Health News: 

• The FDA approved the first gene-editing therapy for human illness. It was approved specifically for severe sickle-cell disease. (NPR)
• A persistent increase in pedestrian deaths at night has stumped experts. (NY Times)
• Kroger grocery stores are testing in-store clinics for seniors. (Modern Healthcare)
• The Supreme Court threw out the case challenging the early-pandemic vaccine mandates for troops and federal employees. (CNN)
• The FL Surgeon General, known for spreading misinformation, is once again questioning the FDA around DNA integration and cancer from COVID vaccines. There’s no evidence that the vaccines have any effect on cancer. (Newsweek)
• Infectious disease is spreading throughout Gaza due to a lack of clean water, toilets, food, and medical care. (NY Times)
• Zambia has reported a massive 684 anthrax cases, including 4 deaths. The first patients ate contaminated hippo meat, and the bacteria seems to be spreading among cattle, hippos, and goats. (CIDRAP)
• Only 15% of Americans over 60 have gotten the RSV shot, compared to 62% of adults over 65 who have gotten the flu shot this fall. (NY Times)
• Minnesota’s first RSV death of the season was a 1 year old. (CBS)
• The CDC issued a health advisory after 5 US travelers developed Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a severe and often deadly tick-borne disease, after travel to Tecate, Mexico. (CDC)
• ChatGPT struggles to answer medical questions, a new study found. (CNN)

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Mental Health & Substance Use News: 

• LA County is launching a $4.7 billion program to offer virtual therapy to K-12 students. (KFF Health News)
• Portland is considering a public drug use ban. (NY Times)
• A Texas group says the stats on suicides involving guns show that more laws are needed. (Texas Tribune)
• 86% of NY insurers have inaccurate directories of mental health providers, exacerbating the crisis. The NY Attorney General says insurers are failing to offer adequate access. (NY AG)

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:

Can and should we install far-UV lights in our business? 

New studies show strong evidence that far-UV lights can kill airborne viruses and bacteria without harm to human skin or eyes, which are usually the big concern with UV light. Far-UV is exciting because it focuses on actually cleaning the air, and there’s evidence that it could kill 99.9% of coronaviruses and is similarly effective against swine flu, strep, and many other germs. It doesn’t seem to cause any harm to human skin or eyes the way that higher-dose UV lights do. But there’s a catch: it creates air pollution in the room, and we’re still not sure how much. That’s because when the far-UV hits oxygen molecules, it breaks some and forms ozone. It would almost certainly need to go hand in hand with high quality ventilation and filtration systems to be viable. More research is needed, but in the next decade we hope to learn a lot more. If there’s a way to do it without creating too much pollution, it could be one of the most important tools to fight disease in human history. 

Source: Vox

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Who should get the new RSV vaccine? 

There are actually two new RSV vaccines, and they’re game changing for a virus that kills babies and older adults every year. If you’re 60 and older or if you’re pregnant, you’re eligible to get an RSV vaccine - and we highly recommend it. For adults 60 and older, RSV numbers are high right now, so it’s best to get that shot as soon as possible. For pregnant people, getting the vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks means optimal protection for your newborn, who will be born with antibodies that protect them against severe disease for the first 6 months of their life. Pregnant women should talk to their OB/GYN about the vaccine. RSV vaccines are available at most major pharmacies, as well as doctors’ offices and community health clinics. 

Source: CDC

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What works to treat a cold? 

You’ve tested negative for flu and COVID, and you think you have a common cold. Unfortunately, there are a lot of medications out there that don’t do a whole lot for cold symptoms. Pain relievers like acetaminophen (aka Tyelonol) and nasal spray for congestion are some of the only products actually proven to be effective against colds. Other remedies like hydration, honey for sore throat and cough, and saline rinse for nasal congestion do help, but, unfortunately, time is the best medicine for most colds. 

Source: NPR

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Best Read:

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