Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

    Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/oAgFsSJdl0c   The FDA Wellements LLC, and Upspring  announce the recall of  Wellements Iron Drops and Upspring Baby Iron + Immunity dietary supplements.  These supplements may contain undisclosed milk allergens.  If you have these products, return them to the place of purchase.  Alternatively, contact Wellements by calling 1-800-255-2690 or contact Upspring by calling 1-512-828-7988 and request full refunds.   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/wellements-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-allergen-two-lots-iron-drops-and-iron-drops   https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/upspring-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-upspring-baby-iron-immunity   #recall #ironsupplement #milk  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/lZmEgXaqgJM   The FDA and multiple companies have announced the recall of hand sanitizers due to their contamination with poisonous methanol.  These include All Clean, Blumen, Optimus, Born Basic, Scent Theory, Resource Recover & Trading, Assured, Modena, and Herbacil.  If you have any of these, do not use them.  Return them to the place of purchase for a refund.    https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts   #recalls #handsanitizer #methanol  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/yGooUN-yn58   The CPSC sand Manhattan Toy have recalled the Manhattan Ball Activity Toys sold exclusively through Target.  The toy’s plastic tubes may detach releasing small silicone tethers that pose a choking hazard to young children.  Do not permit your baby to play with this toy.   Return it to the nearest Target store for a complete refund.  For more information, call Manhattan Toy at 1-800-541-1345.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/Manhattan-Toy-Recalls-Manhattan-Ball-Activity-Toys-Due-to-Choking-Hazard-Sold-Exclusively-at-Target   #recall #manhattanball #choking  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/tssOJboTCCM   The CPSC and Rocky Mountain have recalled the Non-Electric Instinct, Instinct BC, and Pipeline Bicycles.  These units’ front frame triangle can crack and cause separation of the head tube from the frame leading to falls and other injuries.  If you have one of these bikes, discontinue using and call Rocky Mountain at 1-877-744-1515 for more information and to arrange a repair.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/Rocky-Mountain-Bicycles-Recalls-Non-Electric-Instinct-Instinct-BC-and-Pipeline-Bicycles-with-Alloy-Frames-Due-to-Fall-and-Injury-Hazards   #recall #bicycles #rockymountain #frame  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/H9yYXXn73Yc   The CPSC and the Cookware Company announce recall of the Greenpan Simmerlite Dutch Ovens.  The lid on this pan may explode while it is inside your oven leading to injuries and burns.  If you have one of these, stop using it and contact the Cookware company at 1-877-926-6526 to arrange for a replacement glass lid or a refund.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/Cookware-Company-Recalls-Greenpan-SimmerLite-Dutch-Ovens-Due-to-Burn-and-Injury-Hazards   #recall #dutchoven  #explosion  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/iK7KsrMO_RE   The CPSC and DaVinci announce the recall of the DaVinci Bassinet.  The mattress may become accidentally disengaged that could lead to an infant fall or entrapment.  If you have one of these bassinets, stop using it immediately and call DaVinci for a free repair kit.  You may reach the company by calling 1-833-932-0208.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/DaVinci-Recalls-Bassinets-Due-to-Fall-and-Entrapment-Hazards-Recall-Alert   #recall #bassinet #davinci #fall #entrapment #parenting  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/1Ewgh7960eA   The CPSC and Lidl US have recalled the Silvercrest Bread Maker.  The appliance lid may become energized leading to an electric shock. If you have this device, unplug it.  You may return the device at a Lidl US store in VA, NC, SC, MD, GA, DE, PA, NJ, or NY.  For more information, call the company at 1-844-747-5435.   https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2020/Lidl-US-Recalls-Silvercrest-Bread-Makers-Due-to-Electric-Shock-Hazard   #recall #breadmaker #lidl #shock  

