The Med & Mic™ 01.07.22
Medical and Health News Updates
From Dr. Maria ON Speaking, LLC
A DOCTOR COACHING DOCTORS SPEAKING
Rabies Alert
Three people died in a six week period from late September to early November from rabies related to bats. In a typical year, one to three people will die from rabies. This burst of cases suggests that people may not fully appreciate the risk from bats. Post-exposure rabies care given early is highly effective. Untreated rabies is virtually always fatal. “Human deaths due to rabies are preventable,” says CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer Amber Kunkel in a report from STAT news.
Risk for Bad Outcomes with Breakthrough COVID
Vaccinated people who developed COVID and had a bad outcome had at least one risk factor that left them vulnerable: age 65 and older, diabetes, heart disease, immune system compromise, neurological disease, and lung, liver, or kidney disease. This is based on data from more than a million vaccine recipients from December 2020 and October 2021: 189 were admitted to intensive care or died. More from The Hill.
Down Syndrome Clues
An extra copy of chromosome 21 is a key part of Down syndrome, characterized by developmental and intellectual delays. Scientists are discovering the abnormalities go beyond this chromosome. By studying cells from twin pairs, in which one twin has the condition and the other does not, they have found gene expression in Down syndrome across all chromosomes is awry. A team from MIT has found senescent cells may play a role. These cells are associated with diseases of aging, and they pile up in tissues as people age. Drugs to clear these cells present a therapeutic possibility, but not yet. All the functions of these senescent cells have not been determined. Down syndrome affects 1 in 700 newborns worldwide. More in STAT News.
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