Category Archives: Preventative Medicine

Many residents are doing their part to help flatten the curve by sheltering in place and reducing visits to local businesses during the COIVD-19 pandemic. But when they dont got to an emergency department because of an illness or injury, the delay could be life threatening.

Bunch

At Riverview Health, Lynne Bunch, the program director of the Fishers and Hazel Dell ER/Urgent Care facilities, said she worries daily that people are waiting too long to see a doctor for fear of coronavirus exposure.

People are afraid to come out to the ER, and it leads to a much higher acuity level, or sickness, with people who dont have a choice and have to come, and thats dangerous for all kinds of reasons, Bunch said.

Delays in seeking care can make otherwise treatable medical conditions worse.

Preventative medicine is shut down, too, right now, so thats an issue in delaying diagnosis, Bunch said. I have several examples of people waiting, and our acuity is much higher than it has been because when they do come in, they are much sicker than they would be.

Bunch said if someone is second-guessing whether or not to seek care, the answer is to seek it.

If you have an acute illness, go to an emergency department. Our facility is a unique model because if you are urgent level care, you are billed urgent level care and you will still see an ER physician and ER-trained staff, Bunch said. If you do need to be an ER patient based on what ails you, we can do that right there, too, and you wont have to be transferred.

Fry

Ascension St. Vincent is noticing a similar downturn in its non-COVID-19 patients.

Our experience has been same as pretty much everywhere around country. The number of patients presenting with stroke and heart attack are down significantly, said Dr. Edward Fry, chair of cardiology atAscensionSt. Vincent. Initially, people were embracing that as a good thing, a silver lining to isolation. Maybe people were not stressed and sleeping more, exercising and eating better, but what we are really finding out is people are fearful.

We are seeing the same phenomenon where people are deferring care and staying home.

Fry said a recent patient had a prolonged episode of chest pain and eventually visited the hospital a week later, where it was discovered he had had a heart attack.

He was lucky enough to survive, Fry said. There are a lot of examples of that. We are trying, through many different ways, to connect to patients to reassure them that every precaution to keep them safe is being put in place and to not forget their original health problem they had in the first place, especially for things like heart attack and stroke where time is of the essence in terms of treatment. If someone presents in a short timeframe of having a stroke, they can often be treated and reverse the effects of that stroke. Otherwise, it can be disabling lifelong. Thats similar with a heart attack.

Fry said heart attack cases are down by approximately 50 percent as of early March, but he doesnt believe that means heart attacks arent happening.

Hoeppner

IU Health has seen similar examples of patients delaying treatment and is taking steps to ensure patients feel safe enough to visit the ER.

We are separating folks based on screening in the emergency department, Director of the Medicine Service Line Christen Hoeppner said. If people are worried about sitting next to somebody who possibly has COVID, we are physically separating them with a wall.

There are two areas of the department, two entrances, all of that.

IU Health Emergency Dept. Physician Megan Crittendon said IU Healths emergency department when the pandemic began but has slowed since then.

Crittendon

I would say the evolution of this thing has been really interesting, she said. Initially, people were coming in just like regular when it first started, and people were concerned they had COVID, and so we were very busy because of it. It then reached this steady state where people started dropping off and not coming in except only for COVID, and we were seeing people in the extremes of illness. They were waiting until they reached the extremis. It has kind of become apparent that people were concerned that they were going to get coronavirus or have exposure or use valuable resources, so we werent seeing a lot of minor stuff, but we also werent seeing serious stuff, stuff people get admitted for. People were coming in extremely sick because they waited such a long time, so we have mitigated that risk by dividing the emergency department and waiting rooms into a cold side and hot side, as we call it, a side for COVID-exposed or concerned and a side of not concerned.

We still treat everybody with the upmost precaution. We mask everybody to mitigate the risk of spread.

Like other hospitals, Community Health has seen a steep downturn in patients.

Ross

Statistics have indicated overall numbers (of non-COVID-19 patients) are down significantly, and those illnesses obviously dont wait for the COVID-19 pandemic to go away. They happen, regardless, said Dr. Chris Ross, a Community Health emergency medicine physician. The overall emergency department volumes (that are) down significantly makes me concerned patients arent seeking care when they need help.

Ross said delaying a visit can result in serious health problems, including death.

We have seen people who have had pretty significant permanent injury because of the wait and also people who have had deaths, he said. We see that directly attributed to waiting to be seen because of coronavirus. Family members are afraid to come to the emergency department because they are concerned of getting the coronavirus, but unfortunately that (non-COVID) illness (and waiting to seek treatment) made them pass away.

Read more here:
The extremes of illness: Delaying a visit to the emergency room could be life-threatening for non-COVID-19 patients - Current in Carmel

Maayan Ora, originally from Montreal, is a vegan who uses her love of art to create delicious and vibrant recipes.

She is in her second year of blogging online about healing foods and plans to open a restaurant in Jerusalem next year.

Her motto, she says, has always been revealing the light within the truth. She believes there is more than an appealing exterior to food and works to highlight the beauty inside in her recipes.

