Category Archives: Preventative Medicine

Introduction by Croakey: A CSIRO report released on Wednesday warns Australia is at risk of increased disease outbreaks and pest incursions, weakened exports, and damage to its global trading reputation.

It says:

In the five years to 2017, the amount of biosecurity risk materials intercepted in Australia increased by almost 50 per cent. At the same time, the risk of biosecurity threats like pandemics are on the rise, fuelled by global trade and travel, urbanisation, climate change, biodiversity loss and antimicrobial resistance.

The report Australias Biosecurity Future: Unlocking the next decade of resilience was co-developed with Animal Health Australia, Plant Health Australia and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions.

CSIROs Director of Health and Biosecurity Dr Rob Grenfell said in a statement COVID-19 illustrated the interconnectedness between human, animal and environmental health and where a weakness in one is a vulnerability for all.

How Australia navigates the changes needed over the next decade will significantly impact the health of Australians, our communities, ecosystems and agricultural systems and food security into the future, he said.

The CSIRO report follows the release of a new global report into biodiversity and pandemics, published by the high-level Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

As Croakey journalist Amy Coopes reports below, it says the underlying drivers of pandemics are the same global environmental changes that drive biodiversity loss and climate change.

It warns that unless there is a seismic shift in how countries collectively deal with infectious diseases, future pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, cause greater damage to the global economy and kill more people than COVID-19,

Pandemics, climate change and biodiversity loss all share common drivers, and without transformative action novel infectious diseases outbreaks will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, kill more people, and affect the global economy with more devastating impact than ever before.

This is the stark warning offered by a new report into biodiversity and pandemics, published by the high-level Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

The report, which IPBES describes as one of the most scientifically robust examinations of the evidence and knowledge about pandemic risk and nature since the COVID-19 pandemic began, cites more than 700 sources from across the fields of epidemiology, zoology, public health, disease ecology, comparative pathology, veterinary medicine, pharmacology, wildlife health, mathematical modelling, economics, law and public policy.

It offers a frank assessment of emerging infectious diseases, outbreaks of which is says are becoming more frequent, entirely driven by human activities.

The IPBES report describes the underlying drivers of pandemics as the same global environmental changes that drive biodiversity loss and climate change, including land use changes, agricultural expansion and intensification, and wildlife trade and consumption:

These drivers of change bring wildlife, livestock, and people into closer contact, allowing animal microbes to move into people and lead to infections, sometimes outbreaks, and more rarely into true pandemics that spread through road networks, urban centers and global travel and trade routes.

The recent exponential rise in consumption and trade, driven by demand in developed countries and emerging economies, as well as by demographic pressure, has led to a series of emerging diseases that originate mainly in biodiverse developing countries, driven by global consumption patterns.

Pandemics such as COVID-19 underscore both the interconnectedness of the world community and the rising threat posed by global inequality to the health, wellbeing and security of all people.

Current pandemic strategies focused on disease response but, as the novel coronavirus pandemic had shown, this was a slow and uncertain path that resulted in mounting human costs: in lives lost, sickness endured, economic collapse, and lost livelihoods, the report said

Instead, it advocated for preventative strategies focused on the reduction of anthropogenic global environmental change.

Pandemic risk could be significantly lowered by promoting responsible consumption and reducing unsustainable consumption of commodities from emerging disease hotspots, and of wildlife and wildlife-derived products, as well as by reducing excessive consumption of meat from livestock production. it said.

Conservation of protected areas, and measures that reduce unsustainable exploitation of high biodiversity regions will reduce the wildlife-livestock-human contact interface and help prevent the spillover of novel pathogens.

Without action to tackle the common drivers of climate change, biodiversity loss and emerging infectious disease, the report said pandemics would emerge more often, spread more rapidly, kill more people, and affect the global economy with more devastating impact than ever before.

It said the risk of pandemics was already rapidly increasing, with 1.7 million undiscovered viruses thought to exist in avian and mammal hosts, of which up to 850,000 could have the ability to infect humans a so-called spillover or zoonotic event which accounted for the majority (70 percent) of emerging infectious disease (Ebola, Nipah, Zika) and almost all known pandemics (HIV/AIDS, influenza, COVID-19).

It estimated that more than a third of new diseases seen in the past 60 years had been caused by land use changes including deforestation, human settlement, urbanisation, and expansion of crop and livestock production. These created synergistic effects with climate change that had, in concert with biodiversity loss, seen the emergence of important novel pathogens, the report said.

