Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/PkwSncRULXk   All N95 masks retain a safe fit for 12 or fewer episodes of use.  This according to a Johns Hopkins study of some 92 health care workers.   The investigation revealed that while 100% of masks fit well for the first 12 wearings, that number fell slightly to 95% for up to 23 uses, and then down to 90% for up to 31 uses.  It goes without saying that every N95 mask must fit snugly before a first use by health care workers and high risk patients.   Other studies have shown that N95 masks may be repeatedly decontaminated more than 20 to 30 times using heat and UV irradiation.    https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.04.20244087v1.full.pdf   #covid #mask #n95 #fitting  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/3wxNt8N5pro   The CPSC and American Honda are recalling certain Honda Off-Road Recreational vehicles.  The models involved include 2017-2019 Pioneer 700, 20126-2020 Pioneer 1000 Side-by-side vehicles.  Due to a power steering defect, the vehicles may lose control leading to crashes and injuries.  If you own one of the 118,600 units, stop using it and contract an authorized Honda Powersports dealer to arrange for a repair.  Call Honda at 1-866-784-1870.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Recreational-Off-Highway-Vehicles-Recalled-by-American-Honda-Due-to-Crash-and-Injury-Hazards-Recall-Alert   #offroad #honda #pioneer #steering  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/DHUFpj_bADs   The CPSC and the Dollar Tree Co. are recalling Sure Scents 2-1 Peaceful Stream/Moonlit Waves Candles.  The flame height may reach above the top of the glass container causing the glass to break and leading to a fire and burn hazard.  If you bought one of the 142,740 candles, immediately stop using it. Contact Dollar Tree at 1-800-876-8697 for a full refund.     https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/ADCO-Recalls-Candles-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Sold-Exclusively-at-Dollar-Tree   #candle #burn #fire  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/eEtAOjtOCvY   The CPSC and Huffy have recalled the Huffy Torex 24V Ride-On Toy UTVs.  This toy can unexpectedly move when the battery is connected posing an injury hazard.  If you have one of the 5,150 units sold, stop using the toy and contact Huffy at 1-888-366-3828 to arrange for a replacement.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Huffy-Recalls-Torex-Ride-on-Toy-UTVs-Due-to-Injury-Hazard-Sold-Exclusively-at-Walmart   #toy #utv #huffy  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/UCJgJ5WDvX4   The FDA and Maribel’s Sweets of Brooklyn have recalled Cacao Market MarieBell Cylinder Dark Chocolate Pearls.  This product has undeclared milk.  Those with milk allergies may develop a severe allergic reaction if they ingest these chocolate pearls.  If you have these chocolate pearls, return them to the store for s refund or destroy them.  For more information, contact Maribel’s Sweets by calling 1-718-599-5515.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/maribels-sweets-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-allergen-product   #chocolate #milk

  Vidcast: https://youtu.be/8MFki84l8hU   The FDA and Hong Thai Foods Corp have recalled Golden Boy Custard Muffins both Original and Pandan.  Both products have undeclared milk allergens.  In addition, the original muffins are adulterated with the food coloring uranine-acid yellow 73.  Those with milk or food coloring allergies could develop significant allergic reactions.  If you have these products, return them to the point of purchase for a refund.  More information from the Hong Thai Foods Corp. is available by calling 1-718-237-1511.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hong-thai-foods-corp-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-allergens-golden-boy-custard-muffin   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hong-thai-foods-corp-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-allergens-golden-boy-custard-muffin-pandan   #muffins #milk  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/1pKgDkc4Lrg   The FDA and Vegpro International announce the recall of Fresh Attitude Baby Spinach.  This product is contaminated with salmonella.  This bacterium can cause a serious and sometimes fatal gastrenteritis in the very young, old, or immune-compromised.  This product was distributed in NY, NJ, DE, CT, MD, PA, and eastern Canada.  Return this product to the point of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, contact Vegpro at 1-877-613-5700.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/vegpro-international-issues-recall-fresh-attitude-baby-spinach-because-potential-salmonella-health   #spinach #salmonella  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/jeF43usxark   The FDA and Prairie Farms have recalled Prairie Farms Premium Flavored Chocolate Milk gallons and Prairie Farms 1% Low-fat Chocolate Milk gallons.  