Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/0xkFOagge4k   The FDA and ACON Laboratories are warning consumers not to use the Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test packaged in a blue box.  This test is unauthorized for importing or use in the US.  The  product “Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test in a white box is FDA approved for use in the US and the recipient of an Emergency Use Authorization.  The Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test is approved in Europe while the US test is not.  So in summary, the  approved US test has the word “Home” in it and the European-approved test has the word “Rapid” in it.  The FDA states that the European test will not provide accurate results if used in the US.  If you obtained the FlowFlex test in the blue box, return it to the place of purchase.  For more information, contact ACON Laboratories Customer Support at 1-800-838-9502 or via email at flowflex_support@aconlabs.com.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/acon-laboratories-issues-recall-non-eua-au

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Va7aUC9YTG0   The CPSC and Reckitt now recall Airborne Gummies in the 63 and 75 count bottles in various flavors.  Pressure may build up within these containers and forcefully eject the lid and underlying seal creating an injury.  About 3.74 million of these jars containing what is described as an immune support supplement were sold in the US at Target, Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Costco, Walmart and other stores as well as online at Amazon.com and www.schiffvitamins.com.  If you have an unopened container, don’t open it.  Contact Reckitt by phone at 1-888-266-8003 to receive a postage-paid envelope to return the product for a full refund.  If you opened the container and hopefully didn’t sustain an injury, you may continue to consume the contents.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Reckitt-Recalls-More-than-Three-Million-Bottles-of-Airborne-Gummies-Due-to-Injury-Hazard   #airbournegummies #supplement #explosion #injury #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/3ZWEO1xAyHg   The CPSC and RH, formerly known as Renovation Hardware, are recalling RH Illuminated Mirrors.  The mirror’s bulb sockets are defective, may short-circuit and overheat, and create fire, burns, and shock hazards.  About 3300 of these mirrors were sold in the US and about 111 were sold in Canada.  Round, rectangular, and so-called leaner shaped mirrors are included in this recall.  If you have been gazing into one of these mirrors at home, unplug it and contact RH for either a full refund, a merchandise credit or a replacement mirror.  Reach RH at 1-833-694-2947 or via email at recall@rh.com.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/RH-Recalls-Illuminated-Mirrors-Due-to-Fire-and-Shock-Hazards   #rh #illuminatedmirror #bulbsocket #shortcircuit #burn #fire #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/QVCslfMA1d0   The CPSC and the Maison Battat company are recalling B. toys Wooden Activity Walker – Walk ‘n’ Learn.  The wheels, axles, and attachment hardware may detach from the walker, break into pieces, a create a choking hazard for infants, toddlers, and young children.  About 17,000 of these walkers were sold in the US and about 2400 were sold in Canada.  If you have one of these at home, do not allow your children to use it.  Contact Battat by phone at 1-844-963-2479 or via email at recalls@battatco.com to obtain a free repair kit consisting of replacement wheels, attachment hardware and installation instructions.  Battat can also provide you more information about this recall.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/B-toys-Walk-n-Learn-Wooden-Activity-Toddler-Walkers-Recalled-Due-to-Choking-Hazard-Distributed-by-Maison-Battat   #battat #walklearn #wheels #foreignbodies #choking #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/NJaHrB92EJs   The CPSC and Specialized Bicycle Components now recall Sirrus, Sirrus X and Sirrus Sport Bicycles with alloy cranks.  The crank arm on these bikes may disengage causing the rider to lose control, fall, and sustain injuries.  About 19,000 of these bicycles were sold.  If you have one of them, stop riding it immediately and contact your nearest authorized Specialized retailer for a free repair. For more information, contact the company by phone at 1-800-808-8154 or via the email ridercare@specialized.com.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Specialized-Bicycle-Components-Expands-Recall-of-Sirrus-Bicycles-with-Alloy-Cranks-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards   #specialized #cirrus #crank #disengagement #fall #recall  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/cnN2nkBlDec Short Shorts are cutting edge medical and healthcare discoveries not quite ready for the clinic, but worth knowing about now. Spiders may help us cure cancer.  The intracellular protein p53 is one natural defense against cancer-triggering mutations.  Problem is that p53 is in short supply since cells naturally make very little of it and it tends to be unstable.  That’s where our creepy spider friends come in.  Tumor biologists at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute find that a small section of synthetic spider silk protein attached to p53 before reintroducing it into cells stabilizes the p53 enhancing its ability to prevent cancer-causing mutations.  Could be the basis for a new treatment.     https://www.cell.com/structure/fulltext/S0969-2126(22)00049-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0969212622000491%3Fshowall%3Dtrue     A new type of CoVid vaccine repurposes red blood cells to carry the viral spike proteins that trigger a effective im

