February 25, 2024, 'National Chocolate Covered Nut Day!'

'National Chocolate Covered Nut Day'

When it comes to the delightful crunch and sweet goodness of chocolate covered peanuts, this particular day is the perfect reason to celebrate this popular and delicious treat.

Get ready to enjoy Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day!

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/episode-151-harm-reduction

'Harm Reduction'

In this episode, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss COVID isolation guidelines, the BA.2.87.1 variant, and the importance of measles and other rare public health threats.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

GET YOUR 5th BOOSTER (7th SHOT) IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID OR IT’S BEEN LONGER THAN 4 MONTHS SINCE YOU HAD COVID YOURSELF
A GOOD MASK, N95 OF KN95, DOES HELP REDUCE TRANSMISSION…. USE IT AT HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS
GOOD VENTILATION IN ROOMS/HOME/BUSINESSES IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION
VACCINE, VACCINE, VACCINE…THIS IS OUR PROTECTION. ALL VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AND WITH TIME WE ARE SEEING THAT THE J&J VACCINE IS PICKING UP STEAM AND GIVES SOLID LONG-TERM PROTECTION.
BOOST, BOOST, BOOST…THIS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECURRING SURGE AND TO RAISE ANTIBODY LEVELS IN THOSE ALREADY SET WITH THE PRIMARY COVID VACCINE SERIES.
ANTIGEN TESTING IS USEFUL, BUT OF LIMITED VALUE. DON’T DEPEND ON IT…BUT USE IT.

Know that unvaccinated remain a source of potential infection. Avoiding unvaccinated persons will reduce your risk of COVID.

After you received your COVID vaccinations, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.

BUT FIRST.......

PLEASE COMPLETE THE INFORMATION ON THE CARD BEFORE YOU SEND IT TO US!

What we need:

Your name
Date vaccination received
Brand name
Lot number if available
Which dose you have received

**Email your COVID vaccine completed info HERE

Arizona COVID-19 News

Small Study Shows a Possible Reason Some Long COVID Patients Experience 'Brain Fog'

According to a new study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers at Trinity College in Ireland used blood tests to measure certain biological markers and specialized brain images to discover that long COVID patients with brain fog had more permeability or "leakiness" of their blood-brain barrier – offering the first biological evidence that this symptom may be due to underlying changes in the brain.

"A lot of long COVID symptoms, especially brain fog, are often written off as 'oh that’s all in your head' but this study is suggesting an actual biological mechanism behind it," Dr. Leah Croll, neurologist and assistant professor at Temple University, told ABC News. "Knowing this is real can be very validating for people who experience this symptom."

While this study is small, it could help inform ongoing research to better understand how to diagnose and treat long COVID that impacts millions of Americans. There is currently no test or treatment for this condition that can be disabling to those who have it.

Free COVID-19 Tests Still Available

Each U.S. household can now order four more free Covid tests, to be sent out by the federal government starting the week of Nov. 27.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the new round of test shipments Monday as the holiday season begins — a time when public health experts typically expect cases of Covid, flu, colds and respiratory syncytial virus to surge.

As with the previous five rounds of government-issued Covid tests, orders can be placed online at Covid.gov. People who didn’t take advantage of the last offer in September can still order the four rapid antigen tests made available then, for a total of eight tests. The only information required is a name and a home address — no health insurance information needed.

The order page warns that although tests may arrive with expiration dates that have passed, the Food and Drug Administration has extended the dates for most approved tests. So users can check the true expiration dates of their Covid tests on the FDA’s regularly updated list.

Study IDs Immune Abnormality Possibly Causing Long COVID

Swiss scientists have identified immune system abnormalities in patients with long COVID that might open the door to new diagnostic tests and treatments.

The researchers found that a group of proteins in the blood that are part of the body's immune response called the "complement system" are not working properly in patients with long COVID.

Blood samples turned up important differences between those who recovered from COVID and those who did not. These differences might be used as biomarkers to diagnose long COVID and might even point the way to new treatments for the condition, the researchers said.

By testing for 6500 blood proteins in about 300 patients, the Swiss researchers found that dysfunctional complement system proteins could possibly explain fatigue and "smoldering inflammation," said Onur Boyman, MD, a professor of immunology from University Hospital Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland.

Long COVID has been linked to hundreds of symptoms including brain fog, chronic fatigue, pain, and digestive issues. Various factors drive the condition and likely work with one another other, said David Putrino, PhD, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. The Swiss study is useful because "we're trying to best understand how we can explain all of this far-reaching pathobiology," he said.

Mask Policy in Our Office

At our office, we are continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will strive for ways to keep our patients and staff safe.

We recommend that all unvaccinated and vaccinated patients and visitors entering our office cover their nose and mouth at all times.

To prevent further spread of the Delta & Omicron variants, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on March 21, 2022, to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks when in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of Covid-19.

We have a limited supply of paper masks and will make these available to patients while they last, however, we encourage you to bring your own facial covering.

What Should I Do If I Get COVID While Traveling These Days?

Approaching the pandemic’s four-year anniversary, By The Way Concierge looks into protocols for testing positive abroad

Traveling has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected.

Want to see your question answered? Submit it here.

“What should you do if you test positive for covid while touring a European country?” — Margaret L., Allen Park, Mich.

Gone are the days of vaccine passports and time-sensitive PCR tests; what’s left now will depend on the country you’re visiting — and probably will look like suggestions rather than mandate.

For example: In France, you’re not required to do anything, although masking, avoiding vulnerable people, working from home and telling close contacts that you’re sick is recommended. In Germany, the national guidance is to stay home “if possible” and avoid contact with others, but there’s no official requirement to isolate. Italy lifted covid isolation requirements last summer.

Ideally, you should follow local rules and do your best to minimize the spread of disease, says Lin H. Chen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Travel Medicine Center at Mount Auburn Hospital.

But remember that what stands today may not hold true by the time you’re traveling. Check in with the destination’s health ministry website to stay up to date before your trip.