adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

Health

Study says 460k of first million recorded US COVID deaths caused by variants – News-Medical.Net

Published

 on


In a recent research paper posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, scientists from Yale School of Public Health analyzed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-linked deaths in the United States (US).

Study: One Million and Counting: Estimates of Deaths in the United States from Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and Variants. Image Credit: Gargantiopa / Shutterstock

Background

Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants with higher virulence, transmissibility, and immune evasion have emerged due to sustained worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission since its emergence in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. In the US, over one million SARS-CoV-2-related deaths have been reported so far. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 mutants identified worldwide have shifted the course of the COVID-19 epidemic in the US several times. 

300x250x1

As of 12 May 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has described five SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), first found in four distinct continents. All five VOCs were more contagious than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and spread to the US. COVID-19 vaccines produced based on the non-variant SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., non-VOC SARS-CoV-2) are weakly efficacious against Omicron and Delta VOCs infections yet extremely effective against severe illness. Notably, over the length of the US SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, the particular burden of death from each viral variant remains unknown.

About the study

The goal of the present study was to calculate the number of deaths caused by each SARS-CoV-2 mutant in the US. The scientists built an epidemiologic model to determine the number of documented COVID-19 deaths in the US attributed to each SARS-CoV-2 mutant. They used information obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about SARS-CoV-2-linked mortalities by jurisdiction and circulating viral variant percentages. Further, to address parameter uncertainty, the team performed a sensitivity evaluation.

The current analysis was based on the tentative numbers of SARS-CoV-2 mortality from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of CDC. This data was accessed up to 12 May 2022.

To obtain the number of documented COVID-19 deaths caused by each SARS-CoV-2 variant, the team back-distributed mortalities to determine the proportion of eventually fatal COVID-19 cases testing positive every day in each jurisdiction and then contrasted these statistics to percentages of variants between sequenced cases in the exact location and timepoint, controlling for variances in disease severity among variants.

Given the interval between the onset of symptoms, testing, and mortality, the team used lags to estimate the timing of sample procurement for new fatalities. They anticipated that sampling for testing occurred zero, one, two, or three days following the beginning of symptoms, with a correlated probability of 25% for all of these four possible lag times for the primary assessment. The researchers also hypothesized a lag between the start of symptoms and death.

Findings

The authors illustrated that 46% (460,124) of the 1,003,419 SARS-CoV-2 mortalities documented as of 12 May 2022 were attributable to WHO-designated SARS-CoV-2 variants in the US at the national level. On the other hand, 54% of all COVID-19 mortalities were attributed to non-variant SARS-CoV-2.

The researchers demonstrated the influence of the SARS-CoV-2 variants throughout the US. The variants caused a significant number of deaths in all regions. The South had the highest variant deaths per capita, with a median estimate of 158 per 100,000, while the Northeast had the fewest, with a median estimate of 111 per 100,000, by US census region. Some areas were disproportionately affected, owing to disparities in vaccination coverage, demographics, preexisting immunity, societal vulnerability, and non-pharmaceutical intervention use.

SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, with a median estimate of 39,548 deaths, Omicron (117,560), and Delta (273,801) were projected to be responsible for almost 40% of national COVID-19 deaths. Indeed, 3,628 of the COVID-19 deaths documented by NCHS could not be assigned to a SARS-CoV-2 variant since the week of mortality was not specified at the state level in the data.

Conclusions

Study findings show that SARS-CoV-2 mutants that have been discovered across the world have claimed a considerable amount of lives in the US. SARS-CoV-2 variants initially found outside the US were responsible for over 40% of COVID-19 deaths in the nation.

The current study backs up the claim that “no one is safe until everyone is safe” by demonstrating the notable effect of SARS-CoV-2 mutants on US mortality, which has emerged in the vicinity of uncontrolled circulation both locally and globally. This analysis implies that fast implementation of methods to mitigate the impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants following the commencement of a viral epidemic could be beneficial. The authors noted that more efforts were needed to reduce the likelihood of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants arising, including worldwide COVID-19 vaccination, therapy, and outbreak management, apart from national public health policies.

