As of the week ending August 5,
the number of hospitalizations
increased 14.3% from 9,026 to 10,320.
ABC reports that despite the double-digit
percentage jump, the absolute number
of hospitalizations remains quite low.
In January 2022, amid a surge
of the Omicron variant, weekly
hospitalizations peaked at 150,674.
We have to remember that we're still
dealing with numbers that are far less
than what we've seen for the pandemic, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation
officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.
We have to zoom out to look at our
experience for the entire pandemic,
to understand that what we're dealing
with now is far from any crisis that
we've experienced with previous waves, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation
officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.
ABC reports that deaths from COVID
also increased slightly in July.
Proportionately, it makes sense that
when you have increased transmission,
you will see proportionately some
increase in hospitalizations, and you
will see some increase in deaths, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation
officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.
But there's a decoupling that is happening
between cases and hospitalizations, where
a jump in cases doesn't necessarily mean
as big a jump in hospitalizations and deaths, Dr. John Brownstein, epidemiologist and chief innovation
officer at Boston Children's Hospital, via ABC.
ABC reports that all subvariants
currently in circulation are related
to XBB, an offshoot of Omicron.
.
According to the CDC, the latest EG.5 variant now
makes up approximately 17% of all new cases.
US Surgeon General , Declares Gun Violence in America , a ‘Public Health Crisis’.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy
made the declaration in a new advisory released on June 25, CNN reports.
It is the first time that a surgeon general
has focused on gun violence's "profound consequences" in a national publication. .
Over the last decade or two,
this problem has been worsening and we
have now reached the point where gun violence is the leading cause of death among kids and teens – the leading cause of death. , Dr. Vivek Murthy, to CNN's John Berman.
That is something that we should
never take as the new normal.
There’s nothing normal about that, Dr. Vivek Murthy, to CNN's John Berman.
According to Murthy, the advisory is intended to take the polarizing issue of firearms "out of the realm of politics and put it into the realm of public health, which is where it belongs.".
According to Murthy, the advisory is intended to take the polarizing issue of firearms "out of the realm of politics and put it into the realm of public health, which is where it belongs.".
The advisory highlights measures that Murthy believes can have an impact on gun violence.
just as steps to address vehicle crashes and tobacco-related illnesses have in the past. .
just as steps to address vehicle crashes and tobacco-related illnesses have in the past. .
Historically, we have seen how the
release of Surgeon General reports on
public health issues such as the dangers
of smoking ignited a wave of policy,
legal, and public health initiatives.., Dr. Joseph V. Sakran, Brady board chair
and chief medical officer, via CNN.
... that saved countless American
lives and in this case led to
deprogramming our nation from
the tobacco industry’s lies. , Dr. Joseph V. Sakran, Brady board chair
and chief medical officer, via CNN.
We hope this report will have
the same resounding impact on
the gun violence epidemic, Dr. Joseph V. Sakran, Brady board chair
and chief medical officer, via CNN.
In 2022, over 48,000 people in America died from gun-related injuries, according to CDC data.
In the new advisory, Dr. Murthy said, "It is up to
us to take on this generational challenge with
the urgency and clarity the moment demands.".
The safety and well-being
of our children and future generations are at stake, Dr. Vivek Murthy, via advisory
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
FDA Reverses Ban , on Juul E-Cigarettes.
On June 6, the Food and Drug Administration
announced that it has reversed its ban on Juul
e-cigarettes while the agency reviews new information.
On June 6, the Food and Drug Administration
announced that it has reversed its ban on Juul
e-cigarettes while the agency reviews new information.
NBC reports that the FDA first ordered Juul to take its
product off the market in 2022, however the e-cigarettes
have remained on shelves pending the company's appeal.
NBC reports that the FDA first ordered Juul to take its
product off the market in 2022, however the e-cigarettes
have remained on shelves pending the company's appeal.
In that time, Juul has maintained
its position as the second-most
popular e-cigarette in the U.S.
The FDA noted that reversing the ban
temporarily was not an indication that the
company's product would be ultimately cleared. .
The FDA noted that reversing the ban
temporarily was not an indication that the
company's product would be ultimately cleared. .
Sales of alternative nicotine
products, like e-cigarettes, have
continued to grow in the past decade. .
In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reported that e-cigarette use had
grown by almost 50% between 2020 and 2022. .
In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reported that e-cigarette use had
grown by almost 50% between 2020 and 2022. .
Juul released a statement
following the FDA reversal, .
... saying the company looks forward to "re-engaging
with the agency on a science- and evidence-based
process to pursue a marketing authorization.".
We remain confident in the quality
and substance of our applications
and believe that a full review of
the science and evidence will
demonstrate that our products
meet the statutory standard
of being appropriate for
the protection of public health, Juul statement, via NBC.
We remain confident in the quality
and substance of our applications
and believe that a full review of
the science and evidence will
demonstrate that our products
meet the statutory standard
of being appropriate for
the protection of public health, Juul statement, via NBC.
'The Wall Street Journal' reports that Juul has argued
that the 2022 ban significantly disrupted the company's
finances, resulting in an investor bailout.
Currently, the FDA has only granted approval for 23
e-cigarette products, manufactured by only three
companies, to be marketed and sold to consumers
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Although COVID-19 is on the rise in New York City, the U.S., and elsewhere, the late-summer surge in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths seems more like an uptick than a wave, and the numbers remain..