Health News:

• Urban legends of contaminated Halloween candy persist despite little to no evidence of it happening. (NPR)
• Food safety precautions declined after the pandemic, a new study shows. (NRN)
• Walgreens and CVS pharmacy staff launched a 3-day walkout today to demand better working conditions. It’s being dubbed “pharmageddon.” (CNBC)
• More employers are trying to shield low-wage workers from health costs by offering at least one no-cost health plan. (Axios)
• NYC has a program for helping businesses and restaurants with job openings connect with recently authorized asylum-seekers looking for work. (NYC.gov)
• Millions of families struggle to get food on the table, which includes over 13 million children. This is a massive 45% increase from 2021. (NPR)
• Enrollment begins November 1 for most ACA insurance plans. (KFF Health News)
• Federal coverage of COVID drugs ends this week. (Axios)
• The FDA recalled WanaBana brand fruit puree pouches for children due to lead levels. (AP)
• SARS-CoV-2 mutates about 2.5x faster than flu. (Cell)
• The UK is seeing an unprecedented rise in cryptosporidiosis. (Sky News)
• The recent Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, India has renewed calls to protect bat roosts to help stop viruses from jumping to people. (Reuters)
• Dozens of eye drop brands have been recalled by the FDA for bacterial contamination that could cause vision loss. (NPR)

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Mental Health & Substance Use News: 

• Libraries are the new front line in America’s mental health crisis. (WSJ)
• Mental health care options are expanding for Medicare. (Washington Post)
• Spending time in a forest can reduce stress and boost health. (NPR)
• Pilots can lose their jobs for getting mental health care, a policy under renewed scrutiny after the Alaska Airlines incident earlier this month. (Yahoo)
• The Maine gunman displayed violent and threatening behavior leading up to last week’s mass shooting. (ABC News)

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. 

Best Questions:

What can we learn from the recent study on declining food safety in restaurants after the pandemic? 

At this year’s Nation’s Restaurant News Food Safety Symposium, an analysis of two million restaurant health inspections performed by Hazel Analytics found that food safety declined overall from 2022 to 2023. The main offender was also the best defense against foodborne illness: handwashing. A whopping 6% of food code violations were for inadequate hand washing stations. Blocked sinks and lack of hot water, soap, or paper towels are the most common ones we see here at ZHH. Our main takeaway from this analysis is a reminder that foodborne illnesses are back, and handwashing is always your number one defense in the restaurant. Ensure all of your managers know the importance of accessible and properly stocked handwashing stations and to prioritize resolving any hot water issues immediately.

Source: NRN

How do I know if I’m still contagious after getting COVID?

It’s more complicated than you might expect to know how contagious you are with COVID. The most reliable way to know you’re infectious is through repeated rapid tests at home. If you’re within the first 10 days after symptoms started and you’re testing positive on a rapid test, you’re probably contagious. After 10 days, even if you’re still testing positive, the chances that you’re infectious are much lower. That said, if you’re still testing positive, you may want to continue to wear a mask and skip visiting your elderly grandparent or kissing any babies. If after 5 days you’re feeling better, don’t have any fever, and your symptoms are all improved, it’s generally safe to return to work and end your isolation, but it’s still recommended that you wear a mask through Day 10 or until you start testing negative on rapid tests. 

Source: Washington Post

The flu and COVID shots make my arm hurt badly! Why, and how can I make it better?

When a vaccine enters your arm, it triggers an immune response that starts right there at the injection site. That means inflammation, which can cause pain - though it’s temporary. Moving your arm can help increase blood flow, which will help speed up the healing process, though too much strain can aggravate your arm. Skip the upper body workout at the gym the day after the shot, and arm pain should resolve within a day or two at most.

Source: The Hill

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Best Read:

Drugstore closures leave millions of Americans in 'pharmacy deserts' - MSN

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