HHS Declares Public Health Emergencies In Texas, Louisiana
(Washington, DC) — Texas and Louisiana are now under public health emergencies as Hurricane Laura begins to unleash its wrath. The coast of both states is in for deadly storm surges, extreme winds and massive flooding overnight. The Department of Health and Human Services made the declarations to ensure the 20-million affected continue to have access to Medicare and Medicaid.
FDA Gives Emergency Approval To Compact Coronavirus Test
(Washington, DC) — The FDA is approving a coronavirus test that gives results in 15 minutes. It’s called BinaxNOW and is about the size of a credit card. It contains a swab to check a person’s nose. A health professional simply adds a few drops of chemicals into a hole, inserts the swab and rotates it. The test is intended for patients to take within seven days of feeling symptoms and is said to accurately detect 97-percent of cases.
NY Governor Cuomo Blasts CDC, Suggests Guidelines Are Political Propaganda
(Albany, NY) — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is blasting the CDC in response to a change in COVID-19 testing guidelines, suggesting the agency is engaging in political messaging. Cuomo was responding to the CDC’s announcement that some people who don’t show symptoms probably don’t need a test, even if they’ve been in close contact with someone who’s tested positive. The governor argues the policy change violates public health standards and rationale, adding the state won’t follow CDC guidelines going forward. The CDC has yet to comment on the policy change and referred some reporter’s questions to the Department of Health and Human Services.
COVID-19 Cases In Children Have Increased By 21% Since August
(Itasca, IL) — A new report shows cases of children infected with the coronavirus are up by 21-percent since August 6th. That’s more than 70-thousand new COVID-19 cases in children. The report, from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, says severe cases seem to be relatively low in children. However, with kids returning to school, health officials have expressed concern about their ability to transmit the virus to others for whom the consequences could be much more serious.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser Urges Parents To Vaccinate Their Kids
(Washington, DC) — Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser wants resident to vaccinate their kids before the start of school. During a press conference Wednesday, Bowser expressed the importance of getting vaccinated amid the pandemic. The mayor said even though kids are not reporting to an actual school building, they still need to be vaccinated. She said parents can schedule the appointment at several school based health centers throughout the D.C. area and encourages parents not to wait until the last minute.
Doctors Warn About Pandemic Weight Gain
(San Diego, CA) — Doctors are warning about health risks associated with weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Abi Olulade [[ OH-lu-LAH-dee ]] says doctors are seeing more and more patients with obesity-related issues at San Diego’s Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Center. Olulade says her patients are telling her they’ve been eating and drinking more leading to weight gain. Olulade says that weight gain can lead to chronic health issues like hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
World Health Organization Director Calls COVID-19 A Tornado
(Copenhagen, DK) — The World Health Organization Director for Europe is calling COVID-19 a tornado with a long tail. Dr. Hans Kluger said the virus is a threat to numerous organs, not just the lungs. The director also warned that with the winter coming, younger residents will be in closer contact with elders. He said if young people don’t take the virus seriously there could be more hospitalizations and an increase in mortality.
Pelosi Willing To Meet White House “In The Middle” On Stimulus Talks
(Washington, DC) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims Democrats are willing to meet the White House “in the middle” to reinvigorate stalled negotiations over another stimulus package. Pelosi talked to reporters and said proper funding is urgently needed to defeat the coronavirus and boost the struggling economy. She insisted that more money is needed to help state and local governments. Pelosi also argued that steps must also be taken to ensure the health and safety of students and teachers as schools re-open.
Florida Logs Relatively Low New COVID-19 Numbers
(Tallahassee, FL) — Florida is continuing a trend of relatively low coronavirus numbers. The state added about 32-hundred COVID-19 cases, marking the 12th straight day with less than five-thousand new infections. Also, health officials reported a positivity rate below ten-percent for new cases for the 15th day in a row. New virus-related deaths jumped by nearly 140 in the latest report. Including non-resident deaths, Florida has recorded more than eleven-thousand virus-related fatalities since the state began tracking the pandemic.
Amazon Releases Halo Fitness Band, App
(Seattle, WA) — Amazon’s Halo fitness band and app are out today. Halo is swim proof, holds a charge for a full week, and contains an accelerometer, temperature sensor and heart rate monitor. It’s different from its Apple and Fitbit counterparts with two unique features. It can track the user’s body fat and listen to the tone of the user’s voice to read their emotional state throughout the day. Both features need the user to opt in and Amazon says they’re being “incredibly careful” with user data. Amazon Halo fitness bands are priced at 99-99 with the app membership costing three-99 a month.