HEALTH TRAIN EXPRESS Mission: To promulgate health education across the internet: Follow or subscribe to Health Train Express as well as Digital Health Space for all the updates for health policy, reform, public health issues. Health Train Express is published several times a week.Subscribe and receive an email alert each time it is published. Health Train Express has been published since 2006.
Listen Up
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
‘Killer’ immune cells still recognize Omicron variant
Wednesday, January 5, 2022
9 Schema That Change The Way You See The World, and will effect your Health
About the Author
Dr. Monica Johnson is a clinical psychologist and owner of Kind Mind Psychology, a private practice in NYC that specializes in evidenced based approaches to treating a wide range of mental health issues (e.g. depression, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders). Additionally, she has a focus on working with marginalized groups of people including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and alternative lifestyles to manage minority stress. She is also dedicated to contributing to her field professionally through speaking, training, supervision, and writing. She routinely speaks at conferences, provides training and workshops at organizations, supervises mental health trainees, and co-authored a book for professionals on addressing race-based stress in therapy.
Dr. Johnson earned her bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina, completed her Psy.D. at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology, and completed her postdoctoral training year at Cherokee Health Systems in Knoxville, TN. She currently lives in Manhattan where she indulges in horror movies, sarcasm, and intentional introversion. You can find her on Instagram and online at kindmindpsych.com.
Schemas are not obvious Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).
THE QUICK AND DIRTY
There are 18 different schemas that can develop in childhood that may have an adverse effect on how you view the world. You may not even realize you have one of the schemas—in fact, the belief system may feel entirely normal to you. That's why awareness of a schema is the first step towards changing it.For instance, children who develop a schema that they aren’t good enough rarely challenge this belief, even as adults. They can be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and still go home feeling as though they're inadequate. Schemas, like emotions, are self-serving. They attempt to mold your experiences and encourage you to engage in actions that keep them around. Today, we're going to discuss early maladaptive schemas. There are so many of them that this will be a 2-part episode, so listen through to the end and make sure you're ready for next week!
Have you ever heard of a schema before? A schema is a stable and enduring negative pattern that develops during childhood or adolescence. It persists and expands throughout our lives.
We view the world through the lens of our schemas. Schemas are closely held beliefs and feelings about yourself, others, and the world. Typically, you accept these beliefs without question and many people are not aware that they have them. They are self-perpetuating and are very resistant to change, but with appropriate treatment, you can change them!
For instance, children who develop a schema that they aren’t good enough rarely challenge this belief, even as adults. They can be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and still go home feeling as though they're inadequate. Schemas, like emotions, are self-serving. They attempt to mold your experiences and encourage you to engage in actions that keep them around.
Usually, schemas operate in subtle ways, outside of our awareness. However, when a schema is triggered by stimuli in our environment, our thoughts and feelings are dominated by schema-related content. In these moments we may experience maladaptive thinking, extreme and/or intense emotions, and have urges to act in ways that might not be in the interest of our psychological well-being.
(1) An Upgraded Hippocratic Oath Is Needed In The Digital And A.I. Era | LinkedIn
The Hippocratic Oath is the most famous text in Western medicine. It constitutes the ethical basis of the medical profession. For centuries, it has provided an overview of the principles of this noble mission and doctors’ professional behaviour. At the dawn of a new era in medicine, it is high time to rewrite the Oath so that it would reflect the state of technological development, changes in social structures and in general, the requirements of the 21st century.
What is the Hippocratic Oath?
Used by many medical schools at graduation ceremonies, the medical profession adopted the Oath of Hippocrates as its ethical code of conduct centuries ago. That’s not a mere chance. The text articulates perfectly what the noble profession of being a doctor entails and in a compact overview takes a side in every major ethical issue a physician might encounter during their career.
Only a few know that although the oath bears the name of Hippocrates, the well-known Greek physician, there is no evidence that he wrote it. It is claimed that the document was created 100 years after his death; still some 2500 years ago.
