Plague

Will this pandemic ever end? Well, the fact is — all pandemics DO end. But how do we, as a society, decide we've reached that point? There aren't great templates for this — except one. The end of the 1918 pandemic. "People were very used to dealing with epidemics. Everyone knew somebody who died of a contagious disease. Many of those people had children who died," Howard Markel says. "But once the cases fell down to almost nothing, both the doctors and the public agreed it's time to go back to life." A different time, and a different disease. But there's still much to learn. "All historical lessons can teach you something. And to me right now, the greatest lesson was that we did survive," he adds. Today, On Point : How did the 1918 flu pandemic come to an end? Guests Howard Markel , professor and director of the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan. Author of "When Germs Travel: Six Major Epidemics That Have...

Edward Fitzpatrick's article "Child advocate says 'it has never been this bad,' " (Metro, Dec. 16) sounds the alarm on an overwhelming crisis in the Rhode Island child welfare system. Child advocate Jennifer Griffith's testimony before a Rhode Island Senate committee is both compelling and courageous. The same conditions in regard to lack of placements and services exist here in Massachusetts in the Department of Children and Families; however, the Commonwealth's child advocate has not come forward in the same way to expose the agency's malfeasance. Young adults for whom the DCF has failed to achieve permanency are eligible for a voluntary extension of care, but more than 30 percent find themselves homeless and at least 65 percent spend at least some time in our correctional system. This is the agency for which the Legislature, in past reforms, has mandated that caseworkers have social work degrees, yet new hires are told they do case management, not s...

Joseph Kitonga is a 24-year-old from Delaware County who aims to reinvent the way primary care is delivered to hourly workers who lack health insurance. His primary care service Vitable LLC has gotten strong reviews from employers and workers in child care, restaurants, and home care for its high quality and convenience. The firm has already signed up 10,000 people in its current markets of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. "The best part of all that is they come to you because, when you're sick, you really don't want to go nowhere," said Elaine Green, a Somerset Academy pre-school teacher in Philadelphia, whose school uses the service. Kitonga, who emigrated from Kenya to the United States with his family when he was 13, founded primary care provider Vitable LLC in 2019 while studying computer engineering at Pennsylvania State University and has been winning technology accolades and millions from investors. ADVERTISEMENT Last year, Vitable went through the pr...

Now you can look for a doctor that takes Medicare with a simple Google Search filter. Photo: Florence Ion / Gizmodo The healthcare system in the U.S. is incredibly flawed , to say the very least. It's no surprise that Google is attempting to insert itself as a helper when it comes to navigating the big mess. Going to the doctor can be harrowing. For instance, if you speak another language, you might worry about whether you and your care provider will be able to communicate, even with a translator present. And if you're on a public health care plan like Medicare, you're probably anxious about whether any medical practice will accept your insurance. Starting today, you can search for these things through Google Search from your phone. As you look for "doctors near me," Google will offer up a few filters at the top to narrow down your choices, including whether the doctor accepts Medicare. The health care check exte...

While one is struggling to get over the Covid-19 pandemic, another infectious disease has emerged in the country. It seems like the diseases don't seem to end anytime soon. When one is making major steps to prevent the spread of Omicron and other Covid-19 variant cases, a new disease is being surfaced in West Bengal. The disease is called brucellosis infection. This disease has infected the state's Animal Resources Development Department staff. According to sources, many people have been admitted to the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine as a result of this disease. What is Brucellosis Infection? Brucellosis is a bacterial infection caused by various Brucella species that mostly infect cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, and dogs. Humans often get the disease through direct contact with infected animals, through the consumption of contaminated animal products, or through breathing airborne pollutants. According to the Animal Resources Development Department's ...

Despite "pandemic fatigue" and a rising sentiment that people just want to be done with the COVID-19 pandemic, it's clear that the pandemic isn't done with us. A new variant of concern has emerged, and case counts are on the rise again as we head into the holiday season. However, we have multiple effective vaccines, which are now available to people as young as five, and boosters are now available for everyone over the age of 18. To talk about all of this and the state of the pandemic in Illinois, The 21st was joined by Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the Illinois Department of Public Health Director.  GUEST:  Dr. Ngozi Ezike Director, Illinois Department of Public Health Prepared for web by Owen Henderson Help shape our coverage on The 21st by joining our texting group and answering weekly questions. To join, text "TALK" to 217-803-0730 or sign up with your phone number below:

Catholic Health Physician Partners has named a new president as it expands into a growing number of locations on Long Island. Dr. Avni Thakore took over the top job at the medical group this month, after serving since 2018 as its chief medical officer. The medical group is part of the Rockville Centre-based nonprofit Catholic Health network. Thakore "has proven herself an effective executive," Dr. Patrick O'Shaughnessy, president and CEO of the parent Catholic Health network, said in a statement. As president of the network's medical group, he said, she will help create "even greater access through further expansion across Long Island and will continue to optimize the patient experience." The group, which includes nearly 2,150 physicians at 100 locations, is opening more...

