Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

? 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  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/zI61_Wc0qjk   Shenandoah Growers Inc and the FDA are recalling packages of organic basil sold under The Fresh Market and  the Good and Gather labels.  These products are contaminated with Cyclospora.  This parasite causes an intestinal infection accompanied by severe abdominal pains, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue.  If you have these products, discard them immediately and contact the Shenandoah Growers Consumer Response Center at 1-844-896-6939 to arrange a refund.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/shenandoah-growers-inc-issues-limited-voluntary-recall-certain-imported-organic-basil-because   #basil #cyclospora   

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/6fOpKSYaEkE   Hy-Vee, Inc. and the FDA have recalled Hy-Vee Short Cuts vegetable mix products.  There is contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.  The products involved include Pot Roast Mix and Grill/Oven Ready Veggie Mix, were sold in IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, and WI.  Listeria causes severe illness in the very young, the elderly, and the immune compromised as well as miscarriages and stillbirths.  Discard these items or return them to the store for a full refund.  For more information, call Hy-Vee at 1-800-772-4098.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hy-vee-voluntarily-recalls-two-short-cuts-vegetable-mix-products-because-possible-health-risk   #hyvee #shortcuts #listeria  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/4RkqoKFSp0w   The FDA and Fusion Health and Vitality LLC are recalling two products: CORE Essential Nutrients; and Immune Boost Sublingual Vitamin D3.  The CORE product contains an unapproved food additive hordenine HCl and is therefore considered adulterated.  Hordenine is unsafe if ingested and may elevate the heart rate and blood pressure.  The Immune Boost product has labeling that renders it an unapproved new drug.  If you have either of these products, stop using them and return them to the point of purchase for a refund.  If you have additional questions, contact Fusion at 1-888-964-5327.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/fusion-health-and-vitality-issues-voluntary-nationwide-recall-core-essential-nutrients-and-immune   #supplements #hordenine #fda  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/iKNIpIlfz-k   Fear of CoVid has kept millions of children from receiving scheduled measles vaccinations this year.  That shortfall only adds to the missed vaccinations that precipitated this year’s measles outbreaks.  A worldwide CoVid vaccination campaign will only add to the problem.   The WHO working group on measles and rubella issues this warning with the sobering data that measles caused 207,000 deaths in 2019, 50% more than in 2016.  These tragedies were all preventable.   As the US ramps up for CoVid vaccinations, don’t forget about the MMR and flu vaccines.  Remember too that there is evidence that these latter two vaccines may also give you some umbrella protection against CoVid while you wait for its vaccine.   https://secure.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/action/getSharedSiteSession?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thelancet.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0140673620323941&rc=0   #measles #vaccine #covid #flu #mmr  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/dNf1xLs7j6o   One COVID feature is blood oxygen levels dropping without patients realizing they are sick.  This silent oxygen deprivation does lasting damage to multiple organs.   Biomedical engineers at Boston University and the University of Vermont, using patient data and computer modeling, show that the oxygen drop is due to 3 mechanisms.  Lung regions damaged by CoVid do not block blood flow and divert it to healthier regions, they have abnormally high blood clotting, and, finally,  CoVid  produces a mismatch of air flow to blood flow in the lungs.   Low blood oxygen levels can be an early sign of CoVid.  Consider buying and using an inexpensive pulse oximeter and using it on a daily basis.   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-18672-6   #covid #lung #hypoxia #shunting #clotting  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/OnuvfszO7kE   One hallmark of successful cancer immunotherapy is the deployment of checkpoint inhibitors, antibodies against the PD-1 receptors on lymphocytes that prevent them from killing cancer cells.  These must be repeatedly infused intravenously to trigger the army of killer white cells.   A just published study from Ohio State shows that even more powerful checkpoint antibodies may be synthesized using an immunogenic peptide PD1-Vaxx.  The vaccine prompts production of multiple antibodies to multiple sites on the PD-1 receptor.   This vaccine shows significant anti-cancer activity in a mouse human colon cancer model.  It remains to future studies to test it on humans.  This vaccine could also induce anti-cancer surveillance preventing emergence of tumors.   https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2162402X.2020.1818437   #cancer #vaccine #checkpoint #pd1  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tCbUg5H-sy4   Cornell neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi has identified brain and body differences between the two genders.  Parade magazine encapsulated her findings this past weekend.   Women: See doctors more often Benefit more from plant-based diets Have greater risks of dementia Experience more anxiety and depression Suffer more headaches and migraines  Have more autoimmune diseases   Men: Develop illness at younger ages Experience more lifetime illness Die younger Have higher healthcare costs Have more gout Have more inguinal hernias Suffer more aortic aneurysms Develop more kidney stones Have more alcoholism Develop more duodenal ulcers Suffer more emphysema   Know your risks and improve your chances.   https://parade.com/1121927/paulaspencer/how-mens-womens-brains-different/   #health #men #women  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/FopRSkMu_F8   If your child has a tonsillectomy, don’t use ibuprofen, Motrin or Advil, to control post-operative pain.  A study from Harvard’s Boston Children’s Hospital shows that these drugs increase the risk of bleeding following tonsillectomy by 36%.   The study analyzed more than one-half million children under 18 years who underwent tonsil removal between 2004 and 2015.  Another NSAID, ketoralac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug often used in the recovery room, increased the bleeding risk by nearly 40%.   How do you then help your kid get through recovery.  Use acetaminophen, Tylenol, every 4 hours and give them plenty of sugar.  I put my tonsillectomy patients on the Twinkie diet since sugar does damp pain.   https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0194599820970943   #bleeding #tonsillectomy #ibuprofen #nsaids  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/8alCgy0cR3A   Antibodies against the mumps virus appear to have CoVid protective effects.  A study just published by mBio looked at a group of 80 COVID patients, 50 of whom had been vaccinated with MMR II vaccine vs an unvaccinated group.   Those with antibodies against the mumps virus, an RNA virus like CoVid, suffered less severe disease than those without mumps antibodies or low concentrations or titers of them.  The severity of disease was proportional to mumps antibody titer: the asymptomatic had titers of 134-300; mild symptoms below 134; moderate symptoms below 75, and severe symptoms below 32.   Vaccination with MMR and other vaccines may be keeping nearly half of CoVid test positive persons apparently healthy.   https://mbio.asm.org/content/11/6/e02628-20   #covid #mmr