The intimacy of a doctor patient encounter has changed since telehealth, electronic medical records have increased social distancing in the past 20 years. Many people now have access to the medical record, given implied consent to perform their duties. Can patients still be assured of their privacy and confidentiality of the visit with their physician(s)? What do physicians think of the HIPPOCRATIC OATH? As in other modern interpretations of oaths and features of the U.S. Constitution the interpretation varies widely among today's physicians. Some (few) take it's meaning literally. Others have been influenced by bureaucracy, regulations and common peer behavior to abandon it's meaning as written by our forefathers Upon graduation, many medical students take a modern version of the oath written by Louis Lasagna in 1964.
MODERN VERSION. Upon graduation, many medical students take a modern version of the oath written by Louis Lasagna in 196
Sunday, January 2, 2022
Longevity Insider
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Eight substances added to 15th Report on Carcinogens | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Eight substances added to 15th Report on Carcinogens
A chronic bacterial infection, a flame retardant, and six water disinfection byproducts are listed in a new HHS cancer report.
Eight substances have been added to the Report on Carcinogens, bringing the total list to 256 substances that are known, or reasonably anticipated, to cause cancer in humans. This is the 15th Report on Carcinogens, which is a cumulative report, mandated by Congress and prepared by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) for the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The release of this report coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the National Cancer Act of 1971, which initiated the nation’s war on cancer.
In the new report, chronic infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is listed as known to be a human carcinogen. The flame-retardant chemical antimony trioxide, and six haloacetic acids (HAAs) found as water disinfection byproducts are listed as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.
“Cancer affects almost everyone’s life, either directly or indirectly,” said Rick Woychik, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and NTP. “As the identification of carcinogens is a key step in cancer prevention, publication of the report represents an important government activity towards improving public health.”
The Report on Carcinogens identifies many different environmental factors, collectively called substances, including chemicals; infectious agents, such as viruses; physical agents, such as X-rays and ultraviolet radiation; and exposure scenarios. A substance is listed as either known to be a human carcinogen or reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, to indicate the potential hazard.
The report does not include estimates of cancer risk because many factors affect whether a person will or will not develop cancer. Those include the carcinogenic potency of the substance, the level and duration of exposure, and an individual’s susceptibility to the carcinogenic action of the substance.
Chronic infection with H. pylori
H. pylori is a bacterium that colonizes in the stomach and can cause gastritis and peptic ulcers. Most people do not show symptoms. Chronic infection may lead to stomach cancer and a rare type of stomach lymphoma. Infection primarily occurs from person-to-person contact, especially in crowded housing conditions, and may occur by drinking well water contaminated with H. pylori.
People living in poverty and certain racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups are disproportionately affected by H. pylori infection. Treatment of infected people who have stomach ulcers or signs of stomach infection can decrease their risk of cancer. H.pylori can be treated with antibiotics orally.
There are natural treatments available. One should consult with their physician before trying any treatments, natural or otherwise. if you suspect you have H.Pylori there is a breathe test that detects the bacteria, which is also an oral disease.
Antimony trioxide
Antimony trioxide is primarily used as a component of flame-retardants in plastics, textiles, and other consumer products. Highest exposure occurs among workers who produce the substance or use it to make flame retardants.
Other people are potentially exposed to low levels of antimony trioxide from breathing contaminated outdoor air or dust from the wear and tear of flame-retardant-treated consumer products, such as carpets and furniture. State and federal agencies limit exposure to the substance in the workplace and the environment through regulation.
Six haloacetic acids (HAAs) found as water disinfection byproducts
Water treatment removes contaminants and disease-causing agents from drinking water. HAAs are formed during the disinfection of water from a reaction between the chlorine-based disinfection agents and organic matter in the source water.
Approximately 250 million U.S. residents use community water systems and are potentially exposed to HAAs in disinfected water. Municipal water systems monitor for some HAAs. Improvements in disinfection technology, such as filtration methods, can reduce the levels of HAAs in drinking water.
