Category Archives: Covid-19

Father and three children, two others indicted in $1M COVID-19 fraud scheme  The Center Square

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Father and three children, two others indicted in $1M COVID-19 fraud scheme - The Center Square

City of Lubbock Public Health Dept. updates COVID-19 testing hours at one site  KLBK | KAMC | EverythingLubbock.com

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City of Lubbock Public Health Dept. updates COVID-19 testing hours at one site - KLBK | KAMC | EverythingLubbock.com

Banner image: Spices and herbs, whether fresh or dried, are important foods for the microbes in out gut that help keep our bodies in balance.

Lifestyle choicessuch as eating healthy, staying active as well as resting after exercise, and managing stressmay help prevent people from developing severe COVID-19 and mitigate post-infection conditions and symptoms, reports a new CU Boulder paper.

Recently published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, the paper details various biological mechanisms, resulting from modern living, that predispose humans to chronic, low-level inflammation and incline them toward even more damaging inflammation when fighting off the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Many of the problems that were seeing from COVID are being attributed to how our body ramps up an immune response that is way over the top compared to what is needed, said Elizabeth Enichen, lead author and 2021 Honors graduate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

COVID can also shut down our antiviral defenses before we're able to develop a more robust and specific response, preventing us from regulating our own immune system, said Enichen.

Elizabeth Enichen is a2021 Honors graduate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

The publication details how existing chronic inflammation combined with an out-of-balance gut microbiome (the collection of resident bacteria in ones lower digestive system) predisposes the immune system to overreact. In humans, this overzealous inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2 can lead to severe disease, organ damage and death.

Bats, on the other handwho likely harbored the virus before it jumped to humansare able to coexist with viruses like this one because of their lower propensity for inflammation and an at-the-ready antiviral defense, according to the paper.

The basic science of what individuals can do to protect themselves comes at a crucial time. Although President Biden told news program 60 Minutes on Sept. 18 that the pandemic is over, about 400 people still die of COVID-19 every day, and more than 23,000 Americans remain hospitalized due to the virus. And the lingering or new symptoms of Long COVID, categorized as post-acute sequelae (PASC) of SARs-CoV-2, remain a concern for millions of those still recovering.

Barbara Demmig-Adams, co-author on the study, and professor of distinction and director of the EBIO Honors Program within the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, suspects that imbalances in our immune response and microbiome also play a large role in PASC, which can include brain fog, memory issues, shortness of breath, exhaustion and chronic pain.

The surest way to prevent PASC: Dont get infected, she said. But those who do can mitigate lasting health impacts through basic lifestyle choices, according to Demmig-Adams.

Thats because much of our modern lifestylethe food we eat, how sedentary we are, and how stressed out we are on a regular basisthrows our immune system and microbiome off-balance.

Many of the things you can do to lower the risk of chronic disease also apply to infectious disease, said Demmig-Adams. If you make small tweaks in exercise, diet and stress, those can all act together to help reduce this uncontrolled inflammation that COVID is superimposed upon.

Heres how:

When we eat food, were also feeding the swarm of symbiotic creatures inside of our gut, known collectively as the microbiome. These microbes play a big role in regulating our immune system, said Enichen.

And when were not eating a balanced diet, that can shift the composition of our microbiome. This can cause the body to turn on itself, as our immune system sees too many of certain bacteria as a threat.

Berries and fiber-rich fruit and vegetables support the lung and gut microbiome, enhancing our defenses against viral disease. Nuts and seeds support the kinds of microbes that restore balance to our immune system.

That contributes to underlying inflammation, said Enichen. If you already have an unbalanced microbiome and then you get infected with COVID, you can have an excessive immune response.

Berries and fiber-rich fruit and vegetables support the lung and gut microbiome, enhancing our defenses against viral disease. Dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, as well as canned fish (sardines, tuna) high in omega-3 fatty acids and canned corn can all help rebalance inflammatory responses, the authors report. Whole-grains, nuts and seeds support the kinds of microbes that restore balance, according to the paper.

Demmig-Adams also notes that what we eat is often too bland for our microbiomes palette. Spices and herbsboth fresh and driedarent just flavorful, but food for the microbes we depend on.