More than five new diseases emerged in humans every year with the potential to spread, driven by exponentially increasing anthropogenic changes, it said, estimating the annual cost of such emerging pathogens as likely in excess of $1 trillion.

Climate change has been implicated in disease emergence and will likely cause substantial future pandemic risk by driving movement of people, wildlife, reservoirs, and vectors, and spread of their pathogens, in ways that lead to new contact among species, increased contact among species, or otherwise disrupts natural host-pathogen dynamics, it said.

On an economic basis alone, the report said pandemic prevention made more sense than reflexive response, with risk reduction and surveillance costing two orders of magnitude less than the damage wrought by a global outbreak.

Though it said the true cost of COVID-19 would not be known until vaccines had been fully deployed and transmission contained, the bill had been put at $16 trillion in the US alone by the fourth quarter of 2021 (and that assumed an effective vaccine). Risk reduction would cost 100 times less, it said.

Looking ahead, it said land use decisions largely failed to account for human health, and health should be a key consideration for ecological restoration, which it described as critical for conservation, climate adaptation and provision of ecosystem services.

The report highlighted the importance of equity considerations, noting that pandemics affected countries and populations unequally, with the elderly and minorities suffering disproportionate impacts from COVID-19.

It said both disease and economic outcomes were often more severe on women, people in poverty and Indigenous peoples, and to be transformative, pandemic control policies and recovery programs should be more gender responsive and inclusive.

The report makes a number of recommendations on pandemic prevention, including, crucially, designing a green economic recovery from COVID-19 as an insurance against future outbreaks. It also calls for:

The report says its recommendations come at a critical juncture in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Acceleration of the Anthropocene, where the manifest inadequacy of current reactive approaches have been underscored by more than one million human deaths and a huge socioeconomic toll.

Dr Peter Daszak chaired the expert workshop which authored the report, and he said there was no great mystery about the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic or of any modern pandemic.

The same human activities that drive climate change and biodiversity loss also drive pandemic risk through their impacts on our environment, said Daszak.

Changes in the way we use land; the expansion and intensification of agriculture; and unsustainable trade, production and consumption disrupt nature and increase contact between wildlife, livestock, pathogens and people. This is the path to pandemics.

He concluded:

We have the increasing ability to prevent pandemics but the way we are tackling them right now largely ignores that ability. Our approach has effectively stagnated we still rely on attempts to contain and control diseases afterthey emerge, through vaccines and therapeutics.

We can escape the era of pandemics, but this requires a much greater focus on prevention in addition to reaction.

The fact that human activity has been able to so fundamentally change our natural environment need not always be a negative outcome. It also provides convincing proof of our power to drive the change needed to reduce the risk of future pandemics while simultaneously benefiting conservation and reducing climate change.

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'Escape from the pandemic era' - expert report makes case for prevention, for human and planetary health - Croakey

MarketQuest.biz has recently announced a new report entitled Global Medical Wellness Market 2020 by Company, Type and Application, Forecast to 2025 offers an overview of the market by giving market data with characteristics and market chain with analysis and developments and increase. The report delivers a comprehensive analysis of the global market which presents the critical analysis of the current state of the global Medical Wellness industry, demand for the product, environment for investment, and existing competition. Point by point data about the market players who are holding a fundamental position in the market concerning the business, revenue, open market development, and the temporary courses of action are listed in the market. It covers segments such as competitor segment, product type segment, end use/application segment, and geography segment.

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Global Medical Wellness Market Import Export Scenario, Application, Growing Trends and Forecast 2020-2025 - The Think Curiouser

CHARLOTTESVILLE- When you talk about COVID-19, most of the conversation involves the actual virus. You talk about symptoms or how long quarantine lasts. But the pandemic also brought less physical problems, issues that arent being addressed.

Dementia-related deaths surged over the last seven months in Virginia. Over the summer, 61,000 people died from dementia in Virginia, 11,000 more than 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while experts arent 100% positive of the cause, many speculate that its due to the pandemic. Not as a symptom of the actual virus, but a tragic side effect of the new social norms.

While the numbers are staggering, it does not reflect nearly the amount of people with COVID infections, said Dr. Laurie Archbald-Pannone, who specializes in geriatric medicine at the University of Virginia. Rather its shows the effect that the COVID era has on the care of people with dementia.