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Q050l99K4QI   One in every four children under the age of 18 develops symptoms of long CoVid following a given CoVid infection.  An international collaborative group that includes Harvard, Emory, Cornell, Rutgers, Swedish and Mexican universities performed a meta-analysis of  21 published studies covering some 80,071 children and adolescents 0 to 18 years of age.   The crunched numbers reveal that 25.4% of all children diagnosed with CoVid developed one or more symptoms of long CoVid lasting 4 weeks or longer.  For those who required hospitalization, the prevalence was higher at 29.2%.  Children with long CoVid had multiple symptoms, and the most common were anxiety and depression in 16.5%, sleep disorders in 8.4%, persistent headache in 7.8%, breathing problems in 7.6%, excess chest and nasal mucus in 7.5%, thinking problems in 6.2%, loss of appetite in 6%, exercise intolerance in 5.7%, and smell and taste issues in 5.6%.  Compared with uninfected children, those who contracted C

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/yCZwTRhm3i4   Creativity CAN be taught to children, and professors of English at the Ohio State University now report a better method.  The traditional approach called divergent thinking that focuses on problem-solving and working memory expansion hasn’t cut it.  Instead the OSU profs recommend the narrative method successfully used by novelists.   This narrative method uses 2 techniques.  The first is to encourage children to create new worlds in their minds.  This meshes with their love of other worldly video games.  The other is perspective-shifting that encourages the child to pretend they are someone else and create a story from another’s point of view.   Studies have shown that young children are naturally more creative than adults.  Their creativity appears to be blunted by our formal educational systems that emphasizes rigid logic and rote fact memorization.  We as parents and grandparents must oppose that tendency by playing creativity coaches during the precious early ye

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/-jApZNB4yAw   Just how effective are the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for protection against the two Omicron subvariants BA.1 and BA.2?  The answer comes from a collaborative study from the epidemiologists at Cornell Medicine-Qatar following their study of 1,308,926 individuals who received the Pfizer and 894,142 who received the Moderna.   Of these groups, only 27% received the Pfizer booster and 16% received the Moderna booster.   Both mRNA CoVid vaccines were only about 45% protective against a symptomatic infection by either Omicron subvariant and only for about 3 months after the 2 dose vaccination.  It required a booster to maintain that protection longer-term.  Protection against a severe or deadly Omicron infection was 70-80% after the 2 dose vaccination longer-term but rose to more than 90-% after a booster.   In this first set of graphs, we can see that both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines worked about the same against OmicronBA1 and OmicronBA2.  The performance of the Modern

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/N4qAzhE8v9s   The OmicronBA.2 subvariant is spreading rapidly, and it will trigger another wave, actually a tsunami, of CoVid cases.  I am here to warn you, not to scare you, but if a 4 alarm siren is what you need, so be it.   I’ve been talking about this OmicronBA.2 subvariant for several weeks now as it has been spreading around Europe and is wreaking havoc in Hong Kong and mainland China.  This subvariant has a transmissability factor, a so-called R0, of about 12.  This puts the OmicronBA.2 in a class with the most infectious virus known to man, the measles virus, with R0s ranging from 12 to 18.  OmicronBA.2 is easy to catch, even outdoors, in a crowd, and certainly indoors.   But wait, I’m vaccinated and boosted you say.   So am I, and I continue to be worried.  Why?  Because, the protective antibodies triggered by even the best of our Covid vaccines, the mRNA Pfizer and Moderna, don’t protect against OmicronBA.2 that well, say only about 40-50%, and the protection they do of