Add cinnamon to your oatmeal, rosemary to your potatoes, and nutmeg, cloves and ginger to your pumpkin-themed food or drink this fall. And when takeout is tempting, Demmig-Adams suggests modifying what you buy: Add extra dried oregano or fresh basil to pizza or pasta, cardamom to your chicken or cumin in your breakfast burrito.

Demmig-Adams suggests, for the most part, to skip the supplements, especially high-dose ones. The best way to get the necessary nutrition on your microbes menu is to get them directly from your favorite foods. For example: Quercetin, a promising antioxidant currently being studied for its ability to suppress SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and replication, is naturally found in onions, green tea, berries and red wine. The carotenoid zeaxanthin, which Demmig-Adams group has studied for decades, can also help suppress cell entry and oppose run-away inflammation. Its found in eggs and corn.

We should be just as careful about overexerting our bodies as not moving them enough, said Demmig-Adams.

While regular physical activity can reduce run-away inflammation and boost immunity, exhaustive exercise without sufficient recovery can actually promote non-resolving inflammation and may exacerbate COVID-19 disease risk, according to the new paper.

So, if you regularly push your body, make sure to build in time for adequate rest and recovery. And if you are actively sick or recently recovered, realize that the amount of physical activity your body can handle will likely be different for a while.

Exercise doesn't have to be this crazy, intense time that you dread. Rather, the evidence suggests that doing that more moderate and enjoyable exercise seems to be what creates the right balance of those pro and anti-inflammatory signals, said Enichen.

Demmig-Adams is a fan of the goldilocks approach: not too much, not too little.

Anything that you can do again the next day should be fineand that varies. It's very personal.

Taking the stairs, going on walks and doing stretches and exercises at home all offer substantial benefits. And if you do want to ramp up your workout routine, do so gradually and build in plenty of recovery time, she said.

Too much physical activity without adequate rest and recoverycan increase risk for severe COVID-19. After big hikes, bikes or climbs,be sure to build in some down time.

Unfortunately, chronic psychological stress can also wear us down and contribute to non-resolving inflammation in the body, as well as disrupt our gut microbiome, according to the study. And research shows women have been more likely to experience intense stress, eat poorly and move their bodies less since the start of the pandemic.

Yoga, therapy, mindfulness-based meditation practices and acupuncture have all been shown to reduce the harmful chronic, non-resolving inflammation that contributes to severe COVID-19. Our bodies and minds also reap benefits from just 5 to 10 minutes a day of deep-breathing, journaling or letting ones mind wander while on a walk, according to research compiled in the new publication.

The good news, the authors stress, is that everything counts: Every time you take the stairs instead of the elevator, eat something with herbs and spices, or sit down and just breathe deeply for five minutes can have an impact.

It doesn't have to be perfect, said Enichen. All those small improvements can really act together to play a big role in improving our gut and our immune system.

People are also quick to blame themselves for not doing something well enough, when often there are barriers we cant control, she said. Cant afford healthier meals? Dont feel safe going on walks in your neighborhood? Simply do what you can.

Its really important to emphasize that there are also all these structural factors at play that do influence who has the education and access to healthy foods, or who has the time to be exercising, said Enichen. There needs to be structural level work done to expand access and make it more equitable for everybody to access these recommendations.

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4 easy ways to reduce your risk of severe COVID-19 - University of Colorado Boulder

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reports as of September 28, 2022, there are currently 1,125 active COVID-19 cases statewide. There have been four deaths reported since the last report, with a total of 7,406 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

DHHR has confirmed the deaths of a 56-year old female from Marion County, a 60-year old male from Kanawha County, a 94-year old female from Taylor County, and a 92-year old female from Putnam County.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of more West Virginians due to COVID-19, said Bill J. Crouch, DHHR Cabinet Secretary. Since this virus can adversely affect some individuals, especially those who are older and with vulnerable health, please ensure you are up to date with your vaccinations and boosters.