Plant-based shakshuka with a chickpea-flour omelet.Photo courtesy of Maayan Ora

My name is a big part of my healing journey, she says.My name in Hebrew means Wellspring of Light. We are all given names which are a lot more powerful than we know. I believe our parents name us for what they saw in us, a garment of our soul, a power that we will shine through one day, its very deep and very real to me.

Ora says that before diving into any food or therapy, one should look at the name and the meaning of it and they will understand a lot more.

Avo Toast with sourdough bread, cashew spread and quinoa patties. Photo courtesy of Maayan Ora

Vegan Indian Thali. Photo courtesy of Maayan Ora

Truffle mushroom burger on sourdough bun. Photo courtesy of Maayan Ora

After immigrating to Israel three years ago, she saw how the vegan movement boomed in Israel.

Whats special about Israel is that a lot of people are looking for something deeper. Maybe because they live in their soul country or because of the way the culture is. I think Israelis are talented and lucky to be in a space where they can spread the healing of the body.

Ora was not always vegan, but later in life she saw the way food affected her body. Veganism means healing and preventative medicine to her.

Loaded Veggie Bowl topped with vegan sour cream. Photo courtesy of Maayan Ora

While she loves animals and the environment, health is her main reason for promoting veganism.

I feel that before anything else we need to save our own body. Our body is our walking vehicle in this world. One must take very good care of it.

Loaded Veggie Bowls and tahini. Photo courtesy of Maayan Ora

Q: What is the philosophy of the restaurant you are planning to open?

A: Healing. Our whole beings are solely created from a seed. And from there we grow. When I look at real food plant based I see seeds. Seeds waiting to be treated and cooked with love. The idea is that our bodies cant handle much. We grow up with different illnesses or later in life it hits us. The food we put into our mouths has a lot to do with chronic illnesses. All we have to do is get to know the nutrients and see what our bodies really need in order to not just survive, but live.

Barbecue Jackfruit Nachos with a side of artichoke guac and cashew cheese. Photo courtesy of Maayan Ora

Q: Why do you want to open a vegan restaurant?

A: Plant based has always been an eye catcher for me. The things you can create with simple foods, its endless. I also wanted to use the experience to acquire more knowledge about food interactions in the body.

Maayan Oras Healing Mushroom Coconut Curry Soup

Go crazy on the spices because they are flavor and because they are medicine, Ora says.

Saut in a little oil:

Add in:

Cook until soft.

Add:

Bring to a boil briefly. Add salt and pepper. Blend, eat and enjoy.

Go here to read the rest:
Art-inspired vegan recipes for health and healing - ISRAEL21c

Ground-breaking new study shows the efficacy of a long-acting injectable to prevent HIV

GENEVA, 19 May 2020UNAIDS warmly welcomes the announcement that the long-acting injectable cabotegravir is safe and effective in preventing HIV among gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender women. The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) 083 study enrolled almost 4600 HIV-negative people from across more than 40 sites in North and South America, Asia and Africa.

This is a breakthrough that will have a significant impact on the lives of gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender women when they are at higher risk of HIV infection. said Shannon Hader, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Programme. We are particularly pleased that the study met its targets to recruit substantial numbers of younger black men who have sex with men and transgender women, the very people for whom accessing effective HIV prevention still remains a huge challenge.

In 2018, UNAIDS estimates that there were 1.7 million new HIV infections, 54% of which were among key populations and their partners, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender women, sex workers, people who inject drugs, people in prison, clients of sex workers and sex partners of other key populations.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)HIV-negative people using antiretroviral medicine to prevent HIV infectionis an important element in the HIV combination prevention toolkit. PrEP allows people to reduce their risk of becoming infected with HIV, particularly during periods of increased risk in their lives. It may also provide reassurance and reduce anxieties when the risks are uncertain.

Once it has passed regulatory approval, and when production of affordable cabotegravir can be scaled up, gay men and other men who have sex with men will have the choice of three highly effective ways to use PrEP to prevent HIV infection: daily pills, pills taken before and after sexual activity (event-driven PrEP) or an injection every two months. Transgender women will be able to choose between injections or daily pills, since the World Health Organization does not recommend event-driven PrEP because of possible drug interactions with some hormones. Injections of cabotegravir every two months are an important option for people who find it hard to take a pill every day, yet remain vulnerable to HIV infection.

The trial was scheduled to continue for at least another year, but the first interim analysis of the data was brought forward a few weeks because of the potential disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic might cause to high-quality clinical trial procedures. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in the United States of America reviewed the data up to March 2020 and found that there was already clear evidence that cabotegravir was highly effective and not inferior to the currently recommended oral PrEP regimen.

Half of the study group were given oral PrEP and were injected with a placebo; the other half were given a cabotegravir injection and took a placebo pill. The study found a total of 12 HIV infections in the group using the injectable compared to 38 in the group taking the daily pill. The side-effects of both treatments were relatively mild, with only 2.2% of people in the injection group choosing to stop having the injections because of painful reactions. The DSMB therefore recommended that the study be halted and that all participants be notified of the result. The participants will be able to choose which regimen they wish to continue on.