According to Archbald-Pannone, some of the necessary rules to control the viruses spread have negatively effected older people with dementia and their caregivers. After caring for dementia patients for over twenty years, the CDCs statistic didnt surprise her. Shes witnessed the effects of the pandemics isolation on their lives firsthand.

As we enter the first year of the pandemic, its important that we find creative ways to stay connected in our communities, said Archbald-Pannone. We need to support each other through the challenges that were going through.

People misunderstand a lot of things about dementia. Usually when we hear the term, we tend to think of a pretty singular picture. But theres no one way to have dementia. Its a disease that exists on a wide spectrum, one that can affect people in different ways. However, social isolation is pretty harmful to most forms of the illness.

Now, to be clear, there is a difference between social distancing and social isolation. The problem is that people right now tend to confuse the two.

Social distancing is a part of the overall infection prevention methods to decrease the spread of the virus, she said. Social isolation, however, not a good thing. Its when were disconnected from our community. Being socially engaged while being socially distant is a part of figuring out how to survive in the COVID era.

Social isolation can have distarous effects on our bodies. According to UVA Health, socially isolated people have higher rates of dementia as well as heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, cognitive decline and death. To Archbald-Pannone, its no coincidence that this increase has happened alongside the COVID-19 pandemic.

Humans are social creatures. We need social interaction for not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. Dementia causes memory loss, typically effecting people 65 years of age or older. Social connections, like talking on the phone, is especially helpful for people living with the condition.

Caring for someone living with dementia can be a very difficult job, especially if theyre a loved one. In the most severe cases, a caregiver may be dressing, bathing, and even feeding a patient, often 24 hours a day. This doesnt even take into account the emotional toll that this has on a person. Watching the decline of a family member, spouse or a friend is tremendously difficult.

Even on the good days, caring for someone with dementia can be taxing, said Archbald-Pannone. Caring for someone close to us can be hard. Unrecognized burdens can fall on the caregiver. And this was before COVID.

Nowadays, these caregivers are just as isolated as their patients, creating a much higher risk of them burning out.

For dementia patients to get the best care, their caregivers also need care and support, said Archbald-Pannone. If caregivers are not in good shape physically or mentally, people living with dementia may not receive the best care possible.

We have to make sure that healthcare providers are becoming aware of this and are actively reaching out to caregivers whether theyre at home or in facilities, said Archbald-Pannone. We have to ask how we can support them and how can we alleviate any additional stressors that have been brought on by COVID.

Throughout the summer, no one wanted to go to their doctor for a checkup. Even if it was a serious health issue, there was and still is a fear that if you go to a hospital, you could potentially leave with COVID-19. However, if you have a chronic condition like dementia, consistent treatment is non-negotiable.

In the spring and the summer, we saw that people had less access to their primary care physicians for preventative care, said Archbald-Pannone. And its really important that were keeping up with their chronic medical conditions and giving them what they need when they need it.

Increased access to medical care was a must. But, in the COVID era, healthcare professionals have to provide for their patients in a whole new way. the solution was telemedicine. Telemedicine has made it possible for doctors to see their patients remotely. Holding doctors visits over the phone or through video chat is a safer alternative to an in-person visit. So this way, they can meet their patients medical needs while making sure no one gets exposed to COVID-19.

However, Archbald-Pannone raised a good point. Telemedicine may not always be a viable option for those with dementia. Doctors and long-term care providers must take extra steps.

Telemedicine, often an option for other patients, may not be manageable for those with dementia, she said. Physicians and staff need to reach out to them. But, on a positive note, this may allow long-distance loved ones a chance to help with their relatives medical care.

In our geriatric clinic, we have the option of getting routine visits done via video interface or over the phone. And this even carries additional benefits, like, if someones loved one lives out of state or isnt able to come to an in-person visit, theyre able to join remotely through telemedicine visits, said Archbald-Pannone.

If someone you know has dementia, Archbald-Pannone says that checking in on them is the best thing to do. However, she wants to make it clear that this does not mean throw caution into the wind. Maintaining CDC-reccomended guidelines is still of the utmost importance. Now, people just need to get more creative with communication skills.

It can be as simple as a phone call. It may not be the safest option to connect physically with people. But calling them on the phone to check in can be helpful, said Archbald-Pannone. We dont always need to have the answers. Sometimes being a listening ear can be enough.