CURRENT ACTIVE CASES PER COUNTY: Barbour (6), Berkeley (72), Boone (23), Braxton (3), Brooke (11), Cabell (35), Calhoun (1), Clay (1), Doddridge (1), Fayette (25), Gilmer (2), Grant (9), Greenbrier (21), Hampshire (14), Hancock (21), Hardy (9), Harrison (50), Jackson (7), Jefferson (59), Kanawha (95), Lewis (9), Lincoln (9), Logan (25), Marion (34), Marshall (12), Mason (19), McDowell (18), Mercer (63), Mineral (15), Mingo (24), Monongalia (55), Monroe (10), Morgan (9), Nicholas (17), Ohio (33), Pendleton (2), Pleasants (7), Pocahontas (3), Preston (23), Putnam (20), Raleigh (58), Randolph (10), Ritchie (2), Roane (8), Summers (9), Taylor (27), Tucker (3), Tyler (5), Upshur (18), Wayne (18), Webster (6), Wetzel (12), Wirt (0), Wood (40), Wyoming (37). To find the cumulative cases per county, please visit coronavirus.wv.gov and look on the Cumulative Summary tab which is sortable by county.

West Virginians ages 6 months and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. All individuals ages 6 months and older should receive a primary series of vaccination, the initial set of shots that teaches the body to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Those ages 5-11 years are recommended to get an original (monovalent) booster shot when due, and those ages 12 years and older are recommended to get an Omicron booster shot (bivalent) at least two months after completing their primary series.

Visit the WV COVID-19 Vaccination Due Date Calculator, a free, online tool that helps individuals figure out when they may be due for a COVID-19 shot, making it easier to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccination. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine, visit vaccines.gov, vaccinate.wv.gov, or call 1-833-734-0965. Please visit the COVID-19 testing locations page to locate COVID-19 testing near you.

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COVID-19 Daily Update 9-28-2022 - West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

For the past few years, COVID-19 has dominated public discourse. At first, countless conflicting reports led to confusion that it was just like the flu, and that it didnt have the same impact on children as it did on adolescents and adults.

As we head into our third year of research on COVID-19, more is known about how the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 affect various people in our communities. We now know that pediatric infection rates are similar to that of adults, though many children may not have any symptoms.

In fact, researchers in one 2022 pediatric study examined antibody tests. They found evidence that up to 77% of children have already had COVID-19. We now know that children can, in fact, contract the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

For parents and caregivers, this can cause anxiety is that cough and runny nose just a cold thats circulating through day care, or something more serious?

This article sheds light on the most common symptoms of COVID-19 in children, and what to do if you suspect your child has it.

Experts note that COVID-19 symptoms in children are similar to those documented in adults. However, the symptoms in children are usually not as severe.

In many cases, children may be asymptomatic. This means that no symptoms may be present even though they test positive.

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include:

Its important to keep in mind that as new coronavirus variants emerge, new symptoms may arise. Others can shift in severity.

For example, when COVID-19 first appeared globally in 2019, a loss of smell and taste was one of the hallmark signs that a person might have contracted the virus.

But with later variants, such as many of the Omicron variants, a loss of taste and smell is less frequently reported as a primary symptom, whereas a sore throat is often more common.

When in doubt, its always best to reference the latest information shared by reliable health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Also note that many common COVID-19 symptoms are similar to those of the common cold, flu, stomach flu, and other upper respiratory infections.

Before jumping to conclusions, get your child tested to confirm they have COVID-19.

Even though children tend to have a less severe reaction to COVID-19 than older populations, one serious risk COVID-19 poses to children is the potential to develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Researchers still dont fully understand the link between MIS-C and COVID-19. But they do know that since the appearance of the novel coronavirus, many children with MIS-C had either an earlier coronavirus infection or were exposed to someone who had COVID-19.

MIS-C can affect multiple organ systems across the body, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, and brain. If left untreated, MIS-C can be deadly. In most cases, its easily treated.

If your child has symptoms of MIS-C, get them evaluated by a doctor immediately. Symptoms associated with MIS-C include:

Another potential symptom of COVID-19 in young children is croup. Croup is the inflammation of the airways that causes:

If your child has symptoms of croup, its worth getting evaluated and tested for COVID-19 or other possible causes.

Studies are still being conducted to determine how COVID-19 specifically affects babies.

One 2022 study from Poland looked at infections in infant populations (newborns up to 12 months old) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (March through December 2020). Researchers noted the majority of cases in this group were mild.

Of the infant cases reviewed even though 94% were hospitalized 276 cases were mild, six were moderate, 32 were asymptomatic, and none were reported as severe cases.