Despite good adherence in the oral group and very few discontinuations in the injection group, the overall incidence of HIV infection in the study was 0.79 per 100 person-years. Planned analyses will explore why those 50 infections occurred among the 4565 trial participants.

An additional study (HPTN 084) is ongoing to establish the efficacy of the long-lasting injectable in non-transgender women. To date, more than 3000 sexually active women in seven African countries have enrolled in the study. Those results are expected in November.

We are eagerly awaiting the results of the ongoing HPTN 084 study among African women, said Dr Hader. We hope that by the end of this year there will be equally good news for women around the world.

HTPN 083 was conducted by the HPTN and funded by ViiV Healthcare and the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Cabotegravir has not yet been approved for the treatment or prevention of HIV as a single agent by regulatory authorities anywhere in the world. ViiV Healthcare plans to use the data from HPTN 083 for future regulatory submissions.

UNAIDS congratulates the research teams and urges continued investment in research and development for HIV vaccines, diagnostics, preventative medicines, treatment and a cure.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizationsUNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bankand works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

See the original post:
UNAIDS welcomes new tool for HIV prevention for gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender women - UNAIDS

Eighteen members of the Class of 2020 will enter a Campbell University Affiliate Residency Program in July bringing the total number of Campbell Medicine Alumni to continue their trainingover the past four years in a Campbell Residency to sixty-one including Emergency Medicine Chief Residents at Cape Fear Valley Health and Southeastern Health. Four membersof the Class of 2020 share their reflections on why they chose to continue their physician training with Campbell University.

What brought you to medicine?I started off in undergrad wanting to go to medical school, and then got away from that idea and began my career working in an agriculture-biotech laboratory in RTP after graduation. But, it didnt take long for me to realize I missed interacting with people and having a direct outcome and impact. So, I started looking back at medicine and started doing some shadowing and volunteering at a clinic in Raleigh to build my resume up for applying to medical school.

Why Campbell?Location all of my family is in North Carolina, and it was new school with a new facility in a non-urban setting. That really appealed to me.

Why Emergency Medicine?Coming in you dont know that much and dont know exactly what you want to do. I had the picturesque rural, family physician in my mind; that was my plan until I started doing rotations and realized I really enjoyed the Emergency Department. I was fortunate to do a rotation in the ED at Cape Fear Valley during my third year and got a taste of it. I really liked EM because you get a little bit of everything people coming in with boo-boos and heart attacks. People come in as kind of a blank slate they come in with complaints, but its kind of a mystery is it really bad or something minor? Traumas were exciting as a student, but, now facing the added layer of responsibility as a resident physician, Im really hoping we dont have many of those days.

Im excited! Being around emergency medicine doctors and residents, you know they have a good handle on what they are doing, and its good to know they were in my shoes not long ago. You dont know how steep the learning curve is how hard it is to get that point, but, it is doable. I know I will be with strong physicians and residents who know what they are doing. In the ED, there is always the element of the unknown you never know what someone is going to come in with, and we dont know everything that is one of my bigger anxieties.

Why Southeastern Health?They were high on my match rank list based on location. I liked some programs farther away, but being out of state and in an urban setting isnt attractive to me. In larger hospitals massive places you dont know whos-who and who you are handing your patients off to. I did an audition rotation at Southeastern, and everyone was very friendly, helpful and open. At other programs, they definitely didnt have that sense of comradery. It is a pretty busy ED, but it is a smaller environment not as hectic all the time. All of the staff and hospitalists know each other; everyone is very cordial and have a since of community. In Lumberton, I just got a good feeling, and Ben McMichael (DO 17) is chief resident there now, so Im looking forward to working under his leadership.

What experience during medical school was the most meaningful?

I went on the Armenia mission trip and that was a good, meaningful experience. We were a small group Dr. Kaprielian, Dr. Paolini, myself and three other students. We learned a lot and got a lot of one-on-one attention with attendings. It was interesting to be in another country, to see health care there the differences, and getting to go into small villages and provide health care. That was really nice.

What lead you to the dermatology residency at Sampson Regional?

I did a lot of away rotations 4th year; you need to for dermatology. Show your face to other programs and give them an idea of who you are as an applicant. Its a bigger

thing in the DO world than the MD world, but still very important. I did a rotation with Dr. Crane at Wilmington and Sampson, and absolutely loved it. The comradery of the residents there was truly incredible. It felt like they were a big family. They gathered together almost every morning especially on didactic days. They all respect and want to help one another which was really awesome to see because not all residency programs have that team-based atmosphere. Also, being close to home for me was really important. Im from the area, and I would love to be close to my family if I can. It was a well rounded picture the training is amazing, Dr. Crane, all the resident comradery, and being close to home all those things together.It worked out amazingly, and I couldnt be happier.

Staying with Campbell, that has supported me all along, is also a huge plus. Working in a small community based hospital, Im excited about that because I will get a lot of hands-on training and be with the attending a lot, so Im looking forward to that aspect of the program as well.

Why Dermatology?

