which includes on vaccination.

    Outbreak at a glance

    Since 13 Might 2022, and as of 2 June 2022, 780 laboratory verified instances of monkeypox have been noted to or determined by WHO from 27 Member States throughout four WHO areas that are not endemic for monkeypox virus. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing. Most reported situations so much have been offered by means of sexual health or other wellbeing companies in key or secondary well being treatment services and have associated primarily, but not completely, guys who have sexual intercourse with men (MSM).

    When the West African clade of the virus has been identified from samples of scenarios so much, most verified circumstances with vacation record claimed journey to countries in Europe and North America, instead than West or Central Africa in which the monkeypox virus is endemic. The affirmation of monkeypox in persons who have not travelled to an endemic location is atypical, and even just one case of monkeypox in a non-endemic country is regarded as an outbreak. Even though most situations are not linked with vacation from endemic spots, Member States are also reporting modest figures of circumstances in tourists from Nigeria, as has been observed prior to.

    The sudden and unpredicted look of monkeypox simultaneously in numerous non-endemic nations indicates that there could have been undetected transmission for some unidentified period of time followed by modern amplifier functions.

    WHO assesses the danger at the worldwide degree as moderate considering this is the initial time that a lot of monkeypox scenarios and clusters are reported concurrently in non-endemic and endemic international locations in extensively disparate WHO geographical regions.

    WHO proceeds to get updates on the problem in endemic international locations.

    Description of the outbreak

    As of 2 June 2022, 780 laboratory verified conditions have been notified to WHO below the Worldwide Well being Restrictions (IHR) or discovered by WHO from official public resources in 27 non-endemic countries in 4 WHO Areas. This signifies an improve of 523 laboratory verified conditions (+203{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) because the Ailment Outbreak News of 29 May possibly, when a complete of 257 scenarios ended up documented. As of 2 June 2022, there have been no deaths affiliated within the present monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries, having said that, scenarios and fatalities go on to be reported from endemic nations around the world (see Desk 2).

    While investigations are ongoing, preliminary knowledge from polymerase chain response (PCR) assays indicate that the monkeypox virus strains detected in Europe and other non-endemic areas belong to the West African clade.

    Determine 1 and Desk 1 clearly show the geographical distribution of monkeypox circumstances documented to or determined by WHO between 13 May to 2 June 2022 in non-endemic nations around the world. The greater part of instances (n=688 88{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}), were being described from the WHO European Area (20 Nations). Confirmed instances have also been claimed from the Region of the Americas (n=80 10{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}), Eastern Mediterranean Location (n=9 1{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) and Western Pacific Location (n=3 <1{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}).

    The case count fluctuates as more information becomes available daily and data is verified by WHO in accordance with the provisions of the IHR.

    To date, the clinical presentation of confirmed cases has been variable. Many cases in this outbreak are not presenting with the classical clinical picture for monkeypox. In cases described thus far in this outbreak, common presenting symptoms include genital and peri-anal lesions, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and pain when swallowing. While oral sores remain a common feature in combination with fever and swollen lymph nodes, the local anogenital distribution of rash (with vesicular, pustular or ulcerated lesions) sometimes appears first without consistently spreading to other parts of the body. This initial presentation of a genital or peri-anal rash in many cases suggests close physical contact as the likely route of transmission during sexual contact. Some cases have also been described as having pustules appear before constitutional symptoms (e.g., fever) and having lesions at different stages of development, both of which are atypical of how monkeypox has presented historically. Apart from patients hospitalized for the purpose of isolation, few hospitalizations have been reported. Complications leading to hospitalization have included the need to provide adequate pain management and the need to treat secondary infections.

    In addition to the cases reported from or identified in non-endemic countries, WHO continues to receive updates on the status of ongoing monkeypox outbreaks in endemic countries^[1]^ in the African region through established surveillance mechanisms (Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response). From January to 1 June 2022, 1408 suspected and 44 confirmed cases including 66 deaths were reported from seven endemic countries (Table 2).