The following six HAAs are included in the report:
- Bromochloroacetic acid (BCA)
- Bromodichloroacetic acid (BDCA)
- Chlorodibromoacetic acid (CDBA)
- Dibromoacetic acid (DBA)
- Dichloroacetic acid (DCA)
- Tribromoacetic acid (TBA)
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is a federal inter-agency program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Three federal agencies comprise NTP: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health; the National Center for Toxicological Research(link is external), part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(link is external), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health, and it is part of the National Institutes of Health. For more information on NIEHS or environmental health topics, visit https://www.niehs.nih.gov/ or subscribe to a news list.
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Claim Alleging Injury or Death From a COVID-19 Countermeasure to Be Compensated
Claim Alleging Injury or Death From a COVID-19 Countermeasure to Be Compensated
Friday, December 17, 2021
Even before COVID, Dr. Michael Greiwe, knew that telemedicine technology would help his orthopedic practice, OrthoCincy, grow as well as increase his patient’s satisfaction and engagement. So he developed the OrthoLive telemedicine platform because there was nothing that met his needs as an orthopedic provider.In this episode, hosts John Ellis and Jennifer Thompson chat with Dr. Greiwe, Founder of Ortholive, which provides convenient, secure access to care while increasing efficiency, revenue, and user satisfaction without a steep or unnecessary learning curve. Listen as we discuss how telemedicine has affected the healthcare industry, the challenges, and the opportunities and what it may look like a few years from now.
Post Covid demand for healthcare continues as the cycle continues to be a seasonal one. The latest iteration of Covid 19 is now called "Omicron". It is even more easily transmitted and highly infections. Current rates of growth are double daily.
Even in non related medical specialties physicians are finding it helpful if not necessary to use telehealth to improve patient access, decrease transportation and diminish exposure especially to elderly patients with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, or immun-compromise. The key ingredient for prevention was and always will be vaccination. The third jab is recommended for all those who are eligible.
Tune in to discover:
- The process and the challenges of implementing telemedicine
- The evolution and role of improved technology
- What happens to telemedicine post-COVID?
- Is there data that correlates to increased revenue for practices?
- Is telemedicine a sustainable model where healthcare clinics use telemedicine to fill empty appointment slots?
- The accessibility of telemedicine for rural communities and healthcare practices
Saturday, December 11, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) continues to reshape the globe.
New York's COVID Surge Is Back and So Is Its Mask Mandate.
The resurgence of Covid 19 appears to have become regional, and appears in waves. The earliest cases in the United States were easily found to be near and around international airports originating from airline traffic from South Africa. It did not take long for community outbreaks to occur. Twenty-first Century travel and transportation makes case tracking very difficult, since public health resources are already strained.
Mask fatigue and vaccine resistance by the public add a troublesome component to the war on COVID. Facing a winter surge in COVID-19 infections, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday that masks will be required in all indoor public places unless the businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement. Though supported by many, mask mandates also have become a hot-button issue. Republican elected officials reacting to Hochul's announcement called it an unnecessary burden on businesses.
Thursday, December 9, 2021
COVID-19 Infections Among Vaccinated More Common and Severe in Immunocompromised: Study
Breakthrough COVID-19 cases are more common and severe in people with weakened immune systems, according to a new study.
Breakthrough infections are those that occur in vaccinated people.
Immunocompromised vaccinated people were three times more likely to contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, according to researchers, who published their findings in the Journal of Medical Economics.
The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.
The study found that just 0.08 percent of fully vaccinated people had a breakthrough case, but that 0.18 percent of immunocompromised people had a breakthrough infection. While immunocompromised people represented 18 percent of those studied, they accounted for over 38 percent of infections, nearly six in 10 hospitalizations, and all the deaths.
Researchers analyzed nearly 1.2 million U.S. HealthVerity database records between Dec. 10, 2020, and July 8.
The study was conducted by Pfizer scientists and funded by the company, which makes one of the three COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States.