During third year, I had my eye on ENT or surgical sub-specialty, but I realized in Dermatology you get to do a lot of hands-on procedures which is something I was looking for, but you dont have the craziness of being a surgeon on call and in the OR all the time. You negate some of the negative aspects of being a surgeon while still getting to do the hands-on procedures that I really want to do. So, hands-on was big for me, and I like creative things. Medicine in generally is algorithmic and in a lot of specialties you follow a treatment algorithm. However, in dermatology you have to have good visual identification of various things, and this creative component most specialties do not have. For example, in Mohs surgery, a big skin cancer surgery, people have giant defects on their face or another part of their body. You have to figure out an artistic way to close it up and make it look like it never happened. Dermatology has a plastics component to it without being plastic surgery; you are removing skin cancer and figuring out a way to make it look sound.

I always enjoyed art my dad went to art school, so I feel like I take after his creative edge. I love art as an outlet acrylic painting, pencil drawing and glass sculpture work. I started making sculptures out of glass with flame working at NC State, and I can still go there as an alum to the Craft Center. I used to teach a class there. I didnt get there much during first and second year, but the past two years Ive gone more, and it has definitely been a stress reliever.

What was your journey to medical school?

I graduated in 2013 started engineering and then switch to pre-med. When I graduated, I wasnt ready to apply to medical school and my older brother (6 years older than me) was in med school at the time. We had a conversation where he told me do not go into medicine you will not like your life. But, my mom is a nurse, and she was an inspiration for us to pursue health care. So, I went to chiropractic school in Florida for a term, but realized it was not for me. Then, I started applying to medical schools, and I like the DO philosophy a preventative and holistic approach to medicine. Campbell being brand new that was exciting. I remember when I got the call telling me I was accepted I was in the grocery store, and I just sat down in the aisle. Im sure people wondered what was wrong with me! So, it was definitely a journey and evolving goal. My brother is now in a foot and ankle fellowship at the University of Virginia, and he is coming back to Raleigh to practice, so we are looking forward to being in medicine in the same state together.

Follow this link:
Fulfilling the Mission: The Class of 2020 in Campbell Residency Programs | Blogs | Campbell - Campbell University News

Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany in partnership with African First Ladies and Ministries of Health, continue their strategy to provide one-year diploma and two-year master degree in both Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine and Diabetes for medical postgraduates from more than 35 African and Asian countries.

Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and One of 100 Most Influential Africans emphasized, Amidst the pandemic that has rocked the world, we must not forget people living with other health conditions such as Diabetes and Hypertension because they are the Coronavirus risk groups therefore Merck Foundation continues to buildHypertension and Diabetes care training to doctors, in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health and Academia. Moreover, we also provide training to doctors from Asian countries.

Merck Foundation has so far enrolled and trained over 183 Medical postgraduates from over 35 countries. As a part of their efforts to build hypertension and diabetes care capacity, Merck Foundation enroll medical postgraduates for One Year Online Diploma and Two Year online master degree in Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine and Diabetes from reputable university in UK. Additionally, they also enroll doctors for a three-month Diabetes Master course from English, French and Portuguese speaking African countries to advance their clinical knowledge in tackling these non-communicable conditions.

Merck Foundation started capacity building of Coronavirus healthcare through providing online one-year diplomas and two year master degree in both Respiratory Medicine and Acute Medicine from UK University, for African doctors.

Dr. Sofia Jarombwereni Natshikare Nepembe, Merck Foundation alumnus from Namibia says, I feel fortunate to be a part of this program and receive the Postgraduate one-year Diploma in Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine as part of Merck Foundation capacity advancement program. The course has enabled me to learn the advanced scientific developments for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The course has helped me to serve my patients better. Merck Foundation is doing a great job by providing postgraduate degrees for doctors like me who are eager to specialize to better serve their communities.

We are committed to enroll more doctors for these courses to be able to build a platform of hypertension and diabetes experts in underserved communities. These online courses is the right strategy to scale up our efforts to improve access to quality healthcare solutions widely and effectively especially during Coronavirus lockdown, explained Dr. Rasha Kelej.

The program started in 35 countries such as: Bangladesh, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Download MorePhotos:https://bit.ly/3bUzyRk

Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard:Facebook:bit.ly/2MmUl3pTwitter:bit.ly/2NDqHLRYouTube:bit.ly/318obQeInstagram:bit.ly/2MtCKsuFlicker:bit.ly/2P7AICNWebsite:Merck-Foundation.com

About Merck Foundation:The Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com), established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visitwww.Merck-Foundation.comto read more. To know more, reach out to our social media:Merck Foundation(www.Merck-Foundation.com);Facebook(bit.ly/347DsTd),Twitter(bit.ly/2REHwaK),Instagram(bit.ly/2t3E0fX),YouTube(bit.ly/2E05GVg) andFlicker(bit.ly/2RJjWtH).

About Merck:Merck (www.MerckGroup.com) is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Almost 52,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma.

Africanews provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes.

Read more from the original source:
Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies continue their strategy to provide specialty training for African doctors to better manage...

As one of the most destructive business sectors, the fashion industry is poised for change, and COVID-19 might just be the catalyst it needs to become a more sustainable and ethical industry.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on bad practices and unsustainable business models across industries, but one sector in particular has found itself at the forefront of this exposurethe fashion industry.

