Fox News Media’s Post

The Conversation: Why scrapping the term ‘long COVID’ would be harmful for people with the condition "The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that it’s time to stop using the term “long COVID” has made waves in Australian and international media over recent days. After the research was publicised last Friday, some experts highlighted flaws in the study design. For decades, people with invisible or “silent” conditions such as ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome) have had to fight ignorance from health-care professionals and stigma from others in their lives. The term “long COVID” provides an easily understandable label to convey patients’ experiences to others. It is well known to the public. It has been routinely used in news media reporting and in many reputable medical journal articles. Most importantly, scrapping the label would further marginalise a large group of people with a chronic illness who have often been left to struggle behind closed doors." https://lnkd.in/eydd6Zxm #pwME #MECFS #MyalgicE #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #LongCovid #PostCovid #Research

Health care facilities serve as havens for patients seeking treatment for disease and injury. However, they can also be home to a hidden world of microbes, lurking in places and devices that lead to life-threatening infections. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 31 patients will acquire at least 1 health care-associated infection (HAI)—including infections with antibiotic-resistant organisms—while being treated for something unrelated. For centuries, it was believed that if everyone would do a better job cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing when required, HAIs (and overall infections in the community setting) would be eliminated. However, data show this is not the case. Patients who occupy a room where a previous patient had an HAI have a 25% chance of acquiring the same infection, despite best efforts to follow required protocols for terminally cleaning and disinfecting the room. Furthermore, patients who have symptomatic infection may shed larger amounts of infectious microbes through body fluid and contaminate surrounding surfaces. Surface type and building structure are, therefore, important components of the equation, which necessitate an organized effort to understand the root causes and develop multimodal solutions that support ongoing efforts to stop the spread of HAIs within health care facilities.

A new review on community-acquired pneumonia, authored by Dr. Valerie Vaughn, highlights the importance of high-quality pneumonia care across settings. Check out this pivotal JAMA article for evidence-based practices to improve patient outcomes. https://lnkd.in/gkWrBB44 #pneumonia #research #infectiousdiseases #pulmonarymedicine #uofuhealth #utah

THIS. "This 2024 World Oral Health Day, we call on multilateral and bilateral stakeholders, and the non-health sector and the private sector, to join hands with ministries of health in driving a multi-sectoral response to the region’s silent epidemic of oral diseases." #WorldOralHealthDay2024 https://lnkd.in/enYtcPAf

By Nsisong Asanga, Lauren Paige Richeson, https://linktr.ee/lpfedme Lauren Paige Richeson is a health writer and commerce editor at Verywell. She's the author of Avocado Obsession Cookbook and covers a wide range of lifestyle and wellness topics for some of the world's most popular publications. HEALTH'S EDITORIAL GUIDELINES  and Jessica Wozinsky Fleming  Updated on October 15, 2024  Medically reviewed by @Farah Khan, MD  Fact checked by @Richard Scherr A reliable at-home COVID-19 test is an important addition to your medicine cabinet. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, such as cough, runny nose, and fever, or have been recently exposed but are asymptomatic, getting tested can help prevent spreading the virus. At-home COVID-19 tests are a quick and convenient way to get accurate results without a trip to the clinic. When choosing the best at-home COVID-19 test for your needs, consider the type of test, speed of results, and accuracy. In addition, David Souleles, MPH, the Chief of Staff of Health Affairs at UC Irvine, advises opting for FDA-authorized brands and always checking the test's expiration date before using it. In the Health Lab, we’ve tested over 30 at-home COVID-19 tests from the most reputable brands on the shelves. Although our testing didn't assess accuracy, we evaluated the ease of use and overall performance of each at-home test to identify the best options that deliver quick results through a seamless, user-friendly process. An allergist and immunologist on our Medical Expert Board also reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy regarding what to look for in at-home COVID-19 tests, when to use them, and when to contact a healthcare provider. #CorDx #athome #COVID19test #Tyfast #fluCovid https://lnkd.in/gNTDZAqV

“…the belief that better cleaning and disinfection practices alone will reduce the spread of HAIs must be reexamined. The challenges begin long before cleaning and disinfection take place—with surface selection and design. A collaborative effort that brings together a diverse group of thought leaders, health care professionals, manufacturers, scientists and others is critical to explore root caues and develop sustainable solutions that will mitigate the spread of HAIs.” A very thorough and interesting article for how to strategically minimize microbes and healthcare associated infections in healthcare facilities!

“In An End to Upside Down Medicine, Mark Gober dives into fundamental beliefs about health and disease. These beliefs are so fundamental, in fact, that most of us probably haven’t thought to question them. For example, do bacteria cause disease, or are they part of the body's cleanup crew that appears at the scene of an underlying toxicity or injury? Do researchers follow the scientific method when they claim to isolate viruses and show that they cause disease in their hosts? How are studies conducted that allegedly demonstrate the transmission of germs from sick people to healthy people? How do long-term health outcomes differ between vaccinated and unvaccinated populations? In addition to exploring these essential questions, Gober goes a layer deeper by examining the nature of consciousness. He argues that we can’t fully understand health and disease without first understanding who and what we are—and he contends that modern medicine totally misses the mark.” https://lnkd.in/ekZ-D5KU

TWiV 1096: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin; "In his weekly clinical update, Dr. Griffin highlights measles outbreaks throughout the continental US, reviews recent statistics on the circulation of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 before discussing if vaccination protected children from the development of long COVID or cardiovascular diseases associated with virus infection, revised guidelines SARS-CoV-2 treatment and how to treat respiratory viral infections, continues to dispel the myth of viral rebound, when to use steroids and the benefits of convalescent plasma, how COVID-19 effects the autonomic nervous system, and if nirmatrelvir-ritonavir protects against adverse cardiovascular effects following SARS-CoV-2 infection."; MicrobeTV, Mar 16, 2024: https://lnkd.in/eQDNbMNc

#infections #infectioncontrol #publichealth https://lnkd.in/gwpsh6rT Researchers developed a smart #face #mask that can analyze #chemicals in breath in real time. The mask could be used to track various #health indicators, such as #respiratory #inflammation, blood alcohol level, and kidney function.                                          research team led by Dr. Wei Gao at the California Institute of Technology has developed a facemask-based system for monitoring EBC in real time. They call the system EBCare (an acronym for exhaled breath condensate analysis and respiratory evaluation). EBCare consists of a mask that continuously condenses exhaled breath and collects and analyzes the resulting EBC. The development of EBCare was funded in part by NIH. The device and its capabilities were described in Science on August 29, 2024.