To summarize, the present work emphasizes the risk that novel SARS-CoV-2 variants pose to Americans, a hazard exacerbated by poor global COVID-19 vaccination rates and a scarcity of therapeutics, diagnostics, and prophylactic approaches for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

Journal reference:

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Health

Measles case reported locally turns out to be negative: health unit

Published

 on

NEWS RELEASE
SIMCOE MUSKOKA DISTRICT HEALTH UNIT
*************************
On March 26, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) was notified by Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) laboratory that due to laboratory error, the case of measles that had been lab-confirmed positive on March 12, based on symptoms and a positive urine measles laboratory result by PHO’s laboratory, is in fact negative for the measles virus.

“With this new information of the negative lab result, we believe that that individual was not infected with measles and that there has not been any public exposure to measles resulting from this individual’s illness,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health. “We recognize that notifying the public of what we believed to be a positive measles case in our area created worry, anxiety and disruption for some, and we regret this.

“We do know that, despite best efforts, on rare occasions laboratory errors can occur. We are working closely with the PHO’s laboratory to do all that we can to ensure that such an incident does not occur again.”

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads very easily through airborne transmission. The measles virus can live in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours.

300x250x1

Symptoms of measles begin seven to 21 days after exposure and include fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, and red eyes. Small white spots appear on the inside of the mouth and throat but are not always present. Three to seven days after symptoms begin, a red, blotchy rash appears on the face and then progresses down the body.

The risk of transmission to those vaccinated with two doses is low, and when it does occur tends to show a reduction in the severity of these symptoms.

“Although we are relieved for the individual involved, and for all Simcoe-Muskoka residents, that this case has now been confirmed as negative, we know that measles is still active in Ontario at this time and the potential remains for new cases to arise, especially given the increase in Ontarians travelling to areas in the world that have higher numbers of measles cases,” said Dr. Gardner. “This is why we continue to advise individuals to keep up to date with their routine immunizations, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.”

The risk of measles is low for people who have been fully immunized with two doses of measles vaccine or those born before 1970; however, many children have been delayed in receiving their routine childhood immunizations and people who have not had two doses of measles vaccine are at higher risk of contracting the disease.

People who do get sick usually recover without treatment, but measles can be more severe for infants, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems. Possible complications include middle-ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, or encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and occasionally death in the very young. Even individuals who are up to date with the measles vaccine should watch for symptoms of measles for 21 days after exposure.

For more information about measles, please visit smdhu.org or call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to speak with a public health professional.

*************************

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Health

Kate Middleton Not Alone. Cancer On Rise For People Under 50, Say Experts

Published

 on

<!–

–>

Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery

London:

300x250x1

When Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed she was being treated for cancer last week, part of the shock was that an otherwise healthy 42-year-old has a disease that mostly plagues older people.

However, researchers have been increasingly sounding the alarm that more and more people under 50 are getting cancer — and no one knows why.

Across the world, the rate of under-50s diagnosed with 29 common cancers surged by nearly 80 percent between 1990 and 2019, a large study in BMJ Oncology found last year.

window._rrCode = window._rrCode || [];_rrCode.push(function() (function(v,d,o,ai)ai=d.createElement(“script”);ai.defer=true;ai.async=true;ai.src=v.location.protocol+o;d.head.appendChild(ai);)(window, document, “//a.vdo.ai/core/v-ndtv/vdo.ai.js”); );

The researchers predicted the number of new cancer cases among younger adults will rise another 30 percent by the end of this decade, with wealthy countries particularly affected.

The increase in cases — and soaring global population — means that the number of deaths among under 50s from cancer has risen by nearly 28 percent over the last 30 years.

This occurred even as the odds of people of all ages surviving cancer have roughly doubled over the last half century.

Shivan Sivakumar, a cancer researcher at the UK’s University of Birmingham, called it an “epidemic” of young adult cancer.

Since Kate Middleton revealed on Friday that her cancer was discovered after she received abdominal surgery earlier this year, Sivakumar and other doctors have spoken out about the uptick in younger cancer patients they have been seeing at their clinics.

While breast cancer remains the most common for people under 50, the researchers expressed particular concern about the rise of gastrointestinal cancers — such as of the colon, pancreas, liver and oesophagus — in younger adults.

Colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men under 50 in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. For women, it is number two — behind only breast cancer.

One high profile case of colorectal cancer was “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman, who died at the age of 43 in 2020.

Why is this happening?