As one of the worlds most destructive business sectors, fashion is the worlds second worst offender when it comes to water pollution, according to the 2019 Global Wellness Trends Report, and is responsible for approximately 10 percent of all carbon emissions. Not to mention, with overproduction running 30 to 40 percent each season, more than 70 percent of clothes end up in a landfill and an estimated $500 billion value is lost every year due to clothing being barely worn and rarely recycled, The Business of Fashion reports.

As weve seen the crisis unfold, the issues of resilience, or lack thereof, and various aspects of the supply chain have come to the fore within both the fashion and apparel space, said Niall Murphy, CEO and cofounder of EVRYTHING, a tech platform providing digital identities for the worlds consumer products and a pioneer in bringing transparency to the fashion industry. And in other categories, weve seen businesses called out, actually, with dependencies in their source materials, their raw materials, their components within their supply chain that they didnt realize that they had because they dont have sufficient level of visibility across the supply chain.

Last week, Murphy was joined by Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder and CEO of sustainable fashion brand Another Tomorrow; e-commerce pioneer Julie Wainwright, founder and CEO of The RealReal; and Kathleen Entwistle, private wealth advisor at UBS, for a discussion with Worth CEO Juliet Scott-Croxford about how the business of fashion is changing amidst COVID-19 and how sustainability, brand values and innovative technology will play a larger role in how consumers choose their apparel in a post-pandemic world.

Weve had challenge after challenge in both going fromwe couldnt hire fast enough to now we have to lay people off, Wainwright said. Weve boarded up all of our stores. Hopefully, we can start doing curbside pickup at some point, but its been tough. On the flip side, the company and the team have shown tremendous innovation. The management team, the directors, the entire company has innovated beyond scope. And so, were going to end up in a really unique position when we pull out of this, which were starting to see some light.

But as supply chains have globalized over the last several years, the issues facing the fashion and apparel industry cut much deeper than just the current crisis. I think fashion and sustainability has been a hard sell historically, Barboni Hallik said, noting that this unique moment could be seen as a test for the fashion industry because it really has allowed so many people in so many critically vital areas of the economy to become seen in a way and create that empathy.

All of the panelists agree that consumer education is critical. I do think the first thing is understanding and having the information out there and available to people, UBS Entwistle said.

One of the things that I think is challenging, in terms of getting consumers to think about clothing as an asset, is this really disruptive sales cycle that the industry is in, Barboni Hallik added. And I think its really positive to see that some of the world is changing, but its very difficult to train a customer to think about clothing as an asset, when the retail price is only the retail price for a month, two months at best. And then its 40, 50, 60 percent off. So, I think thats really challenging. I do think that the education piece and the communication piece is so important to actually enable customers to make better decisions. It was one of the major reasons why I started Another Tomorrow, because I found it just so incredibly frustrating to actually get any level of procurement information about how a product was made. Youre pretty much lucky to know what country its manufactured in, let alone how it was made.

But even more important than education alone is that education, at least according to Wainwright, is turned into policy.

Until laws change, even COVID isnt going to change some of the practices, Wainwright explained. So, laws have to change. We cant continue to produce so many goods that end up in landfill. Theres a truckload a second going into landfill as we speak; 50 percent of whats made doesnt sell. A lot of the luxury brands are still burning their bags because they can. Theyre still burning their things because they can. Burberry stopped. Burberry partnered with The RealReal. Were in conversations with other large brands. But until the governments really force it, COVID is not going to force sustainability. We view this as a serious issue.

Look, consumers, its going to be tough, Wainwright continued. Were at this pivotal point where what governments do to help their people get back to work and also their focus on getting a vaccination and preventative medicine, how much effort is going to determine every countrys economy, and thats a weird thing to say. As an entrepreneur, you like to think you chart your own destiny, but this is bigger than whatever any of us are doing here. Governments are going to help get people back on their feet. Theyre also going to help science help give us some form of living with this horrible situation.

I do think that Julies point is right, that theres a macro situation thats much bigger than any of us, Murphy added. And weve got to keep our eyes on how those things affect us. But I am tremendously motivated by the degree of collaboration, and just conversations like this, thats going on every day across industries where people are trying to work out how to find paths to solution. And that bodes well, thats what you want to see in humanity, is collaboration and working out how we solve each others problems together. And Im pretty optimistic about the fact that were going to dig ourselves out of this hole. Were going to dig ourselves out of this hole well.

Watch the full discussion from The Next Normal: Why Sustainability Is the Future of Fashion here:

An indispensable guide to finance, investing and entrepreneurship.

Read more:
How the Current Crisis Could Impact the Future of Fashion Forever - Worth

Obesity makes Covid-19 worse and may lead to deadly blood clots in the lungs, a new study finds.

The researchers said that obese patients with Covid-19 may have nearly three times the risk of developing what is known as a pulmonary embolism.

