Covid Left At Least 5.2 Million Children Without A Parent Or Guardian
A study published in The Lancet tallies the extraordinary number of children who've lost key adult figures so far during the pandemic, with authors noting the count is probably a big underestimation due to official case undercounts. A new drug against heart failure, IV vitamin infusions and avian flu are also in the news.
Bloomberg:
Covid Oprhans: Over 5 Million Kids Lost Parent Or Guardian To Virus: Study
At least 5.2 million children have lost a parent or caregiver to Covid-19, putting them at risk of poverty, exploitation and abuse and highlighting the lasting scars of the pandemic, a study shows. More than 1.2 million children under nine years of age were orphaned between March 2020 and October last year, along with 2.1 million kids between 10 and 17, according to a new modeling study published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal. The estimates on orphaned children, however, are probably higher as the death toll from Covid-19 has been vastly underestimated, especially in Africa where cases could be 10 times higher than official figures, said Juliette Unwin, an author of the study. A mathematical model estimates the global toll was 6.7 million in January. (Gitau, 2/24)
Reuters:
FDA Approves Eli Lilly Drug To Cut Death, Hospitalization Risk In All Heart Patients
The U.S. health regulator said on Thursday it had approved Eli Lilly (LLY.N) and partner Boehringer Ingelheim's drug, Jardiance, for expanded use in reducing the risk of death and hospitalization for all patients with heart failure. Originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for type 2 diabetes patients, the drug's use was expanded last year in some adults living with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, which happens when the muscle of the left ventricle is not pumping as well as normal. (2/24)
The Washington Post:
Trendy IV Vitamin Infusions Don’t Work — And Might Be Unsafe. Experts Explain Why
Vitamin supplementation is not inherently harmful and can be lifesaving for babies born prematurely or people with known deficiencies. But our bodies need them in only trace amounts — often just a few milligrams — which can be easily attained from a balanced diet. Water-soluble vitamins — i.e., vitamin C and the B-vitamin family — are unable to be stored in our bodies and even slight excesses will come out in our urine. The fat-soluble vitamins — i.e., vitamins A, D, E and K — can be stored in our liver, fatty tissues, and muscles, and can be dangerous in excess. Given that we need vitamins in such tiny amounts and have critical mechanisms in our guts to store or eliminate them after absorption, is there any reason to subject yourself to recreational IV vitamin drips? (Tanmoy Das, 2/24)
The New York Times:
Avian Flu Spread In The US Worries Poultry Industry
“It’s important to note that avian influenza is not considered to be a risk to public health and it’s not a food-safety risk,” Mike Stepien, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said in an email. Although the danger to humans is low, scientists are keeping a close eye on the virus, the Eurasian H5N1, which is closely related to an Asian strain that has infected hundreds of people since 2003, mostly those who had worked with infected poultry. That virus does not spread efficiently among humans, but it is extremely deadly, with a fatality rate of 60 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Jacobs, 2/24)
