Friday's Health News in Snippets
31/MAR/2023
Little Rock, the state capital of Arkansas, is hit by a tornado, overturning automobiles and destroying buildings.
According to the mayor of Little Rock, 24 persons have injuries and are being treated in hospitals.
A hundred miles or so from Little Rock, near the town of Wynne, there is also "widespread" destruction.
The destruction occurs as a succession of tornadoes rip through the south and midwest.
Due to a significant storm system, the US National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for many states.
It comes after the devastating tornado that struck Mississippi last week and killed 25 people.
For more, click here.
Pope Francis, who was hospitalised to a hospital in Rome with a respiratory illness, may be discharged "in the coming days."
According to the Vatican, the pontiff's health has improved significantly since taking medication for bronchitis.
The Pope "devoted himself to rest, prayer, and some work" in the afternoon.
On Wednesday, he was taken to Gemelli Hospital for what was initially described as a routine check-up.
According to a Vatican statement, bronchitis was later discovered and he was treated with an antibiotic infusion.
For more, click here.
According to local authorities, at least 35 people died on Thursday after plunging into a stepwell at a Hindu temple in central India after its floor covering gave way.
The incident took place at the Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple in the Madhya Pradesh state capital of Indore. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the state's chief minister, said that the stepwell's covering had fallen "due to the huge load" on top.
Initially declaring on Thursday that 19 people had been pulled from the stepwell, Madhya Pradesh's home minister Narottam Mishra later added that two had passed away. He also said that water was being pumped out of the stepwell to aid with the rescue operation. Large reservoirs or wells with stairs down to the water level are called stepwells.
For more, click here.
Health workers' planned strike on Monday in Northern Ireland has been postponed following negotiations with Secretary of State Chris Heaton Harris.
As a result of the Department of Health's claim that it was unable to grant them a salary offer, healthcare workers went on strike on Friday.
Next week, Mr. Harris will meet with Unison, Nipsa, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), and the Royal College of Midwives.
The unions have provided a list of the most important concerns they want resolved.
News of the meeting at the Northern Ireland Office was well-received, according to Rita Devlin of the RCN.
For more, click here.
Thursday's Health News in Snippets
30/MAR/2023
The European Food Safety Agency cautioned on Tuesday that nitrosamines, a class of chemical compounds known to cause cancer, have been found in a variety of common foods and may be harmful to consumers' health.
According to a recent study by the European Union agency, the 10 nitrosamines are both genotoxic, which means they may damage DNA, and carcinogenic, which means they are not purposely added to food but can occur during its preparation and processing.
Nitrosamines have been found in a variety of foods, including cured meat, processed seafood, cocoa, beer, and other alcoholic beverages, the EFSA said.
Meat was cited as the "most important dietary group" causing nitrosamine exposure.
It suggested a balanced diet with a wide variety of foods to lower nitrosamine consumption.
For more, click here.
The health ministry confirmed to AFP on Thursday that nine people have died as a result of the Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial Guinea, although the World Health Organization believes the actual death toll is actually twice as high.
The hemorrhagic fever outbreak has reached Bata, the nation's economic hub, from the province of Kie-Ntem, where it first caused the first known deaths in January.
Only one day after the WHO advised the nation to disclose all cases out of concern that transmission may be more widespread, the ministry increased the number of verified deaths from seven to nine.
For more, click here.
A man described how he had a SILENT heart attack and was completely unaware of it until medics informed him that they wanted to check on his "uncomfortable breathing"
Despite physicians at Leeds General Infirmary telling Andrew he suffered a "significant heart attack," Andrew claims he felt no discomfort at all.
The 49-year-old was informed that he was in such immediate danger that he required hospitalisation and that he would not be permitted to return home until emergency surgery was completed.
Andy, who has a diabetic condition that affects the nerves in his body, told Leeds Live: "I had a very very minor warning. It was a breathing complication."
"It built up over seven days. I had no pain and no symptoms at all. It was just uncomfortable breathing problem. So I came in and they said, I had had a heart attack."
Andrew could have passed away, according to Dr. Betsy Evans, a consultant surgeon who was tasked with preserving his life together with her team.
For more, click here.