"Clinicians can utilise our findings to aid in determining which patients should have evaluation for pulmonary embolism with pulmonary CT angiography, as the symptoms for Covid-19 and pulmonary embolism overlap," said lead researcher Dr Neo Poyiadi, from the department of diagnostic radiology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

"Early detection of pulmonary embolism can allow prompt treatment with anticoagulation and minimise clinical problems," he said.

Statins may offer protection

Hospitalised obese patients with Covid-19 should be evaluated for increases in clotting indicated by a rising D-dimer a blood test for clotting.

According to the study, 22% of 328 patients suffering from Covid-19 who had a CT scan angiography had a pulmonary embolism.

Researchers also found that patients taking statins to lower cholesterol before coming down with Covid-19 were less likely to have a pulmonary embolism.

"Further studies are needed to determine if statins have a protective effect against pulmonary embolism in Covid-19 patients," Poyiadi said.

Poyiadi added that a recent study suggests that Covid-19 patients should be placed on blood thinners to prevent clotting.

Obesity may make Covid-19 worse because it's associated with an increase in inflammation. Inflammation also increases the risk of clotting.

The report was published online on 14 May in the journal Radiology.

Inflammation can lead to blood clots

Dr Marc Siegel is a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. He said, "This study underscores a point that's becoming more widely known about Covid-19 that obesity leads to an inflammatory cascade. We know that inflammatory chemicals increase with obesity. That's the suspected mechanism of why obese patients are more at risk for complications."

Inflammation can lead to blood clots, although that's not been proven, he noted.

"The complications of Covid-19 that we've been seeing are inflammation and a cytokine storm, which causes inflammation in the arteries and blood clots throughout the body and obesity is a culprit in high-risk patients," Siegel said.

"To say that's why we're seeing more pulmonary embolism in obese patients is plausible. It's early small numbers, but it's a very important finding and it's not surprising," he said.

What is surprising is it looks like using statins might be helpful. Statins are anti-inflammatories, Siegel noted.

Preventative anticoagulation

But whether statins are protective is something that would have to be carefully studied, he said. There's no clear-cut reason to start obese patients on statins if they weren't already taking them when they were admitted to hospital, he added.

Obese patients with Covid-19 need the same care as other patients, Siegel said. That includes anticoagulation. Many of the complications of Covid-19 seem to be caused by clotting, and starting patients on blood thinners may become a standard treatment.

"We're already starting to look at preventative anticoagulation," he said. "It's already something we're highly aware of, but this study adds evidence to a direct correlation between obesity and blood clots, that's what's new here."

Image credit: iStock

Read more here:
Obesity and Covid-19: Researchers find major risk for deadly blood clots in the lungs - Health24

There are any number of ways to measure the value of physicians advice for preventative measures, the current studys outcome was years free of chronic illness. The participants were Europeans involved in a number of longitudinal studies but all free of 6 chronic illnesses (type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarctions, coronary deaths, strokes, cancers, asthma, and COPD) at the beginning of the study;andwithinformation on their weight, smoking and alcohol history, and leisure activities. Roughly 116,000 individuals, average age 43, 61% women, were followed for a mean of 12.5 years.

Before jumping to the results, let's address the definitions and caveats. Weight was based on BMI, smokers divided into never, former or current, and activity based on self-reported activity or roughly 2.5 hours of moderate activity [1]. It was a European study, so drinking up to 2 glasses a day for women and 3 glasses a day for men was optimal, no alcohol was intermediate (you have to love the Europeans) ,any more was considered a poor lifestyle choice. Each choice provided a score of 0-2, with 8 being optimal.

As with many of these studies, the lifestyle choices were determined only once, at the beginning of the study, so behavior may have changed. More importantly, many of the people with healthy lifestyles but with a chronic disease already present at the beginning of the study were excluded. So, as always, apply as many grains of salt as you believe necessary.

The broad outline remains clear, prevention can add disease-freeyears to ones life, and are rarely as expensive as the cost of treatment, physically, fiscally, and psychologically. One wonders why the advice is so often unheeded. Why is it easier to take a pill than to go for a walk?

[1] This might include gardening, dancing, riding a bicycle at 10 miles per hour, or playing doubles tennis.

Source: Association of Healthy Lifestyles with Years without Major Chronic Diseases JAMA Internal Medicine DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0618

Follow this link:
The Valuation of Physician Advice - American Council on Science and Health

SAN DIEGO and CAMBRIDGE, England, May 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cidara Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDTX), a biotechnology company developing long-acting therapeutics to transform the standard of care for patients facing serious fungal or viral infections, and Mundipharma today announced that the first patient has been dosed in its ReSPECT pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of the company’s lead antifungal candidate, rezafungin, for the prevention of invasive fungal disease in patients undergoing allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (BMT). Rezafungin is a novel, once-weekly echinocandin being developed for both the treatment and prevention of severe fungal infections.

Johan A. Maertens, M.D., Ph.D., FECCM, Professor of Internal Medicine and Hematology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium and investigator in the ReSPECT study, said, Rezafungin has the potential to become the new standard of care to prevent invasive fungal disease in patients undergoing allogeneic blood and marrow transplants. The cocktail of preventative options used today has significant limitations, such as toxicities, hazardous drug-drug interactions and patient compliance. With one drug, rezafungin, given once-weekly, we may be able to overcome these substantial limitations to improve patient outcomes in this highly immunosuppressed population.”

