Health
As Delta variant surges, Fauci and Walensky say vaccines, not masks, are the solution – Yahoo News Canada
WASHINGTON — Top science officials in the Biden administration sought on Thursday to allay concerns about the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus, which has prompted renewed calls for mask wearing in some places.
Compounding the alarm was an announcement last week from the World Health Organization that even vaccinated people should continue to wear masks. “Vaccine alone won’t stop community transmission,” a top WHO deputy explained in justifying the move, which appeared to cause some confusion.
But as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top science adviser to the Biden administration, explained during a Thursday briefing of the White House pandemic response team, the global situation cannot be compared to that in the United States. Those vaccination rates are “dramatically different,” he said, showing a chart that made the vast gap vividly apparent: While only about 11 percent of the world has been vaccinated, 47 percent of the American population is immunized against the coronavirus.
The Delta variant also appears to puncture the protection offered by the first dose of a two-dose mRNA vaccine. Partially vaccinated people appear to be better protected against other versions of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. Those other variants, however, are far less concerning to most public health officials than Delta.
As Fauci noted, studies have shown the Pfizer vaccine — one of the two mRNA vaccines most widely used in the United States, alongside Moderna’s — to be 96 percent effective in preventing illness from the Delta variant serious enough to require hospitalization. (There is less evidence regarding the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but Fauci said “one could anticipate” that its efficacy would turn out to be “at least similar, perhaps even better” than that of its mRNA relatives.)
The Delta variant is believed to be about 60 percent more transmissible than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain, but that does not mean it is necessarily more lethal. So, for example, while that strain is becoming more prevalent in Israel, and infections are indeed rising there, that nation’s highest-in-the-world vaccination status has offered consistent protection. Only one person in Israel died from the coronavirus during the second half of June.
Although many Americans discarded masks in May, some believe it is time for them to return. That, at least, is the position of Los Angeles County public health officials, who advised even vaccinated people to mask up in indoor settings.
But how concerning is the Delta variant to Los Angeles, which is 60 percent vaccinated? The county, which is home to 10 million people, has averaged only five new coronavirus deaths per day over the last week, even though infection rates have risen slightly since the arrival of the Delta variant several weeks ago.
The Biden administration is obviously uninterested in litigating the mask culture wars, given how fraught that issue has been from the very start. To be sure, masks are highly effective in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, but vaccines provide what is for many people a more lasting, more convenient and possibly less contentious solution.
“If you are vaccinated, you have a high degree of protection,” Fauci said at Thursday’s briefing. “So you need not wear a mask, either indoor or outdoor.”
The day before, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky made the same point in a television interview. “If you are vaccinated, you are safe from the variants that are circulating here in the United States,” she said. Unvaccinated people still need to wear masks, according to CDC guidelines.
____
Read more from Yahoo News:
Health
New technology to advance women’s cancer care at Southlake
|
NEWS RELEASE
SOUTHLAKE REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE
**************************
This Cancer Awareness Month, Southlake is adding advanced technologies to detect and treat breast cancer and other women’s cancers thanks to generous community donor support, most recently through the HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign. New cancer care technology, including new mammography machines, the MyoSure System and the MOLLI 2® System will make a measurable impact in diagnosing and treating women’s cancers in the communities Southlake serves.
Southlake is installing three new mammography machines to expand its breast cancer screening program to 1,500 more women each year. Two of these machines have new biopsy capabilities that will reduce the number of cancelled exams due to equipment failure, ensuring timely care for women. Women ages 40 to 49 years old will be able to self-refer for publicly funded mammograms through the Ontario Breast Screening Program starting this fall.
“Early detection is critical when treating breast cancer and other women’s cancers,” said Lorrie Reynolds, Director, Regional Cancer Program at Southlake. “We treat more than 1,700 breast cancer patients at Southlake every year. By adding advanced technology, like the new mammography machines, we’re ensuring women have the best experience at Southlake.”
Southlake is also introducing the MyoSure System, an innovative technology that can help detect female reproductive cancers. Damaged tissue in a woman’s uterus such as fibroids and polyps can now be removed in a precise, minimally invasive procedure that leaves the rest of the uterus intact. This will improve the overall patient experience by supporting faster recovery, reducing the risk of infection and giving more women the option to have children. An estimated 200 women per year will benefit from the MyoSure System.
The new mammography machines and the MyoSure System build on Southlake’s recent investment in the MOLLI 2® System, a made-in-Canada wire-free breast localization technology. This technology is considerably less invasive and more accurate when compared to wire-guided localization, resulting in a better patient experience and improved cosmetic outcomes. More than 200 women each year will benefit from this innovative medical device as they are treated for breast cancer at Southlake.