If you think a loved one may be suffering from dementia, the best thing to do is talk to a medical professional. There are many early, warning signs of dementia. But, with the elderly, that can be tough. Its hard to distinguish between which signs are normal facets of aging and which ones are symptoms. Talking to a professional is the best way to know for sure. If you or a loved one needs help with dementia, you can call this 24/7 hotline, 800.272.3900, or visit the Alzheimers Associationswebsite.

Arianna Coghill is a content producer at the Dogwood. You can reach her at arianna@couriernewsroom.com

Continued here:
More Virginia Seniors Are Dying From Dementia. Social Isolation Might Be the Cause. - The Dogwood

Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) invites adults across Central Appalachia to participate in a webinar on preventative healthcare and how it saves lives.

Participants will learn what screenings and immunizations they should have at every age, how living a healthy lifestyle can change your health outcomes andthe importance of maintaining healthcare appointments during a pandemic.

Speakers Dr. Elizabeth Nelson and Dr. Paula Jones will discuss adult preventative screenings by age and gender, beginning at age 18; the importance of regular health check-ups; the importance of a healthy lifestyle; immunizations you should have; Covid safety precautions at hospitals and clinics and the ease of telemedicine.

Elizabeth Thompson Nelson, MD, FHM, practices at Beckley ARH Hospital in Beckley. Dr. Nelson is board certified in internal medicine, providing care for adults. She diagnoses and treats chronic illness, promotes health and disease prevention and is dedicated to excellence in patient care. Dr. Nelson completed her residency and internship in internal medicine at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, and her doctor of medicine degree at the Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC.

Paula Jones, DO, practices at ARH Medical and Specialty Associates in Harold, Ky. Dr. Jones treats adults and children over 13 years of age, diagnosing and treating both acute and chronic illnesses. She provides routine health screenings and counseling on lifestyle changes in an effort to prevent illnesses before they develop. Dr. Jones completed her doctor of osteopathy from Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pikeville, Ky. and is a board-certified Osteopathic Family Physician.

Adults who would like to participate in this webinar can register for the event at the following link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vgycht7fQ_uZKOEgKIewTQ

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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ARH webinar on preventative healthcare | Health | register-herald.com - Beckley Register-Herald

September 30th is National Womens Health and Fitness Day. The day serves as a great reminder about how important it is for women to make their health a priority perhaps more important this year than ever before.

Although that day has come to pass before this weeks Avenue News, women can practice healthy living habits and utilize local health programs every day of the year.

Most women spend a lot of time taking care of others in their family and community, putting their own needs on the back burner and can feel overwhelmed with the things they would need to do in order to get and maintain good health.

They envision hours of gym time and a huge salad at every meal. While thats one way to do it, its not the way that works for most people. Women today are busy. They have a full schedule, stress, and a laundry list of daily tasks. They need simple ways to be healthy, or they wont feel like its an effort they can engage in.

The good news is that there are simple things that people can do to get and maintain good health. And the good news it is that those simple things add up quickly to provide great results. Here are 5 simple ways every woman (and any person) can put her health first:

A study published in the September 2020 issue of the journal Preventative Medicine reported that longer sitting time at work is associated with greater waist circumference in those with desk jobs. The researchers recommend interventions so that people are not sitting so long at work. Looking into desks that allow you to stand while working, or getting up for five minutes every hour can help. Even standing whenever you are on the phone can make a difference.

Engaging in regular exercise plays a big role in how healthy people are. A study in the September 2020 issue of the journal American Journal of Preventative Medicine reported that walking for exercise and engaging in vigorous exercise are both associated with a reduction in mortality, including from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Walking just 30 minutes per day can help keep you healthier.

When you feel stressed, you have an increase in hormones that can lead you to gaining weight, feeling depressed, having less energy, and more. Having healthy ways to address stress is crucial. Find something you enjoy and engage in it daily, even if its just for 10 minutes. You can do meditation or yoga, both of which will help. You can also take a supplement such as Serotonin Plus to help address the serotonin imbalances that lead to weight gain and the inability to lose weight.

Having a healthy immune system is always important, but especially during a pandemic. Consider eating immune-boosting foods and taking a natural supplement to boost immunity, such as SeroImmune. Taking an immune-boosting supplement can help provide a layer of defense.

Dont become overwhelmed with so many changes. Instead, opt for committing to some small changes. Those small changes can be simple, and they will add up. Soon you will see and feel the results of your efforts. You dont have to spend hours in the gym in order to get results that make you healthier, as well as happier.

