HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

October 10, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• A ‘Historical Event’: First Malaria Vaccine Approved by W.H.O. (New York Times)
• COVID-19 is linked to new diabetes cases—but long-term problems could be more severe (National Geographic)
• Tylenol could be risky for pregnant women – a new review finds acetaminophen may contribute to ADHD, other developmental disorders in children (Richmond.com)
• Hospital system says it will deny transplants to the unvaccinated in ‘almost all situations’ (Washington Post)
• How does COVID-19 affect the brain? A troubling picture emerges. (National Geographic)
• Tennessee doctors who spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation could lose their licenses (NBC-WBIR)
• Study saying COVID-19 vaccines cause heart inflammation that was hyped by anti-vaxxers, withdrawn due to miscalculation (Business Insider)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Whistleblower: Facebook is misleading the public on progress against hate speech, violence, misinformation (CBS 60 Minutes)
• QR codes are a privacy problem — but not for the reasons you’ve heard (Washington Post)
• Facebook is drawing a bipartisan backlash from Congress, but the SEC could deliver a tougher blow (Washington Post)
• William Shatner's Blue Origin space trip delayed by weather (NBC)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

HEALTH

A ‘Historical Event’: First Malaria Vaccine Approved by W.H.O. (New York Times)

Malaria kills about 500,000 people each year, about half of them children in Africa.

COVID-19 is linked to new diabetes cases—but long-term problems could be more severe (National Geographic0

In addition to driving new cases of diabetes, the virus may be directly damaging the pancreas in ways that could lead to chronic inflammation and even cancer.

Tylenol could be risky for pregnant women – a new review finds acetaminophen may contribute to ADHD, other developmental disorders in children  (Richmond.com)

A mounting body of evidence shows that the use of acetaminophen - widely known by its brand name Tylenol - during pregnancy may pose risks to the fetus and to early childhood development. That was the conclusion of a new review study on which I was a lead author…Our study, based on an assessment of 25 years of research in the areas of human epidemiology, animal and in-vitro studies, concludes that prenatal acetaminophen exposure may increase the risks of reproductive organs developing improperly. We identified a heightened risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, primarily attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and related behaviors, but also autism spectrum disorder, as well as language delays and decreased IQ.

Hospital system says it will deny transplants to the unvaccinated in ‘almost all situations’ (Washington Post)

A Colorado-based health system says it is denying organ transplants to patients not vaccinated against the coronavirus in “almost all situations,” citing studies that show these patients are much more likely to die if they get covid-19.The policy illustrates the growing costs of being unvaccinated and wades into deeply controversial territory — the use of immunization status to decide who gets limited medical care…More than 100,000 people are on the transplant waiting list, and only a fraction of those seeking a kidney got one in 2020, according to the federal government. An estimated 17 people die every day waiting for an organ.

How does COVID-19 affect the brain? A troubling picture emerges. (National Geographic)

Researchers find that people who only suffered mild infections can be plagued with life-altering and sometimes debilitating cognitive deficits.

Tennessee doctors who spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation could lose their licenses (NBC-WBIR)

The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners adopted a new policy that says any physician who creates or spreads disinformation could face disciplinary action.

Study saying COVID-19 vaccines cause heart inflammation that was hyped by anti-vaxxers, withdrawn due to miscalculation (Business Insider)

… The authors largely underestimated the amount of vaccines delivered, giving a number 25 times smaller than the actual amount…. other studies have shown that there was not "a significant association between myocarditis/pericarditis and mRNA vaccines," when looking at all age groups, although they did caution "an association between mRNA vaccines and myocarditis/pericarditis in younger individuals," particularly higher among young males. However, a preprint study on the prevalence of myocarditis in young men found that they are six times more likely to develop myocarditis from COVID-19 than from the vaccine.

SCIENCE AND TECH

Whistleblower: Facebook is misleading the public on progress against hate speech, violence, misinformation (CBS 60 Minutes)

Frances Haugen says in her time with Facebook she saw, "conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook."

QR codes are a privacy problem — but not for the reasons you’ve heard (Washington Post)

QR codes aren't inherently bad. But know the privacy and security implications before you scan.

Facebook is drawing a bipartisan backlash from Congress, but the SEC could deliver a tougher blow (Washington Post)

The Facebook whistleblower, who has touched off a firestorm with allegations the social media giant knowingly facilitated harmful content, has also filed complaints against the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Securities lawyers say the company has reason to worry.

William Shatner's Blue Origin space trip delayed by weather (NBC)

At age 90, Shatner would be the oldest person sent to space, but Star Trek actor will have to wait another day to get there.