Jeffrey Stein, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Cidara, added, The ReSPECT pivotal Phase 3 trial studying rezafungin for the prevention of severe fungal infections, along with our ongoing ReSTORE Phase 3 trial evaluating rezafungin for the treatment of invasive Candida infections, positions rezafungin to potentially become the first new antifungal approved for both the treatment and prevention of serious fungal infections in nearly 15 years. Patients with compromised immune systems face complex drug regimens when undergoing BMT and experience a high mortality rate if infected. Shifting the antifungal standard of care to a single once-weekly drug, rezafungin, which has the potential to protect against three deadly pathogens, could significantly transform the approach and outcomes for patients and health care providers alike.”

Cidara is supported in the ongoing development of rezafungin by Mundipharma, who will be responsible for bringing the therapy to patients outside the U.S. and Japan.

Brian Sheehan, senior vice president Innovation at Mundipharma commented: We are pleased to be working in partnership with Cidara Therapeutics on this promising therapy in an area that has seen little innovation in over a decade. The launch of this pivotal Phase 3 trial is an important milestone in our joint efforts to support vulnerable patients around the world.”

The ReSPECT trial is a global, randomized, double-blind, controlled, pivotal Phase 3 trial of rezafungin versus the standard antimicrobial regimen to prevent invasive fungal disease due to Candida, Aspergillus and Pneumocystis in subjects undergoing allogeneic BMT. Rezafungin, dosed once-weekly, will be compared to a daily regimen containing multiple drugs including fluconazole or posaconazole, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, also known as Bactrim, for 90 days, at which time fungal-free survival will be measured as the primary efficacy outcome. The trial will enroll approximately 462 adults with underlying conditions, such as acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome(s), lymphoma and aplastic anemia, across approximately 30 BMT centers.

Further information on the ReSPECT trial can be found at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04368559

About Invasive Fungal Disease Each year, an estimated 1.5 million people with compromised or suppressed immune systems die of invasive fungal infections worldwide.1 The current standard of care for the prevention of invasive fungal disease requires complex patient-specific plans and drug cocktails that are subject to change due to the underlying disease, toxicities and the local epidemiology of fungal infections.2,3 Patients who have received a blood and marrow transplant, cancer chemotherapy or solid organ transplant may receive prophylaxis to prevent deadly Candida, Aspergillus and/or Pneumocystis infections for several weeks to over a year, depending on the period of immunosuppression or development of Graft Versus Host Disease.3

About Rezafungin Rezafungin is a novel once-weekly echinocandin being developed for both the treatment and prevention of serious fungal infections, such as candidemia and invasive candidiasis. The structure and properties of rezafungin were specifically designed to improve upon a clinically validated mechanism, enhancing its efficacy and safety potential for patients. Cidara and its strategic partner Mundipharma are currently conducting a Phase 3 clinical trial with rezafungin for the first-line treatment of candidemia and/or invasive candidiasis (ReSTORE trial)4, as well as a second Phase 3 clinical trial of once-weekly rezafungin for prevention against invasive fungal infections in patients undergoing allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (ReSPECT trial).5 Mundipharma has exclusive rights to develop and commercialize rezafungin in all markets outside of the United States and Japan, which are retained by Cidara.

About Cidara Therapeutics Cidara is developing therapeutics to improve the standard of care for patients facing serious fungal or viral infections. The Company’s portfolio is comprised of breakthrough approaches aimed at transforming existing treatment and prevention paradigms, first with its lead Phase 3 antifungal candidate, rezafungin, in addition to antiviral conjugates (AVCs) targeting influenza and other viral diseases from Cidara’s proprietary Cloudbreak antiviral platform. Cidara is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit http://www.cidara.com.

About the Mundipharma network Mundipharma is a global network of privately-owned independent associated companies whose purpose is to move medicine forward. With a high performing and learning organisation that strives for innovation and commercial excellence through partnerships, we successfully transformed and diversified our European portfolio of medicines to create value for patients, payers and wider healthcare systems across important therapeutic areas such as Diabetes, Respiratory, Oncology, Pain and Biosimilars.

Safe Harbor Statement Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, whether we can successfully develop rezafungin, establish it as a new standard of care or whether rezafungin can overcome limitations of existing therapies, whether the Phase 3 development program for rezafungin will be successful and be approved both for treatment and prevention of serious fungal infections, or whether as a therapy it will protect against deadly pathogens and transform the approach and outcomes for patients and healthcare providers. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the success and timing of Cidara’s clinical trials; regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; changes in Cidara’s plans to develop and commercialize its product candidates; Cidara’s ability to obtain additional financing; Cidara’s ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for its product candidates; the success and timing of Cidara’s discovery and pre-clinical programs; the loss of key scientific or management personnel; and the impacts of global health crises, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Cidara’s Form 10-Q most recently filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Cidara undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

INVESTOR CONTACT: Brian Ritchie LifeSci Advisors (212) 915-2578 britchie@lifesciadvisors.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Karen O’Shea, Ph.D. LifeSci Communications (929) 469-3860 koshea@lifescicomms.com

MEDIA CONTACT: (Ex-US and Japan) Helen Rae Makara Health Communications +44 (0) 7503 652 311 / +44 (0) 23 81 247 327

References:

View original post here:
Cidara Therapeutics Doses First Patient in Pivotal Phase 3 ReSPECT Trial of Rezafungin for Prevention of Invasive Fungal Disease in Patients...