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/YxmGtJw2rkY   Short Shorts are cutting edge medical and healthcare discoveries not quite ready for the clinic, but I want you to know about them now.    A New Zealand study shows that consistent reminiscing with your children about positive family activities helps them grow into adolescence with better overall mental health.  Kids whose positive childhood memories are reinforced grow up with significantly less anxiety and a lower incidence of clinical depression.   https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jopy.12703     Human skin cells, dermal fibroblasts, can be genetically enhanced to manufacture cellular components called activated extracellular vesicles or ASTEX that capably repair cells previously infected with and injured by CoVid.  Investigators at LA’s Cedars Sinai Medical Center show that this bioengineered therapy may play an important role in the rehabilitation of those with long CoVid.   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666534422000046?via%3Dihu

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/FtwtaTAF_N4   Nirsevimab is a long-acting anti-RSV monoclonal antibody that can prevent this often serious childhood respiratory illness in 75% of healthy infants.  Pediatric investigators at Northwestern and the Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago now report the results of their phase 3 clinical trial in the New England Journal of Medicine.    A total of 1490 term infants underwent 2:1 randomization to receive nirsevimab or a control injection.  RSV infections that required significant medical care occurred in only 1.2% of the treated group vs 5% of controls, a 76% reduction.  Hospitalization for RSV therapy was necessary for only 0.6% of the treated group vs 1.6% of the controls representing a 62% reduction.  Nirsevimab injection was not associated with any increased adverse effects.   The best news is that a single injection of this immunizing medication can protect an infant for the entire RSV season.   https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2110275   #nirsevimab #rsv #hospit

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JEQqf1_XfYY   Mindfulness meditation can reduce your guilt, but doing so may have a negative impact on your social relationships.  Psychologists at the University of Washington conducted a series of 8 experiments on 1400 participants that included 3 groups: US adults recruited online, undergrads at UPenn’s Wharton business school, and Portuguese grad students.   The initial study demonstrated that mindfulness exercises could effectively reduce guilt feelings.  Subsequent studies went on to explore the consequences of that guilt reduction.  One experiment showed that those whose mindfulness reduced their guilt were significantly less likely to provide financial compensation to someone they had wronged.  Another study showed that mindfulness-driven guilt reduction drove a reduced tendency to apologize and otherwise smooth over an abrasive social interaction.   Like many techniques, mindfulness can have negative as well as positive consequences.  The researchers found that meditation

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/xwRgQi2ZIjQ   Collecting either a nasal or a saliva sample for CoVid testing in the morning vs. the evening increases the chance of detecting virus by as much as 24%.  Public health officials in Pasadena working with the California Institute of Technology report this finding following their longitudinal study of 29 mildly symptomatic participants from 16 different households.   The mean age of the participants was 33 years and the majority were women.  The study was done early in the pandemic and 96% were unvaccinated.  All received sequential PCR testing, both nasal and salivary, that began as early as several days before initial diagnosis and continuing for up to 20 days after.  Most morning sampling was between 7 and 10 am and evening sampling between 8 and 11 pm.   Detectable viral loads were higher during the first 6 days of infection and for nasal secretions compared with saliva.  In both fluids, though, viral concentrations were higher in the morning, shown in orange, than

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ILJxdVWBzTQ   A home rapid antigen CoVid test on day 6 of a quarantine overestimates the risk that you are still infectious by some 40%.  This from a Boston-based study run by researchers from Harvard, MIT, and Boston  University.   Forty young CoVid-vaccinated and 90% boosted young adults, mean age 32 years, were studied after testing PCR-positive for CoVid Omicron.  All underwent both rapid antigen testing and viral culture testing on day 6 of their quarantine.  The rapid antigen test on that day declared that 75% of the group remained positive.  However, the viral cultures indicated that only 35% were continuing to carry live, transmissible virus.   The investigators conclude that a negative rapid antigen test on day 6 should be the signal to end the quarantine.  If your rapid antigen test is positive, there is a good chance that you aren’t actually caring live virus.  However, only a negative viral culture or PCR test will permit you to end your isolation at that time.  If you