    ^[1]^ Monkeypox endemic countries are: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana (identified in animals only), Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. Benin and South Sudan have documented importations in the past. Countries currently reporting cases of the West African clade are Cameroon and Nigeria.

    The situation is evolving and WHO expects that there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as the outbreak progresses and as surveillance expands in both endemic and non-endemic countries.

    Public health response

    WHO continues to support sharing of information about this outbreak of monkeypox. Clinical and public health incident response has been activated at WHO and in many Member States to coordinate comprehensive case finding, contact tracing, laboratory investigation, clinical management, isolation, and implementation of infection and prevention and control measures.

    Genomic sequencing of viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of the monkeypox virus, where available, is being undertaken. Several European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the United States of America) have published full-length or partial genome sequences of the monkeypox virus found in the current outbreak. While investigations are ongoing, preliminary data from PCR assays indicate that the monkeypox virus genes detected belong to the West African clade.

    ACAM-2000 and MVA-BN vaccines are being deployed by some Member States to manage close contacts. Others may hold supplies of LC16 vaccines.

    Interim guidance is being developed to support Member States with surveillance, laboratory diagnostics and testing, case investigation and contact tracing, clinical management, vaccines and immunization, and risk communication and community engagement.

    WHO has updated its guidance on monkeypox outbreak response and published the following documents:

    WHO interim guidance on the clinical management and infection prevention and control for monkeypox, and on vaccines and immunization for monkeypox, will be published shortly.

    WHO risk assessment

    Currently, the public health risk at the global level is assessed as moderate considering this is the first time that many monkeypox cases and clusters are reported concurrently in non-endemic and endemic countries in widely disparate WHO geographical areas.

    Cases were initially and mainly identified amongst men self-identified as part of extended sexual networks. The sudden appearance and wide geographic scope of many cases that initially appeared to be sporadic cases indicate that extended human-to-human transmission was facilitated by frequent encounters between persons in close proximity and/or with physical contact. Some countries are reporting that new generations of cases are no longer appearing only among known contacts of previously confirmed cases, suggesting that chains of transmission are being missed through undetected circulation of the virus.

    Additionally, as epidemiological and laboratory information are still limited, the actual number of cases is likely an underestimate. This may in part be due to the lack of early clinical recognition of an infection previously known to occur mostly in West and Central Africa, limited surveillance, and a lack of widely available diagnostics in some countries. Given the number of countries across several WHO regions reporting cases of monkeypox, it is highly likely that other countries will identify cases and there will be further spread of the virus.

    Human-to-human transmission occurs through close proximity or direct physical contact (e.g., face-to-face, skin-to-skin, mouth-to-mouth, mouth-to-skin contact including during sex) with skin or mucous membranes that may have recognized or unrecognized infectious lesions such as mucocutaneous ulcers, respiratory droplets (and possibly short-range aerosols), or contact with contaminated materials (e.g., linens, bedding, electronics, clothing).

    Although the current risk to human health and for the general public remains low, the public health risk could become high if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself in non-endemic countries as a widespread human pathogen. There is also a risk to health workers if they are not using adequate infection prevention and control (IPC) measures or wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary, to prevent transmission. Though not reported in this current outbreak, the risk of health care associated infections has been documented in the past in both endemic and non-endemic areas. There is the potential for increased health impact with wider dissemination in vulnerable groups, as the risk of severe disease and mortality is recognized to be higher among children and immunocompromised individuals. There is limited data among people living with HIV, but those who take antiretrovirals and have a robust immune system have not reported a more severe course those people living with HIV who are not on treatment or remain immunosuppressed may have a more severe course, as documented in the literature. Infection with monkeypox in pregnancy is poorly understood, although limited data suggest that infection may lead to adverse outcomes for the foetus.

    To date, all cases identified in non-endemic countries whose samples were confirmed by PCR have been identified as being infected with the West African clade. There are two known clades of monkeypox, one endemic to West Africa (WA) and one to the Congo Basin (CB) region. The WA clade has in the past been associated with an overall lower mortality rate of <3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} while the CB clade appears to more frequently cause severe disease with a case fatality ratio (CFR) previously reported from 1-10{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} both estimates are based on infections among a generally younger population in the African setting.