Similar to adults, the most common symptoms were low and high grade fevers. However, other reported symptoms included:

Researchers noted that one of the most common secondary diagnoses that followed COVID-19 in infants was pneumonia. It was found in 70 of the 300 cases reviewed.

On the whole, the Polish study noted that infant cases of COVID-19 tend to represent only 1% to 2% of all cases, even when looking at general case counts in other countries. But, in countries with more prevalent testing, this percentage could increase to a range of 5% to 13%.

Still, infant cases were generally mild compared with adult cases, which were often more severe.

A 2022 study from Germany suggests that at-home rapid antigen tests tend to be less precise or accurate than the RT-PCR test, which healthcare professionals perform.

Experts have consistently questioned the effectiveness of at-home tests because of known issues regarding low sensitivity to detect the coronavirus across all age groups.

This means theres a higher possibility of false negatives for at-home rapid tests. Coupled with a heightened chance of improper nasal swabbing in younger populations, theres an increased risk of getting incorrect results from an at-home rapid antigen test performed on children.

Parents and caregivers should keep in mind that a rapid test only offers results for a snapshot in time. It can only provide sufficient results if theres enough viral load for the test to pick up.

The coronaviruss incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 days, with the average being 3 to 6 days, depending on the coronavirus variant.

So, a negative rapid test result doesnt necessarily mean youre in the clear if the test is taken fewer than 14 days after a known exposure. It could mean the virus is not yet detectable.

If you suspect that your child may have been exposed to COVID-19, your first step should be to get them tested.

While at-home tests might provide an initial answer, its always best to take your child to a physician or clinic for an RT-PCR test. This test type offers higher accuracy and has a lower false-positive rate.

Plan to keep your child at home from day care or school if COVID-19 is suspected to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.

Currently, theres only one antiviral medication for COVID-19 thats approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in babies and children under the age of 12: remdesivir (Veklury).

Its only administered intravenously at healthcare facilities and used for children with an increased risk of developing severe symptoms.

The CDC currently recommends that if your child tests positive for COVID-19, treat the day you first noticed symptoms as day 0 and the following day as day 1. The organization recommends that children be kept at home for at least 5 days. Ideally, try to isolate them from other members of the household.

Depending on the severity of the disease, isolation may end on different dates. Children with mild symptoms who show improvement with no symptoms on day 5 of isolation can end isolation.

If symptoms persist or worsen, continue isolation until your child is fever-free for 24 hours without the need for fever-reducing medication and until symptoms begin to improve.

If youre not sure when to end isolation, talk with a healthcare professional.

When youre caring for small children, isolating them from yourself or other family members can be a tall order especially if theyre babies and not self-sufficient enough to manage basic tasks without adult supervision.

In this case, youll want to wear a mask when interacting with your child. Wash your hands frequently to avoid transmitting the coronavirus to other surfaces or family members.

Additionally, avoid sharing personal items, like cups, utensils, towels, and bedding. Likewise, be sure to regularly clean and disinfect surfaces throughout shared areas of the home, like the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms.

Anyone can contract the coronavirus and develop COVID-19. But according to health organizations around the world, babies and children consistently tend to contract the virus less frequently and in a milder form than in older populations.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as of early September 2022, there have been a total of 14.7 million cases of COVID-19 reported in children in the United States since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Thats out of a total of 79.4 million cases across all age demographics in the country. The child case count represents 18.4% of the total U.S. case count.

With an active case of COVID-19, its important to talk with a doctor to determine what type of treatment is needed.

Depending on your childs age and the severity of their illness, a doctor may recommend different treatments. A very mild case may just need home remedies and rest. Others might be better served by introducing a therapeutic or antiviral medication.

Regardless of which option a doctor recommends, keeping your little one hydrated and trying as best as possible to isolate them from other members of the household is important.

Preventive solutions are often best at minimizing your childs risk of severe COVID-19. This means that if your child is of an approved age to get any of the COVID-19 vaccines, its recommended that they get vaccinated according to the recommended schedule and receive boosters as needed.

Its important to note that COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe infections that could lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or death. However, they do not necessarily prevent contracting the virus itself.