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/E8apkDZdsmY   A 3rd shot of CoVid vaccine following the 1 or 2 dose primary vaccination provides 50% more protection against an Omicron infection.  Cornell University investigators followed 15,102 vaccinated students from December 5th to 31st, 2021.  Of that number, 1,706 had also received a CoVid booster prior to the beginning of the study.  The vaccines used included the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaxes and the Johnson & Johnson viral vector vax.   The incidence rate of breakthrough cases began to rise quickly around day 3 of the study and leveled off around day 10.  As the month of December wore on, the incidence rate of new CoVid infections was 1.4 per 100 person-days for the unboosted students.  This figure was double the 0.7 per 100 person-day figure for those who received the booster.   This study proves the protective effect in young adults of a CoVid booster for any of the FDA approved CoVid vaccines.  If you haven’t yet had a booster, get it now.   https://www.medrxiv.

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/yX495mNhYZA   You may get more than a case of the Mondays if you hit the ol’ office water fountain after a weekend or holiday closure.  Purdue University engineers issue this warning after their in-depth study of water in a 10 year old 3 story so-called green office building.     The building’s water quality was assessed for minerals and bacteria including legionella, the bug that causes Legionnaire’s disease.  The investigators found that the drinking water flowing after a weekend had elevated levels of lead, copper, and the legionella bacteria.  The concentration of the protective disinfectant chlorine in the water decreased to suboptimal levels.   Take away points:   Stagnant water in an unoccupied building is unsafe for consumption. Bring your own bottled water on Mondays or following holidays. Even in your own home or vacation home, run the water to bring in a fresh supply that will dilute and flush any contaminants.   https://journals.plos.org/water/article?id=10.1371/jou

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JmgpYgCRlc4   Cases due to the Omicron Subvariant BA2 that I call Omicron BA2 are on the rise all over the world, and this subvariant is on the way to eclipsing cases due to the initial Omicron subvariant BA1.  It is already the dominant cause of cases in Denmark, Singapore, India, South Africa, and Austria.  Reports from England indicate that children are harder hit than adults, and a number of them have developed Omicron2 within weeks to months after an infection with Omicron1.  Omicron2 cases now represent nearly 12% of new cases in the US.   Let’s look at some of OmicronBA2’s characteristics.  OmicronBA2 is more difficult to identify even with PCR tests presenting a challenge to public health officials attempting to quantitate numbers of cases.  It has been nicknamed the stealth variant.  The accuracy of home rapid CoVid tests for Omicron detection is not well documented.   OmicronBA2 is estimated to be 40% more transmissible than OmicronBA1 due to a change in its spike protei

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/D6Qh5wSgILQ   The FDA and Tennessee Technical Coatings Corp. are recalling Tennessee Technical Coatings Hand Sanitizer Isopropyl Alcohol Antiseptic 75%.  This product is contaminated with poisonous methyl alcohol or methanol for short.  Methanol can cause neurologic damage, blindness, and gastrointestinal distress.  This product was sold in Tennessee.  If you bought this product, stop using it immediately and return it to the place of purchase for a refund.  For additional information, contact Tennessee Technical Coatings by calling 1-931-359-6666 or via the e-mail address ttchelpdesk@tntechcoatings.net.    https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/tennessee-technical-coatings-corp-issues-nationwide-voluntary-recall-hand-sanitizer-isopropyl   #tennesseetechnical #handsanitizer #methanol #poisoning #recall  

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/xfgwa9VmZk4   The FDA and Damascus Bakery are recalling Bantam Classic Stuffed Bagels with Cream Cheese.  This product contains undeclared egg allergens.  Those allergic to eggs could develop life-threatening allergic reactions should they ingest these bagels.  If you bought these bagels and have an egg-allergic person in your household, you should dispose of them and contact Bantam Bagels customer service at 1-866-451-6744 for a replacement coupon.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/damascus-bakery-recalls-one-lot-bantam-classic-bagels   #bantambagels #bagels #creamcheese #egg #allergy #recall