    Vaccination against smallpox had been shown to be cross-protective against monkeypox. However, immunity from smallpox vaccination will be limited to persons under the age of 40 or 50 years since smallpox vaccination programmes ended following the eradication of smallpox the original (first generation) smallpox vaccines are no longer available to the general public. In addition, protection for those who were vaccinated may have waned over time.

    Smallpox and monkeypox vaccines, where available, are being deployed in a limited number of countries to manage close contacts. While smallpox vaccines have been shown to be protective against monkeypox, there is also one vaccine approved for prevention of monkeypox. This vaccine is based on a strain of vaccinia virus (known generically as modified vaccinia Ankara Bavarian Nordic strain, or MVA-BN). This vaccine has been approved for prevention of monkeypox in Canada and the United States of America. In the European Union, this vaccine has been approved for prevention of smallpox. An antiviral to treat orthopoxviruses has been also recently approved in the United States of America and in the European Union. WHO has convened experts to review the latest data on smallpox and monkeypox vaccines, and to provide guidance on how and in what circumstances they should be used.

    WHO advice

    The advice provided hereafter by the WHO on actions required to respond to the multi-country monkeypox outbreak, is based on its technical work, and informed by consultations with the following existing WHO advisory bodies: the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards (STAG-IH) the ad-hoc Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) working group on smallpox and monkeypox vaccines the Emergencies Social Science Technical Working Group the Advisory Committee on Variola Virus Research WHO Research & Development (R&D) Blueprint consultation: monkeypox research the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) as well as by the outcome of ad-hoc experts meetings.

    All countries should be on the alert for signals related to people presenting with a rash that progresses in sequential stages — macules, papules, vesicles, pustules, scabs, at the same stage of development over all affected areas of the body — that may be associated with fever, enlarged lymph nodes, back pain, and muscle aches. During this current outbreak, many individuals are presenting with localized rash — peri-genital and/or peri-anal distribution associated with local, painful swollen lymph nodes. Some cases may have secondary bacterial infections and may have simultaneous sexually transmitted infections such as herpes simplex virus, syphilis or N. gonorrhoea. These individuals may present to various community and health care settings including but not limited to primary and secondary care, fever clinics, sexual health services, infectious disease units, obstetrics and gynaecology, emergency departments and dermatology clinics.

    Increasing awareness among potentially affected communities, as well as health care providers and laboratory workers, is essential for identifying and preventing further cases and effective management of the current outbreak. Information should reach those who need it most during upcoming potentially amplifying large gatherings, and all efforts should be made to avoid unnecessary stigmatization of individuals and communities potentially affected by monkeypox.

    Any individual meeting the definition for a suspected case should be offered testing. The decision to test should be based on both clinical and epidemiological factors, linked to an assessment of the likelihood of infection. Due to the range of conditions that cause skin rashes and because clinical presentation may more often be atypical in this outbreak, it can be challenging to differentiate monkeypox solely based on the clinical presentation.

    Caring for patients with suspected or confirmed monkeypox requires early recognition through screening protocols adapted to local settings prompt isolation and rapid implementation of appropriate IPC measures (standard and transmission-based precautions) testing to confirm diagnosis symptomatic management of patients with mild or uncomplicated monkeypox and monitoring for and treatment of complications and life-threatening conditions such as progression of skin lesions, secondary infection of skin lesions, and rarely, severe dehydration, severe pneumonia or sepsis.

    Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures (including supportive isolation of confirmed cases) should remain in place until lesions have crusted, scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath.

    WHO is closely monitoring the situation and supporting international coordination working with Member States and partners.

    For WHO documents available publicly, see the Public Health Response section above. Key highlights from these documents and those under development are provided below for ease of reference.

