Month: September 2020

By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

Oklahoma among worst in nation in coronavirus

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma remains among the worst states in the United States for positive coronavirus tests per 100,000 people and the number of new reported cases, according to a report released this week by the White House Coronavirus Task Force.

Oklahoma is in the red zone for virus cases, meaning 101 or more new cases per 100,000 population, with a rate of 201 new cases per 100,000, an increase of 15% from a week ago, according to the federal report dated Sept. 27 and released Wednesday by the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The report recommends increased testing to identify those with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, and to isolate those infected to limit the spread of the virus.

“Abbott BinaxNOW supplies (a rapid test for the virus) will be distributed in the coming weeks; develop (a) plan for weekly surveillance in critical populations to monitor

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

These Orgs Are Making Sure the Future Has Black Doctors

Only 5 percent of doctors in the U.S. identify as Black.

This is Race and Medicine, a series dedicated to unearthing the uncomfortable and sometimes life-threatening truth about racism in healthcare. By highlighting the experiences of Black people and honoring their health journeys, we look to a future where medical racism is a thing of the past.

Thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, racism and anti-Blackness are being examined in many American industries: healthcare is one of them.

In addition, the way in which COVID-19 has specifically impacted Black Americans now makes the inherent racism within healthcare very clear.

The current pandemic is exposing the consequences of racial discrimination within healthcare industries at every level. However, anti-Blackness in medicine and other related health disparities is nothing new for Black people.

The medical field has historically been an industry that perpetuates neglect and prejudice towards Black patients. There is also

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

Hydroxychloroquine didn’t protect health care workers from coronavirus, study shows

Another study is warning against President Trump’s debunked coronavirus treatment.

Despite being studied as an early coronavirus treatment, studies have found the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine ineffective and even dangerous when used to fight coronavirus. A study published Wednesday added to that evidence, finding that the drug was ineffective in preventing health care workers from contracting coronavirus.

For the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania focused on 125 health care workers. Some of them received hydroxychloroquine for eight weeks from April to July, while others got a placebo. Throughout that time, four of the 64 workers who got the drug ended up with COVID-19, while four of the 61 who got the placebo did as well. Six of those who tested positive developed coronavirus symptoms, but none needed to be hospitalized. As a result, the researchers said they “cannot recommend the routine use of

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

Women’s FA Cup: Manchester City check Rose Lavelle fitness before Arsenal tie

Rose Lavelle
Rose Lavelle scored in 2019’s Women’s World Cup final against the Netherlands in Lyon
Date: Thursday, 1 October Kick-off: 19:15 BST Coverage: Watch live on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and online from 19:00

Holders Manchester City are monitoring Rose Lavelle’s improving fitness before Thursday’s Women’s FA Cup semi-final against 14-time winners Arsenal.

Whoever goes through will face Everton at Wembley on 1 November after the Toffees beat Birmingham City 3-0.

United States midfielder Lavelle has yet to play for Man City since arriving in August with a minor ankle injury.

But manager Gareth Taylor hopes to give a debut “over the next couple of games” to the 25-year-old World Cup winner.

“Rose has been training hard,” said Taylor. “What we’re trying to do with her is just make sure she’s ready.

“She’s been really keen to get back in. It’s just been a case of keeping the reins on her

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

A major study in India offers insights into on how the spread of the virus differs by age and gender.

An ambitious new study of nearly 85,000 coronavirus cases in India and nearly 600,000 of their contacts, published Wednesday in the journal Science, offers important insights not just for India, but for other low- and middle-income countries.

India now has more than six million cases, second only to the United States.

Among the findings of the study: The median hospital stay before death from Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, was five days in India, compared with two weeks in the United States, possibly because of limited access to quality care. And the trend in increasing deaths with age seemed to drop off after age 65 — perhaps because Indians who live past that age tend to be relatively wealthy and have access to good health care.