Since 1972, staff members at Home Start, a San Diego-based nonprofit with offices around the county, have dedicated ourselves to effectively prevent and treat child abuse. It is the cornerstone of our overall mission: to assure the safety and resiliency of children by strengthening families and their communities.

Our mission today is more important than ever before. As the nation and world battle the devastating social, physical, health and emotional ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, one critical issue we must address is the safety of children now most at risk of abuse.

Last month, the World Health Organization published a joint leaders statement on the hidden dangers of violence against children during the pandemic that outlined what a collective response must include: maintaining essential health and social welfare services, including mental health and psychosocial support ... and communicating with and engaging parents, caregivers and children themselves with evidence-based information and advice.

In addition, similar warnings from state and local officials are confirming what our own program staff are observing daily: Parents most affected by the coronavirus shutdowns are more stressed than ever.

Throughout San Diego, families sheltering in place are cut off from school, work and friends. Domestic violence reports have surged as the challenges of forced isolation, lost wages and concerns of well-being have increased exponentially. Extended school closures mean fewer eyes on kids to report concerns about potential abuse. Child abuse reports have plummeted, and organizations like Home Start are deeply concerned that dire situations and the destructive undercurrent of violence impacting children are going unreported and unnoticed.

The prevalence of domestic violence in our region without the added factor of a global pandemic is demonstrated by the number of incidents reported to San Diego County law enforcement. In 2018, there were 17,513 domestic violence incidents reported to law enforcement in the county, a 4% increase from the prior year, according to the Criminal Justice Research Division of the San Diego Association of Governments.

Read more on child abuse during the novel coronavirus pandemic:

The American Journal of Preventative Medicine confirms Home Starts experience that homelessness and domestic violence are companion problems. The coronavirus crisis has magnified this for single women facing job and housing instability. Many have children, making domestic violence a driving factor of the swelling population of homeless families in our region.

Almost 80% of the 14,000 to 15,000 households Home Start serves per year have children who have witnessed domestic violence or experienced abuse or trauma.

How deep is this tragedy? According to Every Child Matters and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, five children every day in America die from abuse and neglect and more than half a million children suffer neglect or abuse every year. Again, these statistics predate the coronavirus crisis.

In the fight against child abuse, knowledge is our strongest weapon. The more we know about it, the more we can do to help those who have already been victimized and to prevent it from happening again.

Children of abuse often feel isolated and vulnerable. They are starved for attention, affection and approval. If mom is struggling to survive, it is difficult to be present for her children. If dad is so consumed with controlling everyone, he also is not present for his children. These children become physically, emotionally and psychologically abandoned.

The emotional responses of children who witness domestic violence may include fear, guilt, shame, sleep disturbances, sadness, depression, and anger (at both the abuser for the violence and at the abused for being unable to prevent the violence).

Physical responses may include stomachaches and/or headaches, bed-wetting and loss of ability to concentrate. Some children may also experience physical or sexual abuse or neglect. Others may be injured while trying to intervene on behalf of their mother or a sibling.

Sometimes you think you see adults abusing children in public and you dont know whether you should get involved, or how. Is it your business when you see parents hitting, slapping or otherwise hurting their children? Can you help?

The answer is yes.

You should try to help if, in your evaluation of the situation, the child could be physically hurt, his or her overall well-being is threatened, or you are uncomfortable with a situation involving a child. If you cannot help by talking to the parent, or the situation is more serious than you can handle, then report the incident.

Coping with coronavirus

The pandemic sweeping the globe has changed everyones lives, and we want to hear how its changed yours. If youd like to write an op-ed for us on a subject related to the virus, make it 700-750 words and send it to us with your name and a phone number so we can reach you.

We recognize that deciding what to do when you suspect child abuse or neglect can be a difficult and confusing process. Remember, you do not need to make a decision about whether abuse or neglect occurred; you are just reporting your concerns.

If you think that a child is in immediate danger, call your local police or 911. You then have other options. Contact the Sheriffs Department at (858) 565-5200, remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477, submit an anonymous tip online at http://www.sdcrimestoppers.com or contact the countys Child Welfare Services Hotline at (858) 560-2191.

Child abuse prevention is a community responsibility, and even more so as we deal with the unprecedented isolation and fears of this coronavirus pandemic. You can make a difference in the life of a vulnerable local child. Together, we can all commit to being more vigilant and involved in helping to protect our children.

Tancredi-Baese has been the CEO of Home Start since 2007. She lives in Normal Heights.

Read the original here:
Commentary: Child abuse reports are down during the pandemic, raising concerns of unreported abuse - The San Diego Union-Tribune