    ***Surveillance and reporting ***

    A global minimum data set has been created by WHO to facilitate capturing the key epidemiologic parameters on cases, for the purposes of global situational awareness and reporting. Member States are requested to submit the minimum data on all cases meeting the case definitions of probable or confirmed cases, through their IHR National Focal Points to their respective WHO Regional IHR Focal Points, as soon as the data are available. The data will be aggregated and shared publicly in aggregate form on a regular basis through WHO information products. A separate Case Investigation and Contact Tracing form for Member States’ own use is currently being finalized and will be shared as soon as available.

    Laboratory testing and sample management

    There is an increasing number of commercial PCR kits available on the market, some specific for monkeypox virus detection, some for orthopoxvirus detection. Almost all of them are for research use only, and none is independently validated. Various sets of primers and probes to set up in-house PCR protocols are mentioned in the scientific literature.

    Risk communication and community engagement

    Communicating monkeypox-related risks and engaging at-risk and affected communities, community leaders, civil society organizations, and health care providers, including those at sexual health clinics, on prevention, detection and care, is essential for preventing further secondary cases and effectively managing the current outbreak. Providing public health advice on how the disease transmits, its symptoms and preventive measures and targeting community engagement to the population groups who are most at-risk is critical to minimize spread.

    Anyone who has direct contact, including but not limited to sexual contact, with an infected person can get monkeypox. Steps for self-protection include avoiding sexual contact with someone with a localized anogenital rash and limiting the number of sex partners avoiding close contact with someone who has symptoms consistent with possible monkeypox infection keeping hands clean with water and soap or alcohol-based gels and maintaining respiratory etiquette.

    If a person develops symptoms such as a rash with blisters on face, hands, feet, eyes, mouth, and/or genitals and peri-anal areas fever swollen lymph nodes headaches muscle aches and fatigue they should contact their health care provider and get tested for monkeypox. If someone is suspected or confirmed as having monkeypox, they should isolate, avoid skin-to-skin and face-to-face contact with others and abstain from sex, including oral sex, until the scabs have fallen off. During this period, cases can get supportive treatment to ease symptoms. Anyone caring for a person sick with monkeypox should use appropriate personal protective measures as mentioned above.

    Residents and travellers to monkeypox-endemic countries should avoid contact with sick mammals such as rodents, marsupials, non-human primates (dead or alive) that could harbour monkeypox virus and should refrain from eating or handling wild game (bush meat).

    It is also important to prevent the spread of rumours and misinformation around monkeypox. It is important for public health authorities to systematically listen to and analyse public health concerns, including through social media, identify key questions and information voids, and build resilience to misinformation. Members of the public should be encouraged to get information only from verified and credible sources.

    Infection, prevention and control in health care settings

    Implementation of appropriate IPC measures is essential to mitigate and control the transmission of monkeypox in health care and community settings this includes the application of a hierarchy of controls (administrative, environmental and engineering controls) and the use of PPE to reduce the risk of exposure to monkeypox within health care settings. Health workers should apply standard precautions regularly, this includes conducting a risk assessment for every patient interaction, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, patient placement, PPE, aseptic technique, safe injections and sharps injury prevention, environmental cleaning and disinfection, proper handling of laundry and linen, decontamination and reprocessing of reusable patient care items and equipment, and waste management. WHO advises that IPC measures should be implemented for any suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox.

    Clinical management and treatment

    The majority of human monkeypox cases experience mild to moderate symptoms. Patients with monkeypox should be given symptomatic treatment for mild symptoms such as antipyretics for fever and analgesics for pain. Skin lesions should be kept clean. Adequate nutrition and rehydration are important. Patients should be counselled about signs and symptoms of complications which require urgent care.

    Though uncommon, patients with monkeypox may develop severe and life-threatening complications. For example, the skin lesions are susceptible to bacterial skin and soft tissue infections. The lesions may be extremely itchy and if secondary bacterial infection occur from scratching it may requiring meticulous local wound care and, in some cases, antimicrobial therapy. Lesions in the mouth or the eye mucosa may also be present. Complications in endemic countries include secondary skin bacterial infections, dehydration, conjuctivitis, keratitis, pneumonia, sepsis or septic shock, and in rare cases encephalitis and death. It therefore follows that clinical care should focus on the management of clinical syndrome, maintenance of nutritional and hydration status, and prevention of complications and sequelae, as and when needed.