The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the first time for an over-the-counter version of the opioid overdose antidote Narcan as drug overdose deaths continue to hover about near record levels.
Accessibility is crucial for ensuring that the Narcan nasal spray saves lives, according to Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy.
For more, click here.
At the age of 86, a pensioner dubbed as Britain's strongest grandfather broke the weightlifting world record.
Brian Winslow, a super-fit retiree who has been bodybuilding for over 60 years, still works out in his home gym six days a week.
After lifting 75 kg (165 lb) on his first attempt at an international weightlifting competition, he has already smashed the British and global records for deadlifting in his age group.
The retired art teacher, who is the grandfather of nine grandchildren, is two stone lighter than the barbell he was lifting. He then managed 77.5kg (171lb) on his second lift, breaking his personal record.
His prior lifts were sufficient to earn him a spot in the record books despite his inability to hold onto his third attempt at 78 kg (172 lb).
Last Saturday, Brian participated in the deadlift competition at the 2023 British Drug-Free Powerlifting Association (BDFPA) championships in Horncastle, Lincolnshire.
Last Saturday in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, Brian was competing in the deadlift division of the 2023 British Drug-Free Powerlifting Association (BDFPA) championships.
Brian, who turned the lower level of his home in New Mills, Derbyshire, into a fully functional gym, said he was "absolutely delighted" at breaking the record.
For more, click here.
Wednesday's Health News in Snippets
29/MAR/2023
Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have been certified by the World Health Organization as having no malaria because the disease has been eradicated in their countries.
The certification comes after a long-term, century-long campaign by the two nations to eradicate the illness.
This was announced by the WHO in a press release on Wednesday.
A nation's status as being malaria-free is formally acknowledged by the WHO through certification of malaria elimination.
A nation is given the certification if it can demonstrate, by rigorous, reliable evidence, that the cycle of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been broken countrywide for at least the previous three years. A nation must also show that it has the ability to stop transmission from starting up again.
In Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, the last cases of locally transmitted Plasmodium vivax malaria were discovered in 2014 and 2012, respectively.
With today's announcement, the WHO has certified a total of 41 countries and one territory as malaria-free, including 21 countries in the European region.
For more, click here.
Following a decline in the first year of the pandemic, cases of cancer rose by approximately 15% in Scotland in the following year.
According to recent data, there were around 35,379 new cases found in 2021.
The decline in numbers for 2020, according to Public Health Scotland, was "primarily attributable to under-diagnosis induced by Covid limitations," including the brief suspension of screening programmes.
However compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, the statistics for 2021 were 5.5% higher.
The yearly update of information on cancer incidence has also brought attention to persistent disparities in cancer incidence.
According to the data, the probability of getting cancer overall was 30% greater in the most impoverished parts of the country than in the least impoverished.
Lung, breast, bowel, and prostate cancers collectively accounted for more than half (54%) of all instances of cancer in 2021.
For more, click here.
According to a study published on Tuesday, walking 8,000 steps per day, or four miles (6.4 kilometres), once or twice per week may dramatically lower the chance of dying young.
The study, which was published in the journal JAMA Network Open, examined the health advantages of walking vigorously only a few days per week despite the fact that regular exercise is known to reduce mortality risk.
Data from 3,100 American adults were analysed for the study by academics from Kyoto University and the University of California, Los Angeles.
They discovered that people who walked 8,000 steps or more, one or two days a week had a 14.9% lower 10-year mortality rate than those who never did.
The death risk was much lower, at 16.5%, for individuals who walked 8,000 steps or more three to seven days each week.
For participants 65 years of age and older, the health advantages of walking 8,000 steps or more on one or two days per week looked to be greater.
For more, click here.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported that a mountain lion attacked a man who was unwinding in a hot tub at a holiday rental in Colorado.
On March 18, while in the hot tub with his wife, the victim claimed he felt something grab his head. The two were residing in a rental home in a heavily wooded area around five miles west of Nathrop, Colorado.
“He and his wife began screaming and splashing water at the animal,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the news release. “The victim’s wife grabbed a flashlight and shined it on the animal, which they then identified as a mountain lion.”
By scaring the animal away, the couple was able to make it back to their rented house without incident.
