KP.3.1.1 Covid Variant Is Now Behind Majority Of New Cases In US
CDC data also show that subvariant KP.2.3 is responsible for around 1 in 10 new cases. The two "KP" variants are part of a covid variant group known as “FLiRT." Meanwhile, Brigham researchers revealed a drug-free nasal spray that may block covid infections, and also flu and colds.
White Plains Daily Voice:
Covid-19: KP.3.1.1 Strain Now Makes Up About 60 Percent Of US Cases; Here Are Symptoms
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that in a two-week period ending Saturday, Sept. 28, the strain made up 58.7 percent of cases nationally, with the KP.2.3 variant second at 9.4 percent. Both KP.3 and KP.2 are offshoots of the highly contagious Omicron variant and are members of a newly identified group of variants known as “FLiRT.” (Lombardi, 10/1)
SciTechDaily:
Researchers Unveil Simple Drug-Free Spray That Could Prevent COVID, Flu, And Colds
Researchers at Brigham have developed a spray that could provide wide-ranging protection against respiratory infections including COVID-19, influenza, common cold viruses, and bacteria that cause pneumonia. A new study details how a nasal spray formulated by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, may work to protect against viral and bacterial respiratory infections. Based on their preclinical studies, the researchers say the broad-spectrum nasal spray is long-lasting, safe, and, if validated in humans, could play a key role in reducing respiratory diseases and safeguarding public health against new threats. Their results are published in the journal Advanced Materials. (9/30)
Los Angeles Times:
COVID Worsened Depression Among Southern California Youths
Children, teens and young adults in Southern California had been grappling with rising rates of depression and anxiety for years before the pandemic. Then COVID-19 came along and made their mental health struggles even worse. Among 1.7 million young patients who were part of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health system, the prevalence of clinically diagnosed depression was 60% higher in 2021 than it had been five years earlier, according to a new study. The prevalence of anxiety among young patients who did not have depression also rose by 35% during that period, researchers found. (Kaplan, 10/1)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week. (10/1)
In other public health news —
USA Today:
Apple Cider Warning: Fall Treat Could Sicken, Even Kill, FDA Says
Apple cider has become synonymous with the start of fall, but health officials are warning consumers that drinking the cozy beverage is not without risk. The Ogle County Health Department in Illinois, for instance, has issued a seasonal health advisory to warn people about the dangers of unpasteurized apple cider, which has the potential to cause "serious illness or even death," if consumed, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Encinas, 10/1)
Politico:
Control Smartphones Like Tobacco, Says Leading WHO Expert
Countries should consider regulating digital devices like smartphones in a similar way to tobacco products, to combat social media's rising negative impact on young people's mental health, the World Health Organization’s Natasha Azzopardi Muscat said. With increasing evidence that problematic gaming and social media behavior is on the rise among adolescents in Europe, countries should take inspiration from other areas of public health where legislation has helped address potentially damaging habits — such as tobacco laws, she said. (Chiappa, 10/2)
On addiction —
The New York Times:
This Pill Could Be The Next Tool To Help Smokers Quit
The medication, called cytisine, is already used elsewhere in the world. There are efforts to bring it to the U.S. (Schmall, 10/2)
AP:
Doctor Charged In Connection With Matthew Perry’s Death Is Expected To Plead Guilty
One of two doctors charged in the investigation of the death of Matthew Perry is expected to plead guilty Wednesday in a federal court in Los Angeles to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine. Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in August and would be the third person to plead guilty in the aftermath of the “Friends” star’s fatal overdose last year. (Dalton, 10/2)
AP:
Ex-Jaguars Worker Who Stole $22M From Team Sues FanDuel, Saying It Preyed On His Gambling Addiction
A former financial manager for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars who stole $22 million from the team is suing FanDuel for $250 million, saying the betting company preyed on his gambling addiction. Amit Patel, who is serving a 6 1/2-year prison sentence in South Carolina, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in New York claiming that FanDuel ignored its own responsible gambling and anti-money laundering protocols. ... The lawsuit claimed FanDuel gave Patel over $1.1 million in gambling credits, and besieged him with enticements to gamble more, including having his personal host contact him up to 100 times a day. (Parry, 10/1)