Egg protein may be in these products but not labeled as such.  Those sensitive to eggs could develop a serious allergic reaction if they ingest these milk products.  These were mainly distributed in the Chicago area including the northern Illinois suburbs, Rockford, and southeastern Wisconsin.  If you have this product, destroy it or return it to the store for a refund or a product exchange.  If you have additional questions, call the company at 1-618-659-5700.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/prairie-farms-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-egg-chocolate-milk-gallons   #chocolatemilk #prairiefarms #egg  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Z2mR6orX_nM   As we find ourselves facing a CoVid tsunami, British virologists give us the reassuring news that the known CoVid viral mutations are not making the virus more dangerous.  From University College London comes an analysis of CoVid varieties isolated from over 46,000 patients.   The mutations occur for 3 reasons.  First, genetic misfires occur during the viral replication process.  Second, CoVid may interact with other human viruses infecting the same cells.  Finally, our human cells may modify CoVid RNA as they try to protect us from the virus.  The data show that this last mechanism appears to be the most common.   CoVid vaccines may induce mutations, but vaccine modification can meet the challenges.   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19818-2   #covid #mutation #vaccine  

? Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ryz4Ggo2Gkk   If you can obtain an accurate CoVid viral test result within 1-2 days of testing at the conclusion of a quarantine, Yale researchers suggest that the length of quarantine may be safely reduced from 14 to 7-8 days.  Their study has just been pre-published online by medrixiv.org.     The researchers studied 4,040 CoVid tests to offshore oil rig workers.  They determined that quarantine exit testing versus entry testing was most effective for preventing discharge of infectious persons into the general population.   If you are quarantining, at day 7 get a CoVid PCR test.  As soon as you receive a negative test result, it is safe for you to end your quarantine.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.27.20211631v3.full.pdf   #covid #quarantine #test  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tcjFIbQAwpU   Analyzing a Chinese restaurant in which a super-spreader event occurred, a UC-Santa Barbara mathematician calculates that it would be necessary to have more than 50 air changes an hour rather than the current 10 to prevent an accumulation of a CoVid-infected cloud in an indoor space. That would feel like a brisk breezing blowing through the restaurant.  Furthermore, the residual air in the space would require far more rigorous filtration with MERV-13 or better HEPA filters.   A single CoVid infected diner can generate a dangerously-contaminated aerosol/droplet cloud in a matter of minutes.  Indoor dining is categorically unsafe, and safe. outdoor dining requires lots of spacing and a stiff wind.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.11.20173195v2.full.pdf   #covid #restaurants #indoordining #aerosols #droplets  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/juSmZ6Pf9LE   Markedly obese CoVid patients are nearly 3 times more likely than those with normal body masses to require ICU admission, go on a ventilator, or die.  An international collaborative team just published these results from their meta-analysis of 335,192 patients treated over the past 11 months.   The investigators suggest 3 explanations for this effect.  First of all,  excess body weight negatively alters a patient’s respiratory mechanics exacerbating the impact of viral lung damage.  Secondly, the additional body fat may serve as a CoVid reservoir as it does for other common human viruses.  Finally, obesity may drive underlying low-grade inflammation and immune suppression.   The severely obese must avoid contracting CoVid at all costs.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.27.20239616v1.full.pdf   #covid #obesity #ICU #ventilator  

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/gre3bXsREcU   More than three-quarters of adults who recovered from CoVid have imaging evidence of significant cardiac damage.   German investigators report this conclusion after studying 100 men and women with an average age of 49.   Each patient underwent cardiac MRI imaging an average of 71 days following their CoVid diagnosis.  At that time, 76% of the group had elevated troponin levels indicative of cardiac muscle damage.  The CoVid group compared with healthy controls demonstrated diminished cardiac function.   If you’ve had CoVid, don’t return to active exercise for 3 weeks after recovery.  For extra safety, particularly if you were hospitalized for CoVid, undergo a thorough cardiac examination looking for myocarditis or cardiac inflammation.   