“As a clinician caring for women with cancer in our community, I’m incredibly proud of the work Southlake is doing to advance women’s health and improve patient experiences,” said Sara Temple, MD, Surgical Oncologist and Chief of Surgery at Southlake. “Women who visit Southlake can be confident that they are receiving leading edge care, close to home when they need it most.”
The World Health Organization anticipates a 77 per cent increase in cancer diagnoses by 2050. Southlake serves some of the fastest growing communities in Canada and anticipates that the number of patients requiring cancer care will grow. By investing in new technology, Southlake is ensuring that women in the communities it serves have access to leading edge cancer care. All of these investments were funded with support from community donors who generously gave to Southlake to support investments into women’s health at the hospital.
“The generosity of our donor community and the impact they have made for women receiving cancer diagnosis and treatment at Southlake is something we can all take great pride in,” said Jennifer Ritter, President and CEO of Southlake Foundation. “From our Women’s Health Initiative donors supporting new mammography machines, to the Ladies in Philanthropy for Southlake funding the MOLLI 2 System, to our long-standing partners The Edge Benefits and Pheasant Run Golf Club enabling the introduction of MyoSure System through their joint annual charity golf tournament, we are incredibly lucky to share a vision of access to exceptional care for everyone who depends on Southlake when they need us most. Thank you, to every donor who contributed to these important upgrades to care for women.”
Southlake Foundation’s HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign supports the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake. For more information or to make a donation, visit: southlake.ca/HERE.
Health
Pasteurized milk includes remnants of H5N1 bird flu, U.S. officials say
|
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that samples of pasteurized milk have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.
The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.
“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said in a statement on Tuesday.
The announcement comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that has sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. The Agriculture Department (USDA) says 33 herds have been affected to date.
FDA officials didn’t indicate how many samples they tested or where they were obtained. The agency has been evaluating milk during processing and from grocery stores, officials said. Results of additional tests are expected in “the next few days to weeks.”
WATCH | Bird flu spread in U.S. cows:
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab test the FDA used would have detected viral genetic material even after live virus was killed by pasteurization, or heat treatment, said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University
“There is no evidence to date that this is infectious virus, and the FDA is following up on that,” Jaykus said.
Officials with the FDA and the USDA had previously said milk from affected cattle did not enter the commercial supply. Milk from sick animals is supposed to be diverted and destroyed. Federal regulations require milk that enters interstate commerce to be pasteurized.
Tests for viable virus underway, agency says
Because the detection of the bird flu virus known as Type A H5N1 in dairy cattle is new and the situation is evolving, no studies on the effects of pasteurization on the virus have been completed, FDA officials said. But past research shows that pasteurization is “very likely” to inactivate heat-sensitive viruses like H5N1, the agency added.
The agency said it has been evaluating milk from affected animals, in the processing system and on the shelves. It said it is completing a large, representative national sample to understand the extent of the findings.
Matt Herrick, a spokesperson for the International Dairy Foods Association, said that time and temperature regulations for pasteurization ensure that the commercial U.S. milk supply is safe. Remnants of the virus “have zero impact on human health,” he wrote in an email.
Scientists confirmed the H5N1 virus in dairy cows in March after weeks of reports that cows in Texas were suffering from a mysterious malady. The cows were lethargic and saw a dramatic reduction in milk production. Although the H5N1 virus is lethal to commercial poultry, most infected cattle seem to recover within two weeks, experts said.
To date, two people in the U.S. have been infected with bird flu. A Texas dairy worker who was in close contact with an infected cow recently developed a mild eye infection and has recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program caught it while killing infected birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered.
Health
Remnants of bird flu virus found in pasteurized milk, FDA says
|
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.
The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.
-
Health18 hours ago
Remnants of bird flu virus found in pasteurized milk, FDA says
-
Art24 hours ago
Mayor's youth advisory council seeks submissions for art gala – SooToday
-
Health22 hours ago
Bird flu virus found in grocery milk as officials say supply still safe
-
Art18 hours ago
Random: We’re In Awe of Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Box Art
-
Investment22 hours ago
Taxes should not wag the tail of the investment dog, but that’s what Trudeau wants
-
News14 hours ago
Amid concerns over ‘collateral damage’ Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
-
News23 hours ago
Peel police chief met Sri Lankan officer a court says ‘participated’ in torture – Global News
-
Art24 hours ago
An exhibition with a cause: Montreal's 'Art by the Water' celebrates 15 years – CityNews Montreal