Public Health & Medicine

How healthy is your community?

The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 lineage was identified in October 2020 in India1–5. It has since then become dominant in some indian regions and UK and further spread to many countries6. The lineage includes three main subtypes (B1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3), harbouring diverse Spike mutations in the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) which may increase their immune evasion potential. B.1.617.2, also termed variant Delta, is believed to spread faster than other variants. Here, we isolated an infectious Delta strain from a traveller returning from India. We examined its sensitivity to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and to antibodies present in sera from COVID-19 convalescent individuals or vaccine recipients, in comparison to other viral strains. Variant Delta was resistant to neutralization by some anti-NTD and anti-RBD mAbs including Bamlanivimab, which were impaired in binding to the Spike. Sera from convalescent patients collected up to 12 months post symptoms were 4 fold less potent against variant Delta, relative to variant Alpha (B.1.1.7). Sera from individuals having received one dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines barely inhibited variant Delta. Administration of two doses generated a neutralizing response in 95% of individuals, with titers 3 to 5 fold lower against Delta than Alpha. Thus, variant Delta spread is associated with an escape to antibodies targeting non-RBD and RBD Spike epitopes.

One dose of vaccine is not enough to protect against the Delta and Beta variants, new research suggests, and even people who have had Covid-19 should be immunized.

The agency faced criticism for approving Aduhelm for all Alzheimer’s patients. The new label recommends that the drug be given only to patients with mild symptoms.

This cohort study examines the duration and variation of recovery among COVID-19–positive verses COVID-19–negative individuals.

Israel reported that the Pfizer vaccine was 64 percent effective against the Delta variant. Other studies suggest a higher rate.

I have the little-known gynaecological condition, and no one can help me.

People with a disrupted GPR75 gene weighed less and were less likely to be obese

An economic analysis suggests that targeting aging offers potentially larger economic gains than eradicating individual diseases. Slowing aging to increase life expectancy by 1 year is worth US$38 trillion, and by 10 years, US$367 trillion.

This cross-sectional study uses administrative health care data on 2.9 million households from the first 45 weeks of 2020 to assess the association between social gatherings and SARS-CoV-2 transmission by studying whether COVID-19 rates increase after birthdays in a household.

Just how much Covid was spreading behind closed doors last year? Quite a lot, as a new study with a simple yet creative approach found out.

Listen to this episode from Psychologists Off the Clock on Spotify. In 2020, the global market for anti-aging products was estimated at US$52.5 Billion and is projected to reach US$83.2 Billion by 2027. Some of this market is certainly due to ageism, pseudoscience, and harmful marketing practices. However, ideas around aging (and the way it’s portrayed in media and marketing) seem to be changing for the better, and some anti-aging techniques are showing great promise. Dr. Andrew Steele, author of Ageless, has dedicated his professional career to identifying factors that age us. In this episode of Psychologists Off the Clock, he and Diana discuss the science behind why we grow old and the evidence-based approaches individuals of all ages can use to target those aging factors. Join us in this episode to learn basic strategies you can implement to inhibit the aging process and enhance your quality of life today! Listen and Learn: Diana and Debbie’s thoughts on the pseudoscience and fear that typically fosters ageism and the evidence-based approaches to healthy agingAndrew’s expert description of the humanitarian science of aging (and why it’s so important we study this right now!)Ten key factors that contribute to aging and evidence-based ways to target themWhat evolutionary neglect is and why we have evolved to grow oldAndrew’s expert explanation of senescent cells and practical advice for targeting them Basic strategies you can implement today to inhibit the aging process and enhance your quality of lifeNew and incoming interventions designed to increase telomere lengthThe psychological impacts of living longer The values underlying Andrew’s mission of building respectful, supportive communities for the elderlyEasy anti-aging practices young people can implement into their daily routine Resources: Andrew’s book, Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel’s book, The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer Attend Debbie’s webinar on ACT for Burnout!Grab your copy of all our favorite books at bookshop.org/shop/offtheclockpsych.Check out Debbie, Diana, Yael, and Jill’s websites to access their offerings, sign up for their newsletters, buy their books, and more!  Dr. Andrew Steele About Andrew Steele: After obtaining a PhD in physics from the University of Oxford, Dr. Andrew Steele decided that ageing was the most important scientific challenge of our time, and switched fields to computational biology. He worked at the Francis Crick Institute, using machine learning to decode our DNA and predict heart attacks using patients' medical records. He is now a full-time science writer and presenter based in London. He has appeared on Discovery and the BBC. Follow him on instagram @andrewjsteele, twitter @statto, and facebook @DrAndrewSteele.  Read his Psychology Today interview, and check out his Today Show appearance Related Episodes: Episode 125. Why We Age and the Science of Longevity with David SinclairEpisode 13. Healthy Aging and the Brain Episode 194. How to Be (and raise) an Adult with Julie Lythcott-HaimsEpisode 174. How to Work and Parent Mindfully with Lori Mihalich-Levin

A new analysis by Johns Hopkins University reveals the tactics hospitals use to pursue patients with unpaid bills.

Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing for Sickle Cell Disease and β-Thalassemia

Some fungi are evolving to resist drugs and ammonia cleaning and sometimes even attack healthy humans.

In the past few years, fungal diseases caused estimated over 1.6 million deaths annually and over one billion people suffer from severe fungal diseases (; ). Public health surveillance of fungal diseases is generally not compulsory, suggesting that most ...

A regulation underpinning a digital certification system for individuals in the European Union to verify their COVID-19 status via a common credential has gone into application today — on schedule. From today, almost all EU Member States are now able to issue and verify digital certificates, …

Mental health has long been a stigmatized topic in China. Under Chairman Mao’s rule, psychology was dismissed as a bourgeois self-delusion, and was even bann...

With the adjustment for vaccination, the national death rate is roughly the same as it was two months ago, while the adjusted rates in several states show the pandemic is spreading as fast among the unvaccinated as it did during the winter surge.

A social media post claims that COVID-19 vaccination is unnecessary since unvaccinated people have "escaped every single/>

The Delta variant is more transmissible than previous strains, according to MCPH Executive Director Jeff Kuhr.

State public health officials expect that more than half of Colorado's COVID-19 cases are tied to the 'highly contagious' Delta variant.

Mesa County saw its first case of the Delta variant in may and is now ranked number one in highest confirmed cases across the state of Colorado.”We’ve had the delta variant in mesa coun…

The highly transmissible variant remains the "greatest threat" to the U.S. coronavirus response, officials warn.

A COVID-19 outbreak at a summer camp in Illinois is a reminder that young people are taking a risk by not getting vaccinated, health officials say.