March 28, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Superbug-Infected Chicken Is Being Sold All Over the US (Vice)
• Pfizer-BioNTech will seek authorization for second COVID booster for older adults  (KPBS)
• Sickness Lingers in 1 in 4 Kids Who Got COVID With Symptoms (Web MD)
• ECMO machine shortages cost lives, study finds  (NPR)
• Could the avian flu outbreak increase the cost of chicken?  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Both of the planet's poles experience extreme heat, and Antarctica breaks records  (NPR)
• NASA astronauts plan spacewalk despite rising tensions between U.S. and Russia  (Washington Post)
• Silicon Valley companies have been rewriting their rules during the war in Ukraine. Russia is retaliating.  (Washington Post)
• Ukraine and Russia have both weaponized facial recognition — in very different ways (Business Insider)
• The U.S. warns companies to stay on guard for possible Russian cyberattacks  (NPR)

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February 17, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• As BA.2 subvariant of Omicron rises, lab studies point to signs of severity (CNN)
• In-Depth: How COVID can cause fertility issues and erectile dysfunction (10 News)
• E-cigarettes were less effective than gum and other nicotine replacement aids, study says (CNN)
• Chris Crouch was anti-vaccine. Now his pregnant wife had covid, and he faced a terrible choice. (Washington Post)
• Coronavirus vaccine for young children delayed as FDA waits for more data (Washington Post)
• Heart-disease risk soars after COVID — even with a mild case (Nature)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Contractor to drop facial recognition requirement after backlash over IRS plan (Washington Post)
• Apple outlines plan to make its AirTag trackers easier to find
• Tesla to recall cars that may roll past stop signs (BBC)

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By Miriam Raftery

January 29, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- I recently lowered  my “bad” cholesterol level by 33 points, simply by changing diet to largely eliminate saturated fats and adding cholesterol-lowering items such as oatmeal, blueberries, acai berries, salmon, and walnuts. My cholesterol dropped from the very high range to borderline normal, without any medications.

While I did not use any specifically formulated products, a study just published in the Journal of Nutrition has found that a “food as medicine” approach using Step One Foods can be as effective as medications at reducing cholesterol, without the need for drastic lifestyle changes.  

December 6, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• As Omicron Creeps Into More States, Delta Cases Are Also Rising (Kaiser Health News)
• COVID and pandemic stress is causing widespread hair loss (NPR)
• Young people recover quickly from rare heart side effect of COVID-19 vaccines (Web MD)
• New coronavirus, likely from dogs, infects people in Malaysia and Haiti (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• The Webb Space Telescope Will Rewrite Cosmic History. If It Works. (Quanta)
• Soon when you walk down the street, 3-D creatures could try to sell you something  (Washington Post)
• Ask Help Desk: Stop your Facebook account from getting hacked   (Washington Post)

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October 27, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• There’s Now CDC Data on How Much More Likely Unvaxxed Adults Are to Die of Covid (Yahoo)
• ‘Oh my gosh. I’m myself again.’ Growing evidence vaccines prevent, treat long COVID (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• CNN Investigation: Tens of millions of filthy, used medical gloves imported into the US (CNN)
• J&J vaccine recipients should get their second dose as soon as it's available, experts say (CNN)
• Merck will ask regulators to authorize the first antiviral pill designed to treat COVID-19, after a trial found it halved the risk of hospitalization or death (Business Insider)
• U.S. COVID-19 vaccine rates up thanks to mandates; cases and deaths down -officials (Reuters)
• Chronic pain is surprisingly treatable — when patients focus on the brain (Washington Post)
• With Mandates Approaching, Demand for Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Explodes (NBC San Diego)
• U.S. judge upholds COVID-19 vaccine requirement for those with 'natural immunity'  (Reuters)
• Global TB deaths are rising — and COVID gets the blame (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Ancient Footprints Show Humans Lived In The Americas Earlier Than Once Thought  (NPR)
• Hacks and data breaches are all too common. Here’s what to do if you’re affected. (Washington Post)
• The Facebook Papers: What you need to know about the trove of insider documents  (NPR)
• William Shatner, Star Trek’s Capt. Kirk, flies to space and back, adding to this year’s number of civilian astronauts (Washington Post)
• EPA Moves To Sharply Limit Potent Gases Used In Refrigerators And Air Conditioners  (NPR)
• Elephants have evolved to be tuskless because of ivory poaching, a study finds (NPR)
• Microsoft Shuts LinkedIn China, Citing ‘Challenging’ Climate (Bloomberg)

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August 9, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• You asked, we’re answering. Your top questions on COVID-19 and vaccines (CNN)
• “Mask up to keep it up”: Preliminary evidence of the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID‐19 (National Institute of Health)
• Google And Facebook Mandate Vaccines For Employees At U.S. Offices (NPR)
• A CDC Document Gives New Details On Just How Dangerous The Delta Variant Really Is (NPR)
• COVID Symptoms May Linger In Some Vaccinated People Who Get Infected, Study Finds (NPR)
• Goldman Sachs is taking a hard line on employee vaccinations. Other big banks are following its lead (CNN)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• 'Code Red for Humanity': IPCC Report Warns Window for Climate Action Is Closing Fast (Common Dreams)
• The fungus and bacteria tackling plastic waste (BBC)