    In patients with monkeypox, antivirals should be used under randomized clinical trials with collection of standardized clinical and patient outcome data to rapidly increase evidence generation on efficacy and safety. If this is not possible, antivirals may be used under expanded access protocols, such as Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Investigational Interventions (MEURI).

    Vaccines and immunization

    There is a vaccine for monkeypox recently approved by some countries for which supplies are limited. Some countries may hold smallpox vaccine products which could be considered for use according to national guidance. Vaccine products may be available in limited quantities through national authorities, depending on the country.

    Regardless of vaccine supply, mass vaccination of the population is not required nor recommended for monkeypox every effort must be made to control human-to-human spread of monkeypox through early case-finding and diagnosis, isolation and contact-tracing.

    Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended for contacts of cases with an appropriate second- or third-generation smallpox or monkeypox vaccine, ideally within four days (and up to 14 days) of first exposure to prevent onset of disease.

    Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended for health workers at high risk of exposure, laboratory personnel working with orthopoxviruses, clinical laboratory personnel performing diagnostic testing for monkeypox, and response team members as may be designated by public health authorities.

    All decisions around immunization with smallpox or monkeypox vaccines should be based on an assessment of risks and benefits on a case-by-case basis, using shared clinical decision-making.

    Implementation of vaccination should be accompanied by robust pharmacovigilance, and the conduct of vaccine effectiveness studies under clinical trial protocols is strongly encouraged.

    One Health

    Various wild mammals have been identified as susceptible to monkeypox virus in endemic areas. This includes rope squirrels, tree squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice, non-human primates, among others. Some species are asymptomatic, especially species suspected of being reservoirs (rodents). Other species, such as monkeys and great apes, show skin rashes similar to those experienced by humans. Thus far, there are no reports of domestic animals being affected by the monkeypox virus. There are also no reports of human-to-animal transmission of monkeypox. However, there remains a hypothetical risk of human-to-animal transmission. Persons with monkeypox should ensure appropriate management of all waste (such as bandages) and potentially contaminated materials to prevent the disease from being transmitted from infected humans to susceptible animals at home (including pets), or to peri-domestic animals, especially rodents.

    Large gatherings

    Large gatherings may represent a conducive environment for the transmission of monkeypox virus if they entail close, prolonged and frequent interactions among people, which in turn could expose them to contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials.

    While postponing or cancelling gatherings in areas where monkeypox cases have been detected is not required as a default measure, precautionary measures can be considered as follows:

    • Information on epidemiology, transmission and prevention of monkeypox should be shared with prospective attendees of large gatherings such events should be used as opportunities for information outreach and community engagement
    • Although monkeypox and COVID-19 spread between people differently, some of the COVID-19 measures applied during social gatherings such as keeping a physical distance and practicing regular handwashing are also effective against the transmission of monkeypox virus.
    • Close contact with someone who has signs and symptoms consistent with monkeypox should be avoided, including sexual contact.
    • Attendance lists for participants in gatherings can be introduced, if applicable, to facilitate contact tracing in the event that a monkeypox case is identified.
    • Staff responsible for dealing with attendees who fall ill at the event should be provided with information on how to manage people with signs and symptoms consistent with monkeypox.

    As it is standard practice for large gatherings, and even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities and event organizers are invited to apply the WHO recommended risk-based approach to decision-making for mass gatherings, and tailor it to the large or small social events under consideration. In the context of the current outbreak, monkeypox-associated risks should be considered and factored in.

    International travel

    Based on available information at this time, WHO does not recommend that States Parties adopt any international travel-related measure for either incoming or outgoing travellers.