Women who are pregnant, postpartum and breast-feeding may have more specific health concerns that need to be addressed. Luckily there is a Baltimore County Program, Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC), that provides healthy supplemental foods and nutrition counseling for income eligible pregnant, postpartum and breast-feeding women, as well as children under age five with medical or nutritional risk factors.

To be eligible for WIC, a woman must be a resident of the State of Maryland, be pregnant or breastfeeding, a new mother, or have an infant or child up to age five, have a health or nutrition need and meet the income eligibility guidelines.

According the Maryland Department of Health, numerous studies have shown that pregnant women who participate in WIC have longer pregnancies leading to fewer premature births; have fewer low birth-weight babies; experience fewer fetal and infant deaths; seek prenatal care earlier in pregnancy and consume more of such key nutrients as iron, protein, calcium and vitamin C.

The state health department also found that low-income children enrolled in the WIC Program have a lower prevalence of anemia than those who are not enrolled.

One study found that the anemia rate among children at the six-month WIC recertification visit was lower than the rate at the initial WIC screening, indicating the positive effect of WIC participation. Other studies found that four and five-year-olds whose mothers participated in WIC during pregnancy had better vocabulary test scores than children whose mothers had not received WIC benefits.

There are several WIC brach locations throughout the county. The Essex branch is located at 201 Back River Neck Road and the Rosedale-White Marsh branch is located in the Eastern Family Resource Center, 9150 Franklin Square Drive.

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How women can take control of their health every day of the year - avenuenews.com

As we enter the beginning of the flu season, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, what does this clash of the pandemic and the flu mean for you and your family? This year, more than ever, we are strongly encouraging everyone to get the flu shot. If enough of the population gets vaccinated, more than the 45% who got the flu shot last flu season - it could help derail a dangerous situation that we, as physicians, are concerned about in the upcoming winter months. The addition of another respiratory illness on top of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could overburden the health care system, strain testing capacity, and increase the risk of catching both diseases at once.

Generally, influenza viruses begin circulating in mid-to late October but increasingly become more widespread in the later winter months. After you receive the flu shot, it takes about two weeks for antibodies which circulate in the blood and help to prevent infections to build up. I strongly recommend that everyone age 6 months and up (with rare exceptions) receive the flu vaccine this fall to prevent either acquiring the influenza virus or developing severe influenza. The younger populations should get their flu shots now and I recommend that the elderly and other vulnerable populations begin to get their flu shots now. The CDC has recommended that everyone should have had their flu vaccine by the end of October, but also noted that it is never too late to get your flu shot. The benefits of getting a flu vaccine highly outweigh the risks of getting it later than October.

The seasonal flu vaccine will not interfere with the bodys ability to fight off COVID-19. Both the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses will be circulating in our communities this fall and winter. Even though the flu vaccine will not prevent all cases of the flu, getting vaccinated can help to lessen the severity if you do fall ill. Plus, it will help us, as physicians, to differentiate between the diseases if you develop any symptoms fever, cough, sore throat that they both share. It is also possible to be infected with the flu and COVID-19 at the same time, although it is too soon to tell how common such co-infections will be.

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It is critical to be vaccinated against the flu this year to stay as healthy as possible during the pandemic, protect people who are vulnerable, and keep hospitals from being inundated with both flu and COVID-19 patients. Last season, influenza caused 39 million to 56 million illnesses, 410,000 to 740,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 to 62,000 deaths between Oct. 1 and April 4 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By being vaccinated, you are not just protecting yourself; you are also protecting other people you may come into contact with, including people who are not able to get the vaccine.

Changebridge Medical Associates is hosting flu vaccine clinics on the following dates: October 10th & 24th, November 7th & 21st and December 5th and 19th from 9 AM 12 PM. Please share these dates with your friends and family as you do not need to be a patient to sign up for one of our flu vaccine clinics. Ifyou are not a patient, you will need to register at our office once you arrive. Please call our office if you have any questions 973.575.5540.

Dr. Anna Zimmerman is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician at Changebridge Medical Associates, a member of Consensus Health, in Montville, and has been practicing medicine and serving the community of Morris County for 13 years. Dr. Zimmerman specializes in Internal Medicine and Preventative Gynecology. When she is not working, Dr. Zimmerman enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her family. Born in Iran, she is trilingual and speaks Farsi and French as well as English.