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June 28, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

Health

• Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Affordable Care Act, leaving it in place (CNN)
• L.A. County urges everyone to wear masks indoors as Delta variant spreads  (Los Angeles Times)
• He Inherited A Devastating Disease. A CRISPR Gene-Editing Breakthrough Stopped It(NPR)
• Federal Watchdog: Abuse Allegations Not Adequately Reported In California Nursing Homes  (KPBS)
• ‘Long COVID’ is a risk for the unvaccinated. What you need to know (Los Angeles Times)
• Third member of U.S. FDA advisory panel resigns over Alzheimer's drug approval (Reuters)
  
   

Science & Tech

• Court says FTC hasn’t provided evidence Facebook is a monopoly, dismisses lawsuit (Washington Post)
• Congress Weighs a Moratorium on Facial Recognition and Biometric Surveillance Technologies (Reason)
• Big Tech antitrust bills pass first major hurdle in House even as opposition grows (Washington Post)
• Ransomware claims are roiling an entire segment of the insurance industry (Washington Post)

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May 28, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• COVID-19 antibody test from UC Irvine team can predict if you'll have severe disease (10 News)
• 0.03% chance: Getting coronavirus after being vaccinated incredibly rare in L.A. County  (Los Angeles Times)
• 'What if it was your kid?': Parents of young children feel forgotten as CDC loosens mask restrictions (USA Today)
• New Coronavirus Detected In Patients At Malaysian Hospital; The Source May Be Dogs (NPR)
• Unvaccinated People Are Most at Risk by Unmasking, C.D.C. Director Says (MSN)
• Car goes up in flames after driver uses hand sanitizer while smoking, officials say (KOMO News)
• Scary 'long haul' symptoms found in many COVID patients, Stanford researchers say (SF Chronicle)
• Coronavirus vaccines may not work in some people. It’s because of their underlying conditions (Washington Post)
• The Pandemic Proved Hospitals Can Deliver Care To Seriously Ill Patients At Home (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Ford Says Electric F-150 Will Start Under $40,000. It Can Also Power Your Home (NPR)
• Man Who Is Paralyzed Communicates By Imagining Handwriting (NPR)
• Amazon merger with MGM bolsters its Prime ambitions (Washington Post)
• How Your Hot Showers And Toilet Flushes Can Help the Climate (NPR)
• Clearview accused of attempting to move biometric data beyond reach of US law (Biometric update)

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April 30, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• All about your coronavirus vaccine card (and what to do if you lose it) (Washington Post)
• Study: Regular exercise shielded COVID-19 patients from hospitalization, death (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• In Brazil, an alarmingly high number of babies and children are dying of Covid-19 (NBC)
• So far, 5,800 fully vaccinated people have caught Covid anyway in US, CDC says (CNN)
• COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy begins to fade, but stubborn resistance remains among evangelicals (Orange County Register)

SCIENCE & TECH

• Facebook creates Clubhouse clone Live Audio Rooms (BBC)
• Apple unveils a new iPad Pro, colorful iMacs, AirTag and more (CNN)

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January 30, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Millions Meant for Public Health Threats Were Diverted Elsewhere, Watchdog Says (MSN)
• The new mosquito bringing disease to North America (BBC)
• Biden to activate FEMA and National Guard to vaccinate Americans (Cnet)
• Moderna announces vaccine upgrades to protect against emerging variants (NBC)
• New study shows COVID-19 could hide in your brain and reactivate down the road (WSBTV)
• New China swine fever strains point to unlicensed vaccines (Reuters)  
• Colchicine reduces the risk of COVID-19-related complications (Univ. of Montreal Institute of Cardiology)
• U.S. CDC says 41.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines distributed, 20.5 million administered (Reuters)
• UN: COVID-19 herd immunity unlikely in 2021 despite vaccines (ABC)
• Pandemic could be WHO's Chernobyl moment for reform -review panel (Reuters)  
• New COVID-19 variant defeats plasma treatment, may reduce vaccine efficacy (Reuters)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Apple issues new warning: Keep your iPhone six inches away from your pacemaker (CNN)
• Stocks explained: What's going on with GameStop? (BBC)
• Is that app spying on you? Here’s how to read iPhone privacy labels. (Washington Post)

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December 31,  2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• How the Measles Vaccine May Help Protect Against COVID-19 (Healthline)
• Vatican: OK to get virus vaccines using abortion cell lines (Yahoo news)
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine causes swelling and inflammation in patients who have cosmetic facial fillers (ABC7)
• Federal agency says employers can require workers to get COVID-19 vaccine (The Hill)
• Infected after 5 minutes, from 20 feet away: South Korea study shows coronavirus’ spread indoors (Los Angeles Times)

 SCIENCE AND TECH

• Alien Hunters Discover Mysterious Signal from Proxima Centauri (Scientific American)
• Best space images of 2020 (BBC)
• With Fