Health News:

• Kraft issued a voluntary recall of American cheese slices after an issue with a wrapping machine meant a small strip of plastic may be stuck to the slice. (Heinz)
• Half a million people (many of them children) will be added back to Medicare after state errors. (NY Times)
• The number of babies born with syphilis in Mississippi increased 1000% since 2016. (CDC)
• After a Noro outbreak on the Pacific Crest Trail, all 70 surface swabs from one lodge where most of the sick hikers stayed tested positive for fecal matter. (NPR)
• Scientists have identified a blood test for long COVID, which reportedly affects 1 in 13 Americans. The test is a critical first step in identifying treatments. (Axios)
• The CDC launched its “Wild to Mild” flu vaccine campaign, emphasizing that flu shots lessen severity but don’t necessarily prevent the flu. (CIDRAP)
• Costco will offer $29 virtual health visits for primary care. (Bloomberg)
• Merck’s antiviral COVID pill called molnupiravir can cause mutations in the virus that can occasionally spread to other people, but there’s no evidence that it’s produced more transmissible or severe variants. (CNBC)
• The UK says it’s still not clear if BA.2.86 (Pirola) will outcompete other variants.  Evidence shows it might be slightly more transmissible. (CIDRAP)
• The CDC officially recommends the seasonal RSV vaccine during pregnancy to protect newborns. (AP)
• Type 2 diabetes rose by 62% among US youth after the pandemic began. (CIDRAP)

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Mental Health & Substance Use News: 

• Megan Thee Stallion stars in a new mental health PSA encouraging people to ‘seize the awkward’ and check in on their friends who may be struggling. (Adweek)
• Depression has been identified as a contributing cause of Type 2 diabetes. (Fox)
• As student mental health needs rise, schools are looking to hire a new generation of counselors. (MPR)
  

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or need help, call 988 or message the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

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Best Questions:

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If I recently had COVID should I get the booster now, or wait? 

You should always consult your doctor, but unless you are at particularly high risk, we generally recommend waiting a few months before getting your updated COVID vaccine. You have increased immunity for months after an infection, and waiting to get your booster means you’ll extend your protected window. Many doctors and the CDC recommend waiting three months, while some others think you can stretch it to six. You should decide based on your individual circumstances - have a big trip or event in 4 months that you really want to attend? We’d say get your booster 3 or 4 weeks before that to maximize your protection. Again, if you’re at high risk or have specific medical conditions, you should always talk to your medical provider. 

Source: MedPage Today

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Do my employees need tetanus shots?

If your employees work in the field with heavy machinery or are at higher risk for injury due to the nature of their jobs, they should be offered a TDAP vaccine once every ten years. Most employers with those risks offer it at the time of hire. Since most workplaces don’t have those high risks, it’s not a routine work-related vaccine. TDAP is often recommended for the pertussis (whooping cough) component of that vaccine, especially when handling newborn babies, so many close family members of newborns get their tetanus boosters outside of the workplace. If an employee injures themself severely, including with contaminated puncture wounds, crush injuries, or severe burns requiring surgery, they may need special treatment to avoid tetanus. Be sure to seek emergency medical attention in the case of serious injury. 

Source: CDC

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We have a mini COVID outbreak at one of our locations, with 8 employees positive. Do we need to close? 

Whether you have to close when you have a small outbreak depends mostly on your staffing abilities. If everyone who’s sick has tested positive for COVID, they’ll need to be out for at least 5 days, and in many cases, we’re seeing quick incubation periods, meaning people are getting sick within 2 or 3 days of their exposure. For businesses, that translates to having lots of people out on overlapping days for up to 4 days in the event of an outbreak. If you have enough healthy staff, you can stay open since you don’t need to exclude employees who were exposed, though you should be prepared for some of them to fall ill. Consider scaling back for a few days, like going to take-out or drive-through only for restaurants, or working from home for offices, so that you can operate effectively with a smaller staff. Make sure your managers know that they shouldn’t work sick, either - they’re often the worst culprits and could stretch the outbreak longer if they do come to work with symptoms.

Source: ZHH