They informed cops who responded to the location and called the rental property's owner, who just so happened to be a Colorado Parks and Wildlife employee.
The victim, who suffered a few little scratches on the top of his head, chose not to seek medical attention. According to the release, officers determined that the scratches were consistent with those made by mountain lion claws.
For more, click here.
Tuesday's Health News in Snippets
28/MAR/2023
A migration centre in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico's northern border city, caught fire early on Tuesday, killing at least 37 people, according to a statement from Chihuahua state.
The National Migration Institute (INM) office caught fire, according to the authorities, after they had taken in about 71 migrants from the city's streets.
The authorities have not disclosed the cause of the fire or the nationalities of the victims.
The Mexican immigration authorities have been contacted by CNN for comment.
For more, click here.
Retired rugby players who have been diagnosed with brain injuries might get millions of pounds in care funding from the sport's regulatory organisations.
Rugby's governing organisations have been accused by more than 200 former players of failing to safeguard them from brain injuries.
Legal authorities stated the lawsuits against the organisations might be worth more than £300 million.
World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said they constantly strive to safeguard players.
The three governing bodies are all the targets of the class action lawsuit.
For more, click here.
A hospital trust has acknowledged it made mistakes after a baby suffered catastrophic injuries during birth.
Dilshad Sultana was 36 weeks pregnant with her second child in 2019 when she experienced stomach pain and noticed her baby was moving less.
When she reported this to staff at Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital, she was told to take a bath.
Due to his injuries, her son, Shanto Khaliquzaman, is severely disabled and the trust later admitted liability.
Shanto has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and is unable to walk, talk or sit unaided.
For more, click here.
The World Health Organization has issued a warning that tuberculosis fatalities in Europe are once again increasing after dropping for nearly two decades.
According to the most recent data available, TB killed 27,300 Europeans in 2021 compared to 27,000 a year earlier.
In addition to lockdowns, redirected medical resources, delayed diagnoses, and the growth of a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis, the WHO blamed the increase on the Covid-19 epidemic.
According to WHO Europe, this marked the first time in 20 years that the downward trend had been reversed.
Russia and Ukraine were the two most severely impacted, with almost 4,900 and 3,600 deaths respectively.
For more, click here.
According to researchers, persons who live near busy highways may experience a surge in blood pressure due to the roaring engines and wailing sirens that they are subjected to.
Researchers at the University of Leicester discovered a connection between noisy road traffic and a higher risk of hypertension.
According to earlier research, it was unclear how air pollution or noise affected blood pressure.
Academics asserted that the new study was a "game-changer" that could have an impact on future environmental policy.
For more, click here.
A 25-year-old said taking too much laughing gas left her unable to walk and put her in hospital for six weeks.
Mollie, from Caerphilly, said doctors found inflammation on her spinal cord and brain damage from the drug, which is also known as nitrous oxide.
Nitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is one of the most-used drugs by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.
On Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the drug's ban in his plan to tackle anti-social behaviour.
For more, click here.
Brain Tumour Research in the UK has announced a £2.5m funding agreement with the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), which will form the fourth Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.
Located in Sutton, Surrey, the new centre hopes to identify new treatments for high-grade glioma brain tumours occurring in children and young adults.
For more, click here.
Three sisters from Bristol have made it into the Guinness World Records book on two counts, for being the lightest and most premature triplets to survive.
Rubi-Rose, Payton-Jane and Porscha-Mae Hopkins weighed a total of 2lb and 13oz (1,284g) when they were delivered at 22 weeks on Valentine's Day in 2021.
They stayed in Southmead Hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 216 days.
Michaela White and Jason Hopkins said their girls had "come on leaps" since.
"Since they've come out of hospital. They've just sprung and their health is improving", Ms White, 32, said.
They were born by Caesarean section just three weeks after Ms White found out she was pregnant with triplets.
Ms White said the birth was traumatic and she did not see her girls when they were first born.
They were quickly placed in incubators and swaddled in polythene wrapping to act like a womb and regulate their body temperature.
The first 72 hours of the babies' lives were the most critical and they each had to breathe independently for 10 seconds before doctors could intervene to provide them with oxygen.
All three of the girls were born with cerebral palsy and have lifelong conditions that affect their movement and co-ordination.
For more, click here.