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/wF60DbdWpDE   CoVid virus is primarily spread by virus riding in mist aerosols rather than in droplets.  Harvard epidemiologists draw this conclusion from their study of transmission onboard a Diamond Princess Cruise ship.   The researchers analyzed 132 individual episodes of viral spread and found that large respiratory droplets were responsible about 40% of the time while aerosols transmitted the virus in nearly 60%.  Overall, 70% of transmission occurred through the air while only 30% of spread occurs via surfaces.   Bottom line: mask up to block droplets and aerosols.  Use or make masks with 3 layers of high thread count cotton or, better yet, N95, KN95, FFP2, or HEPA H13-14 filters.  Also distance and wash.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.13.20153049v1.full.pdf   #covid #aerosol #droplets #fomites #cruises  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/BUzAQyrnQ2c   A group of trained Australian dogs can sniff out CoVid-infected persons with excellent and sometimes 100% accuracy.  These highly-trained canines are part of an international program coordinated by France’s National Veterinary School.   The animals are conditioned to detect characteristic odors emanating from the respiratory tracts of CoVid-infected persons using the same protocols used for explosive-detection training.  This work seems perfectly safe for dogs as they are resistant to CoVd-19 infection.   Cohorts of such trained animals will be deployed in airports, mass transit stations, and even in schools to permit instantaneous detection of CoVid-infected persons.  CoVid infection will be confirmed by standard viral testing.   https://www.newswise.com/coronavirus/covid-19-dogs-could-be-sniffing-out-cases-in-months/?article_id=735562   #covid #dogs #screening  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ldB3GMmDeP4   Children younger than 5 years with an active COVID infection have from 10 to 100 times more virus in their noses and throats compared with older children and adults.  This the conclusion of studies at Northwestern and Chicago’s Lurie Children’s Hospital of 145 CoVid-infected individuals of various ages.   The investigators indicate that young children could very well be important sources of CoVid spread within their own families and in the general population.  Older children appear to be no more infectious virus than do adults.   Children in day care and pre-school should be carefully monitored for COVID infection, and those adults and kids in most vulnerable categories must stay away from them.   https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2768952   #covid #toddlers #children #superspreaders  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/H2aYiqRdCC0   If you make a mask, put at least 2 layers and ideally 3 in that mask.  Australian researchers make that recommendation after high speed photographic studies of aerosols emanating from a subject through masks of various constructions.   The investigators used cotton fabric with a thread count of 170 to create one and two layered masks to compare with a 3 layered surgical mask.  The visual recording system captured still and video images while the healthy subject was speaking, coughing, and sneezing.   The single layered mask reduced aerosol spread with speaking and coughing but not with sneezing.  The 2 layered mask was better but not as good as the 3 layer surgical mask.   https://thorax.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/24/thoraxjnl-2020-215748   #covid #mask #cotton #surgicalmask  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/PzA8TI7x0xc   A new CoVid antibody test is better able to detect antibodies that actually can protect you from the virus.  University of North Carolina researchers now announce this test and its benefits in the journal Science Immunology.   Most commercially available CoVid antibody tests measure antibodies to the nucleocapsid or N antigens, while this test measures spike protein antibodies, the receptor-binding-domain, or RBD.  These antibodies neutralize CoVid by spike protein cell attachment and viral entry and are the ones that vaccines must trigger.   This RBD antibody test, particularly if routinely used to report numeric levels of anti-CoVid antibodies, should finally tell us if an individual is CoVid immune.   https://immunology.sciencemag.org/content/5/48/eabc8413   #covid #covid #spikeprotein #nucleocapsid #vaccine  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/rRP7CxfS7XM   Administration of common vaccines are associated with lower CoVid infection rates.  Researchers at the Mayo Clinic report this observation after their study of immunization records of some 137,000 individuals.   Their data show that immunizations with the commonly used vaccines including polio, HIB, pneumococcal, influenza, and hepatitis are associated with lower risks of CoVid for up to 5 years.  HIB vaccine reduces the risk by 47%, polio vaccine cuts it by 43%, pneumovax by 38%, flu vaccines by 36%, and hepatitis vaccines by 20%.   The study isn’t perfect, and CoVid prevention is not the best reason for receiving these vaccines.  It is is yet another incentive for getting indicated vaccinations on a timely basis.   https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.27.20161976v1.full.pdf   #covid #vaccines covid, vaccines