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COVID-19 and The Flu A Good Year to Get the Flu Shot - TAPinto.net

LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) Over the weekend, Patients R Waiting held its 4th Annual Diversity in Medicine Conference. The three-day event involved virtual seminars, a blood drive, and CPR training. The goal of the conference is to prepare underrepresented students for careers in medicine.

There are approximately 90,000 excess deaths in the U.S. each year due to health disparities, says Dr. Cherise Hamblin, founder of Patients R Waiting and OB-GYN physician at Lancaster General Penn Medicine.

The study What If We Were Equal? A Comparison Of The Black-White Mortality Gap In 1960 And 2000 found that an estimated 83,570 excess deaths each year could be prevented in the United States if [the] black-white mortality gap could be eliminated.

It is a public health crisis, Hamblin says.

Dr. Sharee Livingston, OB-GYN physician at UPMC Lititz and Patients R Waiting board member, explains that education and access to health care are just two factors that contribute to health disparities. She also noted that implicit bias could additionally affect how medical workers treat their patients.

Patients R Waiting is attempting to address such disparities by increasing diversity in the medical field.

A 2018 study found that Black male patients were more likely to opt for preventative care measures after meeting with a doctor of the same race. Communication between Black doctors and Black patients also appeared to be better than communication between non-Black doctors and Black patients.

Patients are likely to be more compliant if they can identify with the person whos giving them the advice. If you sound like them, you look like them, you have a particular understanding, says Livingston.

Diversity in medicine saves lives, Hamblin says.

About 13% of the U.S. population is Black. However, in 2016, only 7% of physicians identified as Black, Livingston said, citing a USA Today article.

Patients R Waiting is working to increase that percentage by increasing the pipeline of minority clinicians, making that pipeline less leaky, and supporting minority clinicians in practice, says Hamblin.

Becoming a physician has to start with having a desire to do it or thinking that its possible, explains Hamblin. This is where increasing the pipeline of minority clinicians begins by showing younger students their options for working in the medical field.

After students are interested in entering health care professions, Patients R Waiting works to support them through their schooling (making the pipeline less leaky) and continues supporting them after theyve entered the field.

This years Diversity in Medicine (DIM) Conference was directed toward high school and college students working toward jobs in health care. It included several virtual seminars, as well as a blood drive and a day of CPR and STOP THE BLEED training. In addition, the conference included a diversity, equity, and inclusion seminar for educators.

Originally, the conference was supposed to be a weekend-long, in-person event hosted by Franklin & Marshall College, but as COVID-19 restrictions limited gatherings, Dr. Hamblin and Dr. Livingston had to make new plans.

The conference became a combination of small in-person events and virtual seminars. As F&Ms campus was closed to visitors, UPMC Lititz became the new host site.

Livingston says the new format enabled the conference to reach a national audience; over 300 people registered for conference events. Future DIM Conferences may continue as a combination of virtual and in-person programming, says Hamblin.

If you missed the DIM Conference this year, Hamblin says it will be held again next year on the last weekend of September. Patients R Waiting also hosts a What the Health? book club that meets virtually on the last Wednesday of every month and a Bowl-a-thon planned for December.

Editors Note: a study previously included in this article used different methodologies and was removed for clarity.

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Diversity in Medicine Conference hopes to bolster number of minority health care workers - ABC27

Renee E. SuttonSeptember 30, 2020

It is hard to believe summer is almost over. September is here and fall is right around the corner. Soon the leaves will be changing and cool crisp air will greet us in the morning. We must not let down our guards when it comes to protecting our skin from the sun. Did you know that an article in JAMA Internal Medicine found that skin cancer is more common than prostate, lung and colon cancer combined?

According to the American Cancer Society, it is likely that there will be over 1,900 new cases of skin cancer in South Carolina this year. You may think you have never known anyone with skin cancer and you may very well be right. However, that does not mean you are less likely to get skin cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimates that in Florence county there will be 48 new cases in 2020.

Risk factors you cannot change include light colored eyes, blonde or red hair, skin that burns or freckles easily or a light skin tone. Also, a family member with skin cancer or being older puts you at higher risk. The good news is that the number one risk factor is under your control: sun exposure. It is true the heat from the sun will be much less in the fall. However, the suns rays will continue to shine and damage our skin. Thankfully, the suns rays can be blocked with the use of sunblock, hats or clothing.