https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2768916   #covid #cardiac #mycarditis #exercise  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/VcP6tbgzzGA   Fifty percent of college students suffer long-term effects from CoVid, and that counters the myth that young adults are largely unaffected by the virus.  Researchers at the University of Dayton and NY’s Mt. Sinai School of Medicine compared 43 CoVid positive university students with 58 healthy controls.     The half suffering continuing CoVid were 43% more likely to have lifestyle-limiting exercise intolerance and shortness of breath, 24% more like to experience chest pain, 36% more likely to have appetite loss, and 19% more likely to have continuing taste and smell problems.   CoVid is a nasty disease even for the young.  Avoid contracting it by masking, distancing, and washing.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.24.20238261v2.full.pdf   #covid #college #longhaulers  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/3LfVCoOL_gI   Sunbeam Products and the CPSC are recalling Crock-Pot 6-Quart Express Crock Multi-Cookers.  This unit is able to pressurize even if the lid is not completely locked permitting the lid to suddenly detach and allowing the hot contents to spew out and burn the user.  Stop using this product in pressure cooker mode.   You may continue to use it for slow cooking.  Contact the Crock-Pot company by calling 1-800-323-9519 to obtain a free replacement lid.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Crock-Pot-6-Quart-Express-Crock-Multi-Cookers-Recalled-by-Sunbeam-Products-Due-to-Burn-Hazard   #crockpot #burns #pressurecooker  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/W1KEw3AVLqQ   Lidl US and the CPSC announce the recall of Lidl Powerfix Steel Shelving Units.  These units may be missing wall mounting hardware used to attach the shelving unit to the wall posing tip-over and entrapment hazards.  Stop using these units if the anti-tipping hardware is not properly attached.  Contact Lidl at 1-844-747-5435 to arrange for a refund or replacement.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Lidl-US-Recalls-Powerfix-Steel-Shelving-Units-Due-To-Tip-Over-and-Entrapment-Hazards   #shelvingunits #lidl #tipping  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/weAEkOASznQ   The RH Company, formerly Restoration Hardware, and the CPSC have recalled the RH 5-Arm Wine Barrel Chandeliers.  Hardware parts used to hang the chandeliers may fracture causing the chandelier to fall from the ceiling and create an injury hazard.   If you have one of these chandeliers, do not allow your family or friends to pass directly beneath it.  Contact RH to arrange a free in-home repair or replacement.  Contact the company by calling 1-833-786-0028.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/RH-Recalls-Wine-Barrel-Chandeliers-Due-to-Injury-Hazard   #chandelier #rh #structuraldefect  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/QoyFsBEJN20   Towsleys and the CPSC are recalling Towsleys 3-in-1 wireless chargers, 6700 mAh power banks, and travel chargers.  These products may overheat posing a fire hazard.  If you have one of these, stop using it immediately and contact the company at 1-888-510-0488 to obtain instructions regarding obtaining a free replacement charger and disposal of the recalled units.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Towsleys-Recalls-3-in-1-Qi-Wireless-Chargers-Power-Banks-and-Travel-Chargers-Due-to-Fire-Hazard   #charger #wireless #battery #fire  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/l8P8_aqBm1I   Santa Cruz Bicycles and the CPSC are recalling aluminum Santa Cruz and Juliana branded bicycles.  The aluminum frame pieces have experienced thermal damage during a painting operation and could bend or buckle, posing a fall hazard.  If you own one of these bicycles, stop using it.  Contact Santa Cruz Bicycles to arrange for a free inspection, replacement, or refund.  Call the company at 1-833-944-8335.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Santa-Cruz-Bicycles-Recalls-Bicycles-with-Aluminum-Frames-Due-to-Fall-Risk   #bicycle #santacruz #framedefect  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/cgHm-upVsJM   Riverside Natural Foods and the FDA have recalled Good & Gather Banana Chocolate Chip Date and Nut Bar.  This product is improperly labeled as containing tree nuts but instead contains almonds.  Those with an almond allergy may develop a serious or life-threatening reaction.  If you have this product, don’t consume it but return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.  If you have additional questions, contact Riverside Natural Foods at 1-416-360-8200 x 226.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/riverside-natural-foods-ltd-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-almond-good-gather-banana-chocolate-chip   #datenutbar #almonds