To date, COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe and effective for babies, children, and adults. Getting vaccinated is one of the best measures to prevent severe COVID-19.

The CDC offers comprehensive information regarding which vaccines are approved in which age groups, and the recommended schedules for receiving them.

COVID-19 continues to be an issue of concern. While babies and children tend to contract the coronavirus less frequently and usually develop a milder case of COVID-19, they are not immune to it.

To date, vaccination is the best preventive method to reduce the chances of hospitalization, getting very sick, or dying from COVID-19. If your baby or child contracts the coronavirus, seeking immediate medical attention can ensure that they receive treatment that can help recovery and reduce symptoms.

When in doubt, follow the guidelines as outlined by authoritative health organizations such as the CDC and NIH. If your child has any COVID-19 symptoms, get them tested.

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COVID-19 Symptoms in Kids: What to Know - Healthline

In the beginning it was a lifeline, an organized collection of facts amid a swirl of coronavirus uncertainty and misinformation.

Feels like this is going to be another day where its a battle to do anything while staring at the Johns Hopkins dashboard, an editor in Michigan tweeted on April 13, 2020, along with a screenshot of the global death toll to date at that time: 114,983.

Nearly 2 years later, more than 6.5 million people have died from COVID-19, hundreds of millions of infections have been recorded, and Lauren Gardner, the Johns Hopkins engineer who led the creation of the universitys lauded COVID-19 dashboard, has been recognized with a major prize.

On Wednesday, Gardner won the 2022 Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award. Past honorees include Doctors Without Borders and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

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Bestowed by the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation for achievement in medical science, the Lasker awards are sometimes referred to as Americas Nobels, and many honorees go on to win Nobel prizes.

The dashboard set a new standard for disseminating authoritative public health data in real time, the judges said, and cut through the noise of misinformation and became the most authoritative and trusted source of information for the COVID pandemic.

The COVID-19 dashboard: Tracking a pandemic in real time

In an ironic twist, the prize was announced while Gardner, 38, was riding out a coronavirus infection at the home in Baltimore she shares with her husband, toddler daughter and their dog. It also comes a week after Johns Hopkins announced that its scaling back the tracker due to the declining quality of data from U.S. states.

Were not magically creating any of this COVID data. Its all 100% collected from whats been publicly reported, Gardner said. With resources being diverted away from COVID-19, the accuracy and timeliness of the data simply arent what they used to be, she added, which is disheartening.

Before the pandemic, the Texas-born Gardner was an academic specializing in modeling infectious diseases. She returned from an eight-year stint at Australias University of New South Wales in 2019 to take a position as an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.

In January 2020, Gardner was talking with her graduate student Ensheng Dong, who had been worriedly checking for updates on family in Chinas Shanxi province. Gardner suggested he create a map to track the virus globally. Dong built a website in a day, and after a few tweaks it was live.

The dashboard debuted to the public later that month, when the majority of people in the U.S. were still blithely going about their business, with only glancing acknowledgment of the virus spreading through Wuhan, China.

In the early days, as the pair worked to import data manually, they imagined the map as a valuable tool for a relatively small community of academics and researchers monitoring the virus spread.

Then the stay-at-home orders hit. In their shock and confusion, people went searching for reliable information on the spread of a virus upending their lives. They found the Hopkins dashboard. In March 2020 the website that hosted the map, arcgis.com, registered nearly 1 billion visits.

Gardner and her students knew the work mattered. But they were shocked to realize how many people were relying on it.

We knew it was important. I knew that the data had a lot of value, because I always did work where we needed that kind of data and didnt have it, Gardner said. But I guess I didnt expect to be the sole source of it.

Johns Hopkins professor Lauren Gardner was recognized with the Lasker-Bloomberg Public Service Award for mobilizing her lab to quickly engineer the COVID-19 dashboard.

(Lasker Foundation)

Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization were overwhelmed at the pandemics start.

In the absence of a steady flow of data from reliable government sources, and with misinformation swirling on the internet, the tracker let policymakers, healthcare providers and average people make responsible decisions.

When I could see numbers rising in the U.S. and nearby states, we started to implement procedures to see our immunocompromised patients virtually and keep them protected, said Dr. Michelle Rheault, a pediatric nephrologist at the University of Minnesota childrens hospital.