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/71h3KlD0Y0c   Wearing a face mask does not prompt people to omit physical distancing or hand washing.  This the conclusion of a British investigation that reviewed 22 studies.   Six studies of more than 2,000 households show in the aggregate that those wearing masks are not more likely to aggregate in large crowded groups or dispense with commonsense hand washing.  Three studies actually showed that people tend to move away from those with masks thereby maintaining distancing.  Six studies showed mask wearing fails to negatively impact hand sanitizing.   Wearing a mask, distancing, and washing are the three keys to stopping CoVid and getting back to normal living.  MDW!   https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2913   #covid #masks #distancing #washing  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/zYzhxGwPRYU   The way to fight CoVid while ensuring your health and happiness and that of your loved ones is to VOTE and compel anyone you know to VOTE.  That vote must go to those who can responsibly manage us out of this pandemic both in terms of public health and economics.   Most advanced nations achieved these goals, but we Americans have failed miserably.  More than 150,000 of our friends and family have died.  We need a change at the top, and for the next 3 months I will suspend these reports and use all my energy to make it happen.   In this CoVid emergency, the first responder is YOU, the voter.    #covid #voting #politics #publichealth  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/E81hPNLni9k   Wolfing down those beers and donuts under the age of 40 can increase your risk of mid-life cancer by as much as 70%.  That conclusion and others from a large European study was just published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.   Data from 220,000 subjects showed that overweight women had a 70% greater risk of uterine cancer and overweight men a 58% higher risk of kidney cancer but also a 29 percent greater risk of colon cancer.     Moderate your eating throughout life to keep medical disasters like cancer, heart disease, and stroke from your door.  Overindulgence when you’re young can not be undone.   Tone Bjørge, Christel Häggström, Sara Ghaderi, Gabriele Nagel, Jonas Manjer, Steinar Tretli, Hanno Ulmer, Sophia Harlid, Ann H Rosendahl, Alois Lang, Pär Stattin, Tanja Stocks, Anders Engeland. BMI and weight changes and risk of obesity-related cancers: a pooled European cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2019; DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyz188   #Ove

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/41B3FV_b1V4   Competitive electronic gamers risk eye, neck and back, wrist, and hand overuse disorders.  E-Sports medicine investigators at the New York Institute of Technology review current knowledge about the risks.   Esport athletes practice upwards of 10 hours a day.  Their eyes and hands make more than 10 moves a second.     Some 56% of gamers develop blurry vision, low back pain, and muscle tension headaches.  Pain in the hand and wrist due to carpal tunnel inflammation and tendinitis develop in 30% of pro players.   Professional gaming and the devices used for practice and play must limit the frequency and duration of sitting, gazing, and hand motions.  Otherwise, players will face disability retirements at very young ages.   Hallie Zwibel, Joanne DiFrancisco-Donoghue, Amanda DeFeo, Sheldon Yao. An Osteopathic Physician's Approach to the Esports Athlete. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 2019; 119 (11): 756 DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.125   #Egaming #blurryvi

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/lBODKtNNKqM   A happy tune is THE secret to unmasking solutions to your dilemmas as you get some ZZZs.  This remarkable discovery comes to us from Northwestern University psychologists.   Investigators tested 57 subjects presenting them with tricky puzzles the evening before sleep. Each puzzle was accompanied by a unique sound.  Then, as they slept, they heard the unique sounds of half the brain teasers.  The next morning, the participants were able to solve those puzzles whose sounds they heard while sleeping some 55% more efficiently.   If you have an nagging issue, try associating a tune with it.  Then play the song at low levels as you sleep.  You might just wake up with a brighter idea.   Kristin E. G. Sanders, Samuel Osburn, Ken A. Paller, etal.  Targeted Memory Reactivation During Sleep Improves Next-Day Problem Solving.  Psychological Science, 10/19; https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797619873344   #Sleep #problemsolving #creativity  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/m6M2lU9hcs8   A full 80% of child and family social workers would consider it parental neglect if a child under the age of 10 is left home alone.   Most considered it criminal neglect if a child under 12 left alone becomes injured.     University of Iowa researchers report this conclusion after polling 485 pediatric social workers.  They remind us that more than 40% of pediatric injury-driven deaths are due to lack of adult supervision   Given these standards, the “Home Alone” parents would likely face criminal charges for accidentally leaving little Kevin behind.  He might even end up in a foster home if the relentless but inept home invaders actually harmed him.   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191025075904.htm   #Homealone #parenting  #neglect  

  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/gFWiaBxLy2k   Adding just one hour of TV or cell use each day bumps teen sugar and caffeine intake beyond World Health Organization guidelines.  Pediatricians at Canada’s McMaster University studied more than 32,000 US students from 8th through 10th grade.   The additional hour of TV bumped the risk of exceeding WHO sugar guidelines by 32% and caffeine guidelines by 28%.  The hour of cell use raised the risk of exceeding both sugar and caffeine limits by 14%.   Watching TV or talking on the cell distracts teens from what they put into their mouths.  Replace the soda and snacks on the side table with abundant ice cold water and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.   Kelly M. Bradbury, Ofir Turel, Katherine M. Morrison. Electronic device use and beverage related sugar and caffeine intake in US adolescents. PLOS ONE, 2019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223912   #TV #Cellphone #snacks #sugar #caffeine