“The results supplement other real-world studies, and support the introduction of a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to increase protection among the immunocompromised individuals,” Manuela Di Fusco, the lead author and a part of Pfizer’s health economics and outcomes research team, said in a statement.
The cutoff date means researchers excluded records from the time period when other research indicates vaccine effectiveness against infection waned significantly, as many Americans were vaccinated in late 2020 or early 2021. Breakthrough infections, hospitalizations, and deaths have risen over time.
Booster doses, or third doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, were cleared by U.S. drug regulators in recent weeks because of the waning effectiveness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which initially recommended the additional shots for those 50 and older, announced on Nov. 29 that its now advising all individuals 18 and older to get one.
The agency cited the emergence of the Omicron CCP virus variant, although many scientists say it’s too soon to tell if the variant evades immunity better than other strains.
The new study was published after researchers in the Netherlands reported that an examination of 378 breakthrough infections identified in the country between January and July signaled the emergence of the CCP virus Delta variant and “a strong increase in breakthrough infections,” with more seen in people vaccinated with the AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson jabs than people who got a Pfizer or Moderna shot.
Researchers said in the pre-print paper that they saw many severe breakthrough cases among the elderly, although symptomatic cases were recorded in a number of younger people.
“Altogether, these results indicate that the emergence of the Delta variant might have lowered the efficiency of particular vaccine types to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections and that, although rare, the elderly are particularly at risk of becoming severely infected as the consequence of a breakthrough infection,” they said.
Friday, December 3, 2021
What went wrong in December 2019 ?
From the very beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has been on the front lines of analyzing, studying, and even personally fighting the pandemic. In this wide-ranging interview, Dr. Bhattacharya takes us through how it started, how it spread throughout the world, the efficacy of lockdowns, the development and distribution of the vaccines, and the rise of the Delta variant. He delves into what we got right, what we got wrong, and what we got really wrong. Finally, Dr. Bhattacharya looks to the future and how we will learn to live with COVID rather than trying to extinguish it, and how we might be prepared to deal with another inevitable pandemic that we know will arrive at some point.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
First Case of Omicron Virus Variant Detected in US: Officials
First Case of Omicron Virus Variant Detected in US: Officials
The first case of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus Omicron variant was detected in California, officials said Wednesday.
Genomic sequencing conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, and confirmed by scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the case was caused by the variant.
The patient traveled from South Africa on Nov. 22 and tested positive for COVID-19 a week later.
The person, who has not been publicly identified, is self-isolating, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters in Washington.
All of the person’s close contacts have been contacted and, thus far, all have tested negative for COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP virus.
The person is fully vaccinated. He or she is experiencing mild symptoms that are improving.
“We knew that it was just a matter of time before the first case of Omicron would be detected in the United States,” Fauci said.
He urged people to get a COVID-19 vaccine if they have not and to get a booster if they already have.
Health authorities have not identified any additional potential cases at this point.
The United States restricted travel from South Africa and seven other African counties on Monday under an order from President Joe Biden. Passengers from other countries entering America will soon face stricter rules.
Officials around the world have imposed similar measures, citing the emergence of the variant in Africa.
The earliest known cases were identified in South Africa and Botswana in November, though testing of samples showed a patient with Omicron was in Nigeria in October, officials announced there earlier Wednesday.
Experts aren’t sure whether Omicron is more transmissible or whether it causes more severe disease. They have also expressed uncertainty on whether the variant evades immunity, including the protection bestowed by vaccines, better than other strains.
The omicron variant appears to be highly transmissible and less virulent. There is still some doubt about the effectiveness of the original covid vaccines against Omicron Covid.
Serologic tests and sampling is being performed on current cases of Omicron. Laboratory analysis will take several weeks to yield data.
The revolution in manufacturing , using mRNA technique will allow rapid manufacturing of a new vaccine can be accomplished in about one month. Approval by the FDA, EC and WHO will take several additional months for clinical trials. If safety margins are good an emergency usage authorization EUA could be granted by the FDA.