While it was terrifying to watch some days, it provided the knowledge that I needed to do my job.

As COVID-19 cases multiplied around the world, so did the behind-the-scenes work to keep the dashboard going. More and more countries were reporting deaths and cases, which meant more data to gather, verify and standardize. Manual updates were no longer feasible, so the team built automated scrapers to gather data from official health databases around the world that were available to the public.

It was really just a continually adaptable system that we were having to develop, Gardner said. We were just working around the clock for that year.

When stay-at-home orders came to Maryland, the group had to disperse to home offices. (Thats also when Gardner learned she was pregnant. Her first child was born in December 2020.) Nonetheless, the dashboard kept growing.

It appeared behind President Trump at news briefings. Its figures were cited in news reports and factored into policy decisions.

The team had a rule to include only publicly available data so that anyone who wanted to could verify the dashboards sources. When state or regional agencies contacted the group privately to offer case counts they didnt want to report officially, the Johns Hopkins engineers declined.

Make it public, and then well put it on our data file, too, Gardner said she told them. But were not just accepting things behind the curtain.

Often, it worked. The bigger the tracker got, the more willing agencies were to provide data the team asked for, including race and ethnicity breakdowns. The dashboard would eventually expand to include testing and vaccination numbers.

That power, just because we had so many eyeballs, was something that was really helpful, Gardner said. But it didnt last.

As Gardner noted, its value was dependent on the quality of the data reported. As the pandemic dragged on and health budgets scaled back, mandatory testing programs ended and home tests that didnt have to be reported became more available, the quantity of good, accessible data fell.

Weve all just lived through a massive public health crisis that has underscored the value of having reliable, quality data to base decisions on. What frustrates Gardner is that we seem to be emerging from that crisis with no more willingness to ensure such data are available the next time one comes around. Basic standards for public health data reporting would go a long way, she said. If data were reported uniformly, it would be easier for the next group to gather and share in an accessible way.

The Johns Hopkins team showed that its possible. But right now, theres no rule or agency with enforcement authority to make sure that it happens.

The research is amazing. Our science is amazing, Gardner said. Our science has taken a big step up. I think the problem is the communication and translation from science to policy to the general public just has not evolved at the same rate. Weve just really dropped the ball in the second half of that.

In addition to honoring Gardner, the foundation gave this years prize for basic medical research to Richard O. Hynes, Erkki Ruoslahti and Timothy A. Springer for discoveries related to integrins, a family of cell receptors that play an important role in cell growth, migration and signaling.

Yuk Ming Dennis Lo won the award for clinical research for his discovery of fetal DNA in maternal blood, reducing the need for invasive and potentially harmful prenatal test procedures.

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This COVID-19 tracker changed how we saw the pandemic. Its creator fears it won't be useful much longer - Los Angeles Times

Washington, D.C. 28 September 2022 (PAHO/WHO) The burden of mental health conditions has increased in the Americas due to COVID-19, and this situation has been exacerbated by social determinants of health such as poverty, high level health officials concluded during a side event at the 30th Pan American Sanitary Conference.

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the mental health and wellbeing of everyone, everywhere, the PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne said at the opening of the event yesterday, Leveraging Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic to Address the Regions Mental Health Challenges for the Future.

We have seen rates of stress, depression and anxiety soar in our Region, and persons living in conditions of vulnerability, who have traditionally experienced a higher burden of mental health conditions and unequal access to care, were among those most affected, Dr. Etienne added, highlighting that young people have also been disproportionately impacted.

A report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first year of the pandemic alone.

But in the Americas, COVID-19 exacerbated an already critical issue. The region faces increasing suicide rates, with some countries experiencing the highest suicide rates in the world.

Mental health services have been chronically underfinanced in the region, with resources directed only to mental institutions rather than to first level of care within the community. There is frequently also a lack of qualified health professionals, and stigma and discrimination are common barriers to care, in addition to policies that fail to promote and protect the human rights of persons with mental health problems.

The event examined these multiple factors contributing to poor mental health with the aim of prioritizing mental health as a pillar to advance health and noting that there is no health without mental health as the Americas recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

PAHO Member States found innovative approaches to respond to mental health demands during the COVID- 19 pandemic, including the use of telehealth, the PAHO Director said. But much more is needed to ensure a true transformation of mental health through political actions at the highest level, strengthened multisectoral partnerships, investments in infrastructure, human resources and services.