According to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, one risk factor for skin cancer that you can change is your use of indoor tanning. Tanning exposes you to a high dose of UV rays. The tan you get from a tanning bed is actually skin damage. JAMA Internal Medicine found that tanning beds are the cause of over 10,000 new cases every year. The good news is that spray on tans and home tanning lotions have come a long way. You can now get the same sun-kissed tan without the bad sun rays and cancer risk. Enjoy the coming fall weather, but please dont forget your sunblock or hat the next time you go outside.

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Skin Cancer Awareness The Patriot - The Patriot News

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into the fall, a local doctor is encouraging the community not to wait it out before they return to their doctors office.

Keeping up on routine screenings and annual visits is critically important, and healthcare systems have put precautions in place to keep patients safe as they return to hospitals and clinics, according to Dr. Timothy Gatewood, who specializes in internal medicine at Community Howard Regional Health.

There was a hope when this (COVID-19) started that things would get back to quote-on-quote normal within a few months, but clearly this is going on into the winter. And thats kind of the fear is this gets stretched from months into probably over a year and that the things we need to do on an annual basis are falling out.

"And diseases arent going away; theyre just going undetected, Gatewood said. So were really encouraging people to make sure they continue with their routine healthcare screenings so things are not left undetected or worsen in the absence of detection.

The most important screenings he encouraged people to keep up on fell into two categories. The first category was preventative cancer screenings. Patients still should be getting mammograms, colorectal screenings, prostate cancer screenings, and the like at the recommended ages and increments, he said. The other category was routine health screenings, such as cardiovascular screenings, blood pressure checks, blood sugar monitoring, and cholesterol monitoring at annual visits or routine visits.

In addition, those on medications still should be seeing their physicians for medication monitoring to ensure their underlying conditions are being optimized, Gatewwood said.

At the start of the virus, Community Howard Regional Health's outpatient clinics closed temporarily, and patients transitioned to virtual visits. However, the clinics since have reopened, and Gatewood said many patients have returned to in-person care. Some, however, still are leery of visiting a hospital or doctors office while cases of COVID-19 still are being reported daily.

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I think the main concern people have is leaving the house and being around other patients and concern that perhaps theres more prevalence of patients with COVID in the clinic, but the network and probably all healthcare systems have worked hard to triage patients before they come in regarding potential COVID symptoms and to make sure theres not an intermingling of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, he said.

At Community Howard, like other healthcare networks, systems have been put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including the screening of patients for symptoms of the virus, reduced wait times, reduced seating, increased cleaning and disinfecting measures, and universal mask-wearing.

Mask-wearing, Gatewood said, greatly reduces the risk of transmitting the virus.

The thing that I really try to emphasize to people is how effective mask-wearing is. I think when COVID started it was not clear how effective that was going to be, but as the months have gone by and data has come in, really mask-wearing is critically important, said Gatewood. This is a virus thats spread by the respiratory route, and universal mask-wearing indoors when outside of the home is really the best way that were going to prevent the spread and remain safe. I just think that message has been muddled and confusing, and its unfortunate because I really believe in universal mask-wearing indoors when outside of your immediate bubble is probably the best thing we can do right now to slow or prevent the spread of this.

As flu season is arriving, the doctor also encouraged people to get a flu shot this year, saying it was now more important than ever. The fewer cases of the flu the hospital sees, he said, the better for the patients and the hospital system in general.

Gatewood encouraged people to do what they can to stay healthy while at home, including reducing stressors, getting exercise, and eating healthily.

Gatewood commended the communitys leadership and citizens efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Its been interesting, but weve learned a lot. Were in a great community Weve had great local leadership, great hospital leadership at both hospitals, and I think the community has done a really good job in handling this because it is a community issue. This is a collective response that everybody shares a part in. So as far as coming in to be seen at the office, the thing I can really emphasize is the providers wear masks. The staff wears masks. All the patients and/or family members in the office wear masks, and that provides a safe environment, Gatewood said.

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Stay on top of preventative care during pandemic - Kokomo Perspective

The covid-19 pandemic must serve as a wake-up call

It is now clear that global and national preparedness and response to the covid-19 pandemic has been inadequate. Many of the basic principles which underpin public health and wellbeing have been transgressed whether through political hubris, narrowness of vision, or deficiencies in healthcare education.

