Polio was once a feared disease in the U.S. but was eradicated through an effective and safe vaccination program over the past decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, the Governor of New York recently extended Executive Order 21.1 until early November 2022 because genetically related poliovirus had been detected in wastewater collected from Kings, Nassau, Orange, Queens, Rockland, and Sullivan counties.
Polio Vaccination Doubts Remain
Increase Seen in Years of Life Lost Per COVID-19 Death in 2021
YLL increased 35.7 percent per COVID-19 death in 2021 versus 2020 as median age of COVID-19 deaths decreased
Medical Masks Similar to N95 Respirators for Preventing COVID-19
No significant difference seen with medical masks versus N95 respirators for health care personnel providing care to COVID-19 patients
It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over…but It’s Never Over
"As I prepare to step down from my dual positions at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), where I have been a physician-scientist for 54 years and the director for 38 years, a bit of reflection is inevitable," wrote Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
Monkeypox Disease Renamed
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today it would begin using the preferred term “Mpox” as a synonym for the monkeypox disease.
When the Mpox outbreak expanded in May 2022, several individuals and countries raised concerns and asked the WHO to propose a way to change the name.
Assigning names to new and existing diseases is the responsibility of WHO under the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the WHO Family of International Health-Related Classifications through a consultative process that includes WHO Member States.
Studies Compare Various Treatments for COVID-19
Sotrovimab effective compared with molnupiravir; second study shows no effect for angiotensin receptor blockers in terms of illness severity
Monkeypox Renamed Mpox Amid Racism Concerns
Virus has been called monkeypox since 1958, when it was first observed in Denmark in research monkeys
Asthma Exacerbations Up After Relaxation of COVID-19 Restrictions
Relaxation of restrictions coincided with increasing incidence of COVID-19, non-COVID-19 ARI, severe asthma exacerbations
New COVID-19 Variant XBB Gaining Ground Among Americans
New omicron subvariant is taking hold in the United States, health officials say, though it does not look more severe than its predecessors
The Recreational Potential Index Influences Behaviors
Since the recent pandemic limited a person's mobility and social life, people's recreational behavior made them seek more contact with nature closer to home.
As a result, locating recreational spaces in the vicinity of cities gained importance.
A new Scientific Reports study proposed a methodology for assessing the tourist and recreational potential of areas (METPRET) in the vicinity of cities with the potential to meet the needs for tourism and recreation.