During the 30th Pan American Sanitary Conference, Member States also discussed and approved a Policy for Improving Mental health, which aims to help countries strengthen and implement policies to improve mental health in the region.

In May 2022, PAHO also established a High-Level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19 to support Member States in improving and strengthening mental health across the Americas.

Its clear that the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to our health care system. But we can also see that it has acted as a catalyst for people to perhaps be more open about their mental health, reducing stigma and helping us work towards positive change with impressive innovation, especially virtual care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly highlighted, in a massive way, that mental health is interconnected with all other complex public health challenges so using a public health approach to mental health can help us advance our efforts to promote positive mental health, build a system and population resilience and respond more effectively to mental health needs during times of crisis.

We live in very uncertain times, but we are aware that climate change is real, not only affecting our fragile economies but affecting individuals, their families and communities on a very persona level.

Every hurricane season for the last ten years was more active than the previous year. Heatwaves are becoming more common, and floods and droughts are commonplace. People across the region are becoming increasingly worried about climate change, with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders and climate change trauma becoming increasingly more prevalent.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of individual and collective care and consensus building for psychosocial well-being, health promotion and the capacity to provide a networked response in the event of any type of emergency.

We need to prioritize mental health in all policies, to understand that mental health is fundamental to the full enjoyment of rights - it is necessary to position the commitment of the member states in achieving universal health coverage of human rights for all people.

While we long for a return to normalcy coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must not accept the business as usual model for mental health. Such an outcome will fail to guarantee each individual his or her fundamental right to mental health, and deprive individuals and communities the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Furthermore, we will be left vulnerable to ongoing threats to our mental health, such as future pandemics and most notably climate change.

The fight has to be maintained. We need to make sure that mental health is constantly on the agenda and that we invest in it and that it is taken seriously.

At WHO we have to keep it visible, talk about it daily and mobilize our political leaders to lead on this.

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COVID-19 presents an opportunity to strengthen mental health in the Americas - Pan American Health Organization

COVID-19 vaccination is associated with a small, temporary increase in menstrual cycle length; CMS announced a 3% reduction in Medicare Part B premiums; Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced Kenvue as the name of its new consumer health company set to launch next year.

A large study funded by the National Institutes of Health confirmed findings from a previous study linking COVID-19 vaccination with a small temporary increase in menstrual cycle length. The study included nearly 20,000 people from North America and Europe and found an average increase in menstrual cycle length of less than 1 day, but this increase was not associated with changes in the number of days of menstrual bleeding. Compared with individuals who did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine and compared with at least 3 cycles prior to vaccination, individuals experienced a .71 day increase in cycle length after their first dose and a .56 day increase after their second dose, on average. Those who received both doses in a single cycle saw the greatest change in menstrual cycle length, with a 3.91 day increase, on average. The study included 9 different vaccines and found no changes based on which vaccine an individual received. More research is needed to understand why these changes are occurring.

The Biden administration announced a reduction in Medicare Part B premiums in 2023, marking the first time these costs will be lowered since 2012, The Hill reported. CMS specifically said there will be a 3%, or $5.20, reduction, with premiums going from $170.10 to $164.90 per month. The annual deductible will also drop by $7, from $233 to $226. The year 2022 saw the greatest increase in Medicare Part B premiums with a 14.5% increase linked to the FDA-approval of Alzheimer drug Adulhelm.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced Kenvue as the name of its new consumer health company set to launch in 2023. J&Js consumer health segment generated $14.6 billion in revenue in 2021, and Kenvue as a standalone company is expected to generate sales in over 100 countries. In the news release, J&J noted this planned separation is subject to legal requirements, such as consultations with works councils and employee representatives.

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What We're Reading: Effects of COVID-19 Vaccination on Menstrual Cycles; Reduced Medicare Part B Premiums; J&J Announces Kenvue - AJMC.com Managed...