    Any rash-like illness during travel or upon return should be immediately reported to a health professional, including information about all recent travel, sexual history and smallpox immunization history. Individuals who have been identified as contacts of monkeypox cases and, therefore, are subject to health monitoring, should avoid undertaking any travel, including international, until completion of their health monitoring period.

    WHO urges all Member States, health authorities at all levels, clinicians, health and social sector partners, and academic, research and commercial partners to respond quickly to contain local spread and, by extension, the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox. Rapid action must be taken before the virus can be allowed to further establish itself as a human pathogen with efficient person-to-person transmission in both endemic and non-endemic contexts.

    Further information

    WHO Guidance and Public Health Recommendations

    Resources

    **Citable reference: **World Health Organization (4 June 2022). Disease Outbreak News Multi-country monkeypox outbreak in non-endemic countries: Update. Available at: https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON390

  • June 8 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    June 2 update from Health Department on COVID-19 cases

    The Tompkins County Health Section states there have now been 21,976 total beneficial conditions in Tompkins County, 34 much more than on Wednesday, and a overall of 1,908,263 assessments executed. The Health and fitness Department is also now reporting positive self-take a look at final results that have been submitted by means of their on-line portal. They say there are 10 new optimistic self-examination success for a overall of 3,007 submitted.

    Similar: TCHD: If you check beneficial on an at-house check

    As of Wednesday at 8am, the Wellness Section claims 369 exams were executed in the previous day. The Tompkins County Wellness Department publishes NYS vaccine tracking info, displaying 85,296 Tompkins County residents have a very first dose and 78,016 have completed vaccination (which could be a person or two doses, relying on vaccine).

    Connected: Several are eligible for second booster or further doses, says Wellness Division

    The Wellbeing Office suggests 12 men and women are at present hospitalized for COVID-19, the exact same as in Wednesday’s update. As of a change in knowledge last wintertime, “TCHD is reporting only active situations who are hospitalized,” alternatively than which include patients recovered from COVID who continue being hospitalized for other causes.

    “Of the new uptick in hospitalizations, a vast majority have been of vaccinated individuals,” Tompkins County General public Health and fitness Director Frank Kruppa tells us, but “of the folks who are vaccinated and have been hospitalized for COVID-19 similar reasons, the development holds that they are mainly more mature grown ups, age 65+. This information details to the relevance of boosters and 2nd boosters for individuals age 65+.”

    There have been 62 deaths from COVID-19 recorded amid Tompkins County inhabitants, including the loss of life of two region residents claimed in early May.

    On May 30, Cornell College documented 7 new positive scenarios for May possibly 29, 50 energetic university student instances, and 37 energetic employee instances. Cornell has switched to weekly updates, and the timing of their updates doesn’t permit a direct comparison to the county’s stats.

    As of June 1, Ithaca University documented 1 lively pupil circumstances, with 587 recovered, and 3 energetic personnel circumstances and 253 recovered staff members.

    The Wellness Office suggests the general public requirements to prevent the distribute of COVID-19 not just to defend themselves, but other folks in our local community who are most susceptible to getting really ill – older grownups, these who are immune-compromised, and individuals with underlying continual wellness circumstances.

    Associated: BA.2 variant most likely, but not confirmed, amid “ebbs and flows” of Tompkins circumstances, says Well being Division

    TCHD’s Frank Kruppa claims, “There is a quite substantial vaccination charge for our group, particularly with the successes that have been claimed by our area colleges. In addition to the arrival and surveillance tests, a lot of of our new situations are arising from sustained shut call with a optimistic specific, which means far more than 10 minutes within just six toes of a constructive scenario. These close contacts are taking place far more routinely in substantial indoor gatherings that mix distinctive teams of people.”

    “Over the past few months, our attempts have centered on vaccinating our young people today and delivering booster doses to these who are suitable,” Kruppa suggests. “We are distributing self-exams and masks all over the county as we acquire shipments and thank our neighborhood companions for aiding in this effort and hard work.”

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    Associated: Coronavirus protection in 14850 Currently