The contact tracing study also found that children of all ages can become infected with the coronavirus and spread it to others

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

COVID Treatment’s Positive Test Results Contain Troubling Wrinkles Upon Examination

KEY POINTS

  • Regeneron’s COVID-19 monoclonal antibody cocktail performed well on safety and reduction of viral load
  • It was not, however, tested on hospitalized patients, and limitations on pricing and the production of monoclonal antibody treatments suggest it’s no panacea for the pandemic
  • Also concerning were its effects on actual symptom reduction, for which none of the groups produced a statistically significant effect

Positive results from trials are a hopeful step for a COVID-19 monoclonal antibody cocktail, but some elements of the data cast doubt on the efficacy and practicality of the treatment. The results, announced Tuesday by pharmaceutical company Regeneron, did suggest that their drug reduced viral loads and performed well on safety metrics.

“We are highly encouraged by the robust and consistent nature of these initial data, as well as the emerging well-tolerated safety profile, and we have begun discussing our findings with regulatory authorities while continuing our ongoing

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

M Health Fairview Applauds PreferredOne as First in Minnesota to Cover Innovative Prescription Digital Therapeutics to Treat Addiction

Largest Minnesota health system urging others to cover the FDA-authorized treatments

PreferredOne, Fairview’s health benefits management company, is the first health insurance provider in Minnesota to cover two innovative prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) to treat addiction: reSET® and reSET-O®, which are manufactured by Pear Therapeutics, Inc. The software-based treatments are authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are indicated to treat substance use disorder and opioid use disorder, respectively.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200930005985/en/

PreferredOne, Fairview’s health benefits management company, is the first health insurance provider in Minnesota to cover two FDA-approved prescription digital therapeutics to treat addiction. (Provided by Pear Therapeutics)

reSET and reSET-O are the first two PDTs to receive market authorization to treat disease from FDA. PDTs are apps that are downloaded to a patient’s mobile device after being prescribed. Both products, which are adjunctive to outpatient counselling,

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

Alabama nursing homes to allow limited in-person visits

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced Wednesday the resumption on Oct. 2 of limited in-person visits to nursing homes more than six months after they locked down in response to coronavirus.

Each nursing home resident will be allowed one caregiver or visitor at a time. Nursing homes can only permit indoor visits if they have not had a positive coronavirus case in two weeks, according to the Alabama Nursing Home Association. Facilities can limit the total number of visitors at one time and masks and social distancing will be required.

The Alabama Nursing Home Association provided the following guidance to family members:

· Do schedule an appointment to visit with your loved one

· Do use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before, during and after your visit

· Do wear a mask covering your mouth and nose during your entire visit in the facility

· Do maintain social distance of at least six

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

Exclusive: FDA Widens U.S. Safety Inquiry Into AstraZeneca Coronavirus Vaccine – Sources | Top News

By Marisa Taylor and Dan Levine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has broadened its investigation of a serious illness in AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine study and will look at data from earlier trials of similar vaccines developed by the same scientists, three sources familiar with the details told Reuters.

AstraZeneca’s large, late-stage U.S. trial has remained on hold since Sept. 6, after a study participant in Britain fell ill with what was believed to be a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis.

The widened scope of the FDA probe raises the likelihood of additional delays for what has been one of the most advanced COVID-19 vaccine candidates in development. The requested data was expected to arrive this week, after which the FDA would need time to analyze it, two of the sources said.

Effective vaccines are seen as essential to help end a pandemic that

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By iwano@_84
September 30, 2020 Off

Montgomery County COVID-19 cases top 11K; deaths remain at 140

Catherine Dominguez, Staff writer

Online registration is still available for COVID-19 testing in Montgomery County. To get a voucher, go to mchd-tx.org or mcphd-tx.org and click on the

Online registration is still available for COVID-19 testing in Montgomery County. To get a voucher, go to mchd-tx.org or mcphd-tx.org and click on the “need to be tested” link. Fill out the information. A voucher will be emailed. Once you have the voucher, make an appointment at your choice of testing centers and get tested.

Gustavo Huerta, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Montgomery County continued a trend Wednesday with no new COVID-related deaths but added 50 new active cases for a total of 1,508.

Total number of cases in the county jumped to 11,092. The number of deaths related to the virus remained at 140, according to the Montgomery County Public Health District.

Total hospitalizations, both county and noncounty residents, decreased by three to 41 with 11 of those patients in ICU.

The Montgomery County Public

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