BATON ROUGE, LA - The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) pushed back against COVID-19 misinformation in today's Louisiana House Committee on Health and Welfare.   The Louisiana Department of Health continues to move through the process of adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the School Immunization schedule. This proposed rule is being promulgated through the normal, deliberate and transparent rule-making process. Today's legislative hearing was the next step in that process - and LDH welcomed the members' questions and the opportunity to clarify misinformation.   "The intentional spread of health disinformation is especially dangerous during a pandemic because it confuses and can mislead families who have legitimate questions," said State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter. "The Louisiana Department of Health is committed and will continue to share the facts but we alone can't win the fight against dis- and misinformation. To do so will take...

GREAT FALLS — The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) received confirmation on December 17, 2021, of the fifth case of terrestrial (non-bat) rabies in the state this year. The rabies-infected dog was in Big Horn County and was submitted for testing after it developed neurologic signs and later died. The dog had been in contact with a skunk five weeks earlier, where it is assumed to have been exposed to the rabies virus. This is the 20th case of rabies in Montana this year. The DOL says that while the disease is highly preventable in domestic animals through the administration of rabies vaccine, cases involving vaccinated animals do occur on occasion. The dog in this situation was previously vaccinated though was not current on vaccinations. "This case should catch the attention of Montana animal owners," says Dr. Anna Forseth with the Department of Livestock. "A single dose of vaccine is unlikely to protect an animal for their entire life. Booster shot...

Michael Snisky has been trying to catch his breath since July.  "It's almost like you're under water, and you want to take a breath, but you can't," he said. "It feels like you're drowning." Snisky is a 57-year-old Army veteran who lives in Prattville and works at Maxwell Air Force Base's Gunter Annex in Montgomery. When he and his family caught COVID-19 during the summer surge of cases, he expected his flu-like symptoms to dissipate over the standard course of 10 days.  They didn't.  Four months later, Snisky still struggles to take a deep breath — though he has worked his way back to about 80% lung capacity.  After a weeklong stay at Prattville Baptist Hospital in August, doctors deemed him well enough to transition to home care. He would sleep using an oxygen concentrator, and when he was awake, Snisky would tote portable oxygen tanks all the time. Though the supplemental oxygen was a n...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] WUPHD adds additional COVID-19 testing site    WJMN - UPMatters.com

A staph infection occurs due to a bacterium called staphylococcus. This bacterium lives on the skin naturally, but if it enters the bloodstream through a wound, it can cause sepsis. It can also cause skin infections and boil-like sores that may be swollen, flushed, and painful. Staph infections are contagious through person-to-person contact. Staphylococcus is an umbrella term for more than 30 types of bacterium. This bacterium can also cause: In this article, we discuss how contagious staph infections are, their signs and symptoms, how to avoid them, and treatments. Staph infections are contagious through person-to-person contact. If an individual with staph has a wound that oozes, someone who comes into contact with this liquid can contract the infection. This includes the following transmission methods: close skin contact sharing objects such as towels or toothbrushes droplets in coughs and sneezes, though this is less common People with staph infections who prepare food for others ...

Amid the looming fear of Omicron, another situation – that of a brucellosis infection– has surfaced in West Bengal. The staff of the Animal Resources Development Department in the state is suffering from this disease. According to sources, a good number of people have been admitted in the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine due to this disease. Brucellosis is a bacterial disease caused by various Brucella species, which mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs. Humans generally acquire the disease through direct contact with infected animals, by eating or drinking contaminated animal products or by inhaling airborne agents. Most cases are caused by ingesting unpasteurized milk or cheese from infected goats or sheep. Brucellosis typically causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, weakness, malaise and weight loss. However, the disease may present in many atypical forms. In many patients the symptoms are mild and, therefore, the diagnosis may not be considered. The incubation...

Thursday December 23, 2021 Cynopsis will not publish December 24 through December 31. We'll be back bright and early on January 3. Happy holidays! Today's Premieres Cooking Channel: Back in Time for Dinner at 10p Hulu/Peacock: Dragons: The Nine Realms Netflix: Elite Short Stories: Patrick Peacock: Babble Bop!, Vigil Today's Finale Food Network: Christmas Cookie Challenge at 9p Friday's Premieres Netflix: The Silent Sea The Roku Channel: Slugfest Saturday's Premiere Netflix: Stories of a Generation – With Pope Francis Sunday's Premieres HGTV: Home Town at 8p, Home Town: Ben's Holiday Workshop at 10p Hulu: Letterkenny Sunday's Finales Epix: Condor at 9p HBO: Insecure at 10p Starz: Hightown at 9p TV One: Represent Our Voice at 12p Monday, December 27 Premieres Food Network: Kids Baking Championship at 8p ID: Crimes Gone Viral at 10p Monday's Finales HBO: Landscapers...