With the exception of tropical medicine, human medicine in affluent societies in the last 50 years has given relatively little priority, for understandable reasons, to infectious disease. The emergence of HIV and the challenge of antimicrobial resistance have driven some reconsideration in recent years. Nevertheless, the focus in both training and practice has been dominated by the challenges presented by non-communicable diseases in individuals. By contrast, in veterinary medicine infectious diseases have always been of great significance andthe accumulated experience of handling infections in populations of animals can contribute greatly to human pandemic infection control.

The 2015-30 Sustainable Development Goals, ratified by 193 nations, recognised the value of an integrated and ethical approach to society and the environment. From a healthcare perspective, they emphasised the importance of a One Health approach which embraces human, animal, and environmental health and appreciates their critical interdependence. Recent pandemics (e.g. SARS, MERS, 2009 H1N1 influenza, covid-19) emphasise the need for us all to prepare and respond more effectively to the spillover of infections from animals to humans as well as the challenges posed by our degradation of the natural world. The economic benefits of this approach amply justify the costs involved. [1]

The deleterious consequences of infections spilling over between animals to humans are exponentially magnified by the global connectivity of modern times. The covid-19 pandemic had its origins in the natural world, most likely through transmission from bats. Spillover and adaptation to novel host species represents the natural evolutionary trajectory for many viruses (e.g. HIV-1, RSV, measles, common cold coronaviruses). Failure to recognise this reality promotes the risk of similar pandemics in the future. The risk of spillover is increased through our failure to respect the ecological boundaries and habitats of wildlife and our inability to prevent the current accelerating environmental destruction and incursions into wilderness habitats to seek resourceswood, minerals, or clearance for crops and livestock. Trade that brings humans and their livestock into contact with wildlife also increases the risk of spillover.

We suggest that education and training in human and veterinary medicine must more effectively embrace the concept of preventative eco-health whereby the health of all animals (including humans) is protected through preservation of the integrity of the natural world, its services, diversity, and natural ecological barriers. Recent analysis has shown that the cost of preventing further pandemics over the next decade by protecting wildlife and forests equates to just 2% of the estimated financial damage caused by covid-19. [1] Moreover, with shared drivers for disease emergence and, very often, shared pathogens, the human medical and veterinary medical sectors must adopt effective multi-speciality coordination for surveillance and rapid detection (e.g. the UK governments human-animal infections and risk surveillance [HAIRS] group). While efforts to capture the full extent of microbial diversity (e.g. Global Virome Network) are underway, predicting the timing, location and agent of the next epidemic or pandemic remains very challenging. A holistic, more eco-centric, educational and preventative approach, as well as increased governmental and global commitment to pandemic preparedness, should alleviate the most extreme challenges posed by any future pandemic.

The covid-19 pandemic has provided us all with a wake-up call. It has starkly demonstrated the interconnectivity of global healthcare challenges and has led to dramatic changes in societal behaviours and working practices. Widespread global concern over environmental issues will only be assuaged through more effective collaboration in research and practice between medical and veterinary practitioners in partnership with biologists and environmentalists. Education must therefore equip practitioners to function effectively in this new environment. At a time when the worlds biodiversity is facing both a mass extinction event and an increase in emerging infections, professionals in human, animal and environmental health must function as a broader multidisciplinary team. [2] It follows that educational barriers separating human, animal, and environmental health workers should be cast aside in favour of a more integrated training regime. The One Health concept, as advocated by William Osler, Calvin Schwabe, and Lawson Soulsby must be at the foundation of this integrated approach.

Camilla T.O. Benfield, course director, MSc One Health: ecosystems, humans and animals, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK

David Heymann, professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

Judy MacArthur Clark, past president, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London, UK

AJ Trees, Lord Trees, House of Lords, London, UK

Babulal Sethia, past president, Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK

The Soulsby Foundation (www.SoulsbyFoundation.org) supports research in One Health through fellowships which enable medical and veterinary professionals, early in their careers, to forge international multidisciplinary collaborations, gain global perspectives, and experience the many cultural contexts of One Health.

Declaration of Interests:The Soulsby Foundation is a charitable incorporated organisation, registered charity number 1174783. CB is director of the joint RVC-LSHTM MSc in One Health course and in receipt of a 2018 Soulsby Fellowship. DLH, JMC, AJT and BS are Trustees of the Soulsby Foundation in receipt of no remuneration.

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We must take a One Health approach to improve human pandemic infection control - The BMJ - The BMJ