“We just don’t have the evidence yet” to say exactly what is causing this rise, Sivakumar told AFP, adding it was likely a combination of factors.

Helen Coleman, a cancer epidemiology professor at Queen’s University Belfast who has studied early onset cancer in Northern Ireland, told AFP there were two potential explanations.

One is that people in their 40s were exposed to factors known to cause cancer — such tobacco smoke, alcohol or being obese — at an earlier age than previous generations.

She pointed out that the “obesity epidemic” did not start until the 1980s.

Sivakumar felt that at least part of the puzzle could be explained by obesity.

However, there is “another wave” of under-50 patients who are neither obese nor genetically predisposed still getting cancer, he emphasised, adding that this could not be put down to “statistical chance”.

The other theory, Coleman said, is that “something different” has been going on with her generation.

Fingers have been pointed out a range of possible culprits — including chemicals, new drugs and microplastics — but none have been proven.

Some have suggested that so-called ultra-processed foods could be to blame. “But there’s very little data to back any of that up,” Coleman said.

Another theory is that the food we eat could be changing our gut microbiome.

While there is nothing conclusive yet, Coleman said her own research suggested that cancer causes changes to the microbiome, not the other way around.

Anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists have even tried to blame Covid-19 vaccines.

This is easily disproven, because the rise in young adult cancer has taken place over decades, but the vaccines have only been around for a few years.

What can be done?

To address the rise in younger colorectal cancer, in 2021 the US lowered the recommended age for screening to 45. Other countries have yet to follow suit.

But the researchers hoped that Catherine’s experience would remind people at home that they should consult their doctor if they sense anything is wrong.

“People know their bodies really well,” Sivakumar said.

window._rrCode = window._rrCode || [];_rrCode.push(function(){ (function(d,t) var s=d.createElement(t); var s1=d.createElement(t); if (d.getElementById(‘jsw-init’)) return; s.setAttribute(‘id’,’jsw-init’); s.setAttribute(‘src’,’https://www.jiosaavn.com/embed/_s/embed.js?ver=’+Date.now()); s.onload=function()document.getElementById(‘jads’).style.display=’block’;s1.appendChild(d.createTextNode(‘JioSaavnEmbedWidget.init(a:”1″, q:”1″, embed_src:”https://www.jiosaavn.com/embed/playlist/85481065″,”dfp_medium” : “1”,partner_id: “ndtv”);’));d.body.appendChild(s1);; if (document.readyState === ‘complete’) d.body.appendChild(s); else if (document.readyState === ‘loading’) var interval = setInterval(function() if(document.readyState === ‘complete’) d.body.appendChild(s); clearInterval(interval); , 100); else window.onload = function() d.body.appendChild(s); ; )(document,’script’); });

“If you really feel that something isn’t right, don’t delay — just get yourself checked out.”

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Health

Almost 3,000 students suspended in Waterloo Region over immunization issues

Published

 on

Close to 3,000 children attending elementary school across Waterloo Region were suspended from school on Wednesday morning for not having up-to-date immunization records.

The region says Waterloo Public Health suspended 2,969 students under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

For several months, the region has been campaigning for people to get their children’s vaccinations up to date, including sending letters home to parents on a couple of occasions, warning that students’ records needed to be up to date or they would be suspended.

300x250x1

It announced in January that 32,000 students did not have up-to-date records: 22,000 elementary students and 10,000 high school students.


The latest health and medical news
emailed to you every Sunday.

“We have made remarkable progress from the original 27,567 immunization notices we sent to parents in November and December 2023,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

“Since that time, we have resolved more than 24,500 outdated vaccination records, providing students with valuable protection against these serious and preventable diseases.”

The high school students still have a few weeks to get their records up to date or else face suspension.

The ISPA requires students to have proof-of-vaccination records for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox) and meningitis, which must be on file with public health.

Public health says caregivers whose children are suspended will need to book an appointment at regionofwaterloo.ca/vaccines for clinics, which will be held in Cambridge and Waterloo on weekdays.

“Given the high number of suspensions, it may take several days before you can be seen at an appointment and return your child to school,” a release from the region warns.

“Record submission and questions must be done in person to ensure immediate resolution.”

The last time suspensions over immunizations were issued was in 2019, when 1,032 students were suspended.

Adblock test (Why?)

728x90x4

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending