Monthly Archives: June 2021

disease, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals

Covid-19 delta variation

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The Covid-19 delta variation, which was first identified in India, is currently spreading globally, becoming the dominant strain in certain nations, such as the United Kingdom, and is expected to do so in others, such as the United States. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization said that the variation has been identified in more than 80 countries and that it is continuing to change as it spreads. In the United States, the variation now accounts for 10% of all new cases, up from 6% last week.


The variation is much more transmissible than other variants, according to studies.
Scientists have cautioned that evidence indicates the delta version is approximately 60% more transmissible than the “Alpha” type and is more likely to result in hospitalizations, as observed in the United Kingdom. Officials from the World Health Organization stated on Wednesday that there had been reports that the delta variation produces more severe symptoms, but that additional study is required to validate those findings. Still, there are indications that the delta version may cause symptoms that are not the same as those we have been told to watch out for with Covid-19.


What should you be wary of? Fever, persistent cough, and loss of taste or smell are the primary symptoms of Covid-19, according to governments all around the globe, with some local changes and additions as we have learned more about the virus. For example, the CDC’s revised list of potential infection symptoms includes tiredness, muscular or body pain, headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. Of course, millions of individuals have had Covid-19 without showing any symptoms, and scientists are currently looking into the amount of asymptomatic transmission.


Experts say the delta version seems to produce a distinct set of symptoms. The Zoe Covid Symptom research, led by Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, is an ongoing U.K.-based project that allows the public to input their Covid symptoms into an app, which then allows scientists to evaluate the data. “For this younger demographic, it is more like a terrible cold, and people do not understand it, and that has not come through in any of the official materials.” “We have been looking at the top symptoms of app users since the beginning of May, and they are not the same as they were,” he added. “Headache is the most frequent symptom, followed by a sore throat, a runny nose, and a fever.” “Common symptoms like coughing and loss of smell are more uncommon today,” he adds, noting that younger individuals are more likely to get a cold or have a “funny off the sensation.”


The discovery of the alpha variation, which was initially discovered in the United Kingdom, signaled the development of a broader range of symptoms. “Chills, loss of appetite, headache, and muscular pains, in addition to the “typical” symptoms, were discovered in a survey of nearly a million individuals in England conducted between June 2020 and January 2021 – and therefore during a period during which the alpha variant propagated and became dominant. The delta variation was categorized as “of concern” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week.


In a statement to NBC News, it stated, “Based on growing evidence that the delta variation spreads more readily and produces more severe infections when compared to other variants, including B.1.1.7,” it added. During an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said the delta variation will likely become the prevalent strain in the United States and may “start a new pandemic going into the autumn.” Cases have risen among young individuals and the unvaccinated in the United Kingdom, where the delta variety is now responsible for most new infections, leading to an increase in hospitalizations in both groups. Because of the proliferation of these variations, the United Kingdom has decided to postpone further relaxation of the Covid-19 limits.


Covid-19 immunization efforts are anticipated to halt the spread of the delta form. Therefore, the race is on to safeguard those who have not been completely vaccinated. According to a study published on Monday by Public Health England, two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines are very efficient in preventing hospitalization in the delta form. The scenario in the United Kingdom demonstrates how fast the delta version may become dominant, and the United States is closely monitoring it. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s top medical adviser, said last week that “we cannot allow that to happen in the United States,” as he urged more people to be vaccinated, particularly young adults. The most recent research on the virus’s spread in England offers little to assuage scientists’ fears.


The newest results from the REACT research, released on Thursday, cautioned that instances were increasing “exponentially” and that the “resurgence” of Covid-19 infections in England was “related to a higher prevalence of the Delta variant.” According to the research, approximately 1 in 670 individuals had the virus, a significant rise over the previous results, which showed that 1 in 1,000 people had the infection as of May 3. Experts note whom Imperial College London heads, the reproduction number in England is currently 1.44, which indicates that ten infected individuals would transmit the virus to 14 others on average, “resulting in a fast development of the pandemic.” Professor Paul Elliott, head of Imperial College’s School of Public Health’s REACT program, stated, “From late May to early June, we discovered clear evidence of an exponential increase in infections. These results support the Delta variation becoming prevalent, highlighting the significance of tracking infection rates and variants of concern in the population. According to the research, most illnesses occur in children and young adults, but they are also rising in older individuals.


While the connection between infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities has been decreasing since February, indicating that infections lead to fewer hospital admissions and deaths due to the immunization campaign, the hospitalization trend has been reversed since late April.

Reference

HEALTH AND SCIENCE
The fast-spreading delta Covid variant could have different symptoms, experts say.https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/covid-delta-variant-symptoms-spread-and-what-to-look-out-for.html

disease, drugs, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals

2,500 weekly fatalities had been connected to Covid-19

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By late May, almost 2,500 weekly fatalities had been connected to Covid-19. More over half of the population in the United States has gotten at least one dose of the Covid19 vaccination. People aged 50 to 74 now account for over half of all fatalities, up from barely a third in December. Those aged 50 and above continue to account for the majority of Covids-19 fatalities, with younger persons being the minority. According to specialists, the protracted fatalities are being caused by the remaining uninfected populace.

Dr. Krutika Kuppalli mentioned the virus can still have serious implications for young individuals.

The CDC distributes statistics on Covid fatalities in the United States for the weeks commencing December 5, 2020 through May 22, 2021, including statistics for June 9-21. White people aged 75 and above accounted for more than half of all Covid-19 fatalities. The sharpest losses have been seen in elderly white patients, as well as Asians under the age of 30. The magnitude of the decline in fatalities is not consistent across the board.

The remaining deaths are primarily the result of people who have not been immunized. According to the CDC, the death rate in the United States remains a seven-day average of fatalities per 100,000 persons. According to the organization, the number of deaths caused by the virus in nursing homes has decreased by more than 90% since December. According to C.D.C. demographic statistics, the death rate among Black and Hispanic populations continues to fall below that of Asian and white people. In the United States, over 200 individuals per week are still dying in the institutions, accounting for 7% of all virus-related deaths countrywide. According to the report, the national death rate remains the highest in the United States, with more than 1,200 fatalities each week.

White Americans are leading the changes in mortality patterns within this group. “If we don’t get to 75 percent, 70 percent of people vaccinated, we’re going to die.”

Reference

Which Groups are still dying of Covid-19 in the U. S. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/06/10/us/covid-death-patterns.html

disease, drugs, Health, medications, Pharmaceuticals

CDC COVID-19 Response Team and colleagues

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Mark Thompson of the CDC COVID-19 Response Team and colleagues also demonstrated that the vaccines were highly efficient at lowering the viral load, febrile symptoms, and the duration of illness in people who acquired breakthrough infections despite being vaccinated. Full immunization was found to be 91% effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large prospective study of approximately 4,000 people, whereas partial vaccination was found to be 81 percent effective. According to the researchers, if more evidence shows that these vaccines reduce viral load and, as a result, limit SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, it could mean that the vaccinations are not only efficient in preventing infection but also in reducing the effects of breakthrough infections. The researchers compared the viral RNA burden of vaccinations that had a breakthrough infection to unvaccinated infected individuals to determine the efficiency of partial and complete vaccination in avoiding SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccinated individuals got either the BNT162b2 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech or the mRNA-1273 vaccine from Moderna, and efficacy was estimated after adjusting for geography, occupation, and local virus circulation. The vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection was estimated to be 91 percent for complete vaccination and 81 percent for partial vaccination. Following at least partial immunization, an adjusted analysis revealed a 40.2 percent decreased viral RNA load.

Reference

New data from CDC on effectiveness of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210606/New-data-from-CDC-on-effectiveness-of-Pfizer-and-Moderna-COVID-19-vaccines.aspx

Behavioral Science, meditation, mental health, positive thinking

Making Affirmations to Improve Mental Health

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Many of us have unpleasant thoughts like this regularly. When we think in this manner, our confidence, attitude, and perspective may all deteriorate.
The issue with negative thoughts is that they become self-fulfilling. We convince ourselves that we are not good enough. These ideas have a detrimental effect on our personal life, relationships, and employment.
However, if we intentionally do the reverse and think positively about ourselves, the impact may be just as strong but considerably more beneficial.
This post will look at how affirmations may help you achieve an incredible transformation in your job and life.
What Are Affirmations, and How Effective Are They?
Affirmations are positive remarks that may assist you in confronting and eliminating self-defeating and negative ideas. When you say them often and with conviction, you might see wonderful improvements.
You may see affirmations as irrational “wishful thinking.” However, consider affirmations in this way: many of us engage in repeated workouts to enhance our physical health, and affirmations are like mental and emotional workouts. These positive mental repeats may rewire our thinking habits, causing us to think – and behave – differently.
For instance, research shows that affirmations may improve one’s performance at work. According to studies, spending a few minutes before a high-pressure meeting – such as a performance review – focusing on your greatest traits may help calm your nerves, boost your confidence, and raise your chances of a favorable result.
Self-affirmation may help minimize the consequences of stress. According to one research, a brief affirmation exercise improved the problem-solving ability of “chronically stressed” individuals to the same level as those with minimal stress.
Affirmations have been effectively used to help those who suffer from poor self-esteem, depression, and other mental health disorders. Further, they have been showing to activate the parts of our brains associated with an increased likelihood of effecting favorable changes in our health.
According to the latter research, having a more incredible feeling of self-worth increases your likelihood of improving your well-being. Thus, if you are concerned that you overeat and do not exercise enough, using affirmations to remind yourself of your beliefs might motivate you to improve your behavior.
There is evidence that affirmations are more helpful when your self-esteem is high. However, this study discovered that if you have poor self-esteem, positive affirmations might make you feel worse by creating a contradiction between the desired happy state and the present unpleasant sensations you are experiencing. If this is the case for you, begin by Boosting Your Self-Esteem before attempting to employ affirmations.
How to Effectively Utilize Positive Affirmations
Affirmations may be used in any scenario when you want to see a positive change in your life. These may involve instances when you want to:
Convince yourself before presentations or critical meetings.
I must manage negative emotions, such as frustration, rage, or impatience.
Enhance your sense of self-worth.
Complete projects that you have begun.
Increase your output.
Conquer a nasty habit.
Affirmations may be more effective when combined with other techniques for positive thinking and goal setting.
For instance, affirmations function very well with visualization. Therefore, rather than only seeing the change you want, you might write it down or speak it out using a positive affirmation.
Affirmations may also be beneficial for establishing personal objectives. Once you have identified the goals you wish to accomplish, affirmative statements can assist you in remaining motivated to achieve them.
The strength of affirmations comes from regularly repeating them to yourself. It is beneficial to repeat your affirmations many times during the day (have them flash up in your alerts!). You must repeat your affirmations immediately after engaging in the negative thought or behavior you wish to overcome.
How to Write an Acknowledgement Statement of Affirmation?
Affirmation words are often directed at a particular region, habit, or belief with which you are dealing. The following factors might assist you in crafting the affirmation statement that is most appropriate for your circumstances.
Consider the areas of your life that you want to improve. For example, do you wish you had more patience? Or do you want to develop stronger bonds with your friends and colleagues? Alternatively, would you want a more productive workday?
Make a list of many areas or habits that you want to improve. Find out that they align with your core values and the things that truly matter to you so that you will be genuinely motivated to accomplish them.
Find out that your assertion is credible and realistic. Rely on a sober assessment of the facts. For instance, suppose you are dissatisfied with your current salary. You might use affirmations to boost your confidence before approaching your boss for a raise.
However, it is not prudent to declare that you will double your pay: for most individuals and businesses, doubling one’s pay in one go is not achievable. Maintain a realistic perspective! After all, affirmations are not magical spells; if you lack faith in them, they are unlikely to affect your life.
Positively transform negatives. If you are having difficulty with negative self-talk, make a list of the persistent thoughts or beliefs causing you distress. Then choose an affirmation that is diametrically opposed to that notion or viewpoint.
For instance, if you frequently believe, “I am not talented enough to advance in my career,” replace this belief with a positive affirmation such as “I am a skilled and experienced professional.”
It would be best if you wrote your affirmation in the present tense. As if your affirmation has already occurred, write it down and speak it aloud—this aids in your belief that the statement is true at the moment. For example, “I am well-prepared and well-rehearsed, and I am capable of delivering an excellent presentation” is an excellent affirmation to employ if you are apprehensive before speaking in front of a group.
Say it with conviction. When affirmations carry emotional weight, they can be more effective. It would be best if you wanted this transformation, which is why each affirmation you repeat should be a sentence that is significant to you. For instance, if you are concerned about a new assignment, you could tell yourself, I am excited about taking on new challenges.