CHINAS CENSORS are fast. When a mysterious illness struck Wuhan in December 2019, relevant content was swiftly scrubbed from the internet. But Chinese citizens also went looking for forbidden information. A virtual private network (VPN) can mask the location a user is browsing from. That allows Chinese netizens to get around the great firewall, the digital barricade the state has built to block sensitive online content. In late January, when Wuhan and surrounding cities locked down, VPN downloads jumped. So did searches for politically sensitive content.

A paper published in PNAS, an academic journal, argues that covid-19 inspired Chinese citizens to circumvent censorship and access sensitive content on banned websites. Although most VPN applications are blocked in China, the researchers found one available on Chinas Apple App Store. They noted a sharp increase in downloads of the app, sending its App Store ranking higher, just as Wuhan, and the wider Hubei province of which it is part, went into lockdown (see chart). This, say the authors, opened a gateway to other politically taboo information.

Twitter, for example, is banned in China. But in Hubei the number of Chinese-language accounts geo-tagged, or assigned a location, in China grew by 40% between January and mid-March 2020, when the lockdown was lifted. By July activity was still 10% higher than in January. Hubei, the area worst hit by covid-19, gained more users than any other Chinese province. Twitter volume there doubled from its pre-lockdown average.

The new Twitterati flocked to Chinese citizen journalists, who gained 42% more China-based followers between December 2019 and April 2020, as well as to foreign media (31%) and political activists (23%). By contrast Chinese politicians, entertainers and state media saw no significant increase. (Though Twitter is banned in China, many officials and state-run media accounts use the platform to broadcast the party line.) This trend was sustained: one year after the pandemic began roughly 90% of these new Twitter-joiners were still following accounts that were likely to disseminate politically sensitive information.

Activity on the Chinese-language edition of Wikipedia tells a similar story. Its daily page views increased from 12.8m in December 2019 to 13.9m during the lockdown period between January and March 2020. The trend continued even after the lockdown was lifted, with daily page views reaching 14.7m by the end of April 2020.

Wikipedia pages on covid saw the largest increases. But traffic also jumped on the pages for Xu Zhiyong, a human-rights lawyer awaiting trial for subversion; Tibetan Uprising Day; Ai Weiwei, an activist artist; and the bloody crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square in June 1989. During normal times Chinese citizens may be content to browse within the firewall. But a crisis can change incentives. Longer-term trends are not accounted for in the paper, but with millions of people still in lockdown, Chinas censors may continue to be challenged.

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Covid-19 inspired people to circumvent censorship in China - The Economist

CLEVELAND, OhioAn analysis of the electronic medical records of over 1 million children worldwide suggests that COVID-19 infection may make children more susceptible to developing type 1 diabetes, say researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

The study found that there was a 72% increase in the number of type 1 diabetes diagnoses of people under age 18 in the six months following a confirmed case of COVID-19, compared with children who had another type of respiratory infection.

Unlike type 2 diabetes, which is the result of decreased sensitivity to insulin and occurs primarily in adults, type 1 diabetes is more frequently diagnosed in children and occurs when the bodys immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing cells of the pancreas.

Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease, said Pamela Davis, a professor of medicine at CWRU School of Medicine and one of the studys authors. COVID has been suggested to increase autoimmune responses, and our present finding reinforces that suggestion.

Age was not a significant factor in the results. The diabetes risk in younger children, from birth to 9 years of age, was similar to that in older children aged 10 to 18.

Families with high risk of type 1 diabetes in their children should be especially alert for symptoms of diabetes following COVID, and pediatricians should be alert for an influx of new cases of type 1 diabetes, especially since the omicron variant of COVID spreads so rapidly among children, Davis said.

We may see a substantial increase in this disease in the coming months to years. Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong challenge for those who have it, and increased incidence represents substantial numbers of children afflicted.

Further research is needed to determine which children are most vulnerable, whether the increased risk of diabetes persists beyond 6 months, and how to treat COVID-19 associated type 1 diabetes in children, said co-author Rong Xu, a CWRU professor of biomedical informatics.

We are also investigating possible changes in development of type 2 diabetes in children following SARS-CoV2 infection, Xu said.

About 187,000 people under 20 live with type 1 diabetes nationally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The conclusions were published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open.

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Juvenile type 1 diabetes associated with COVID-19 infection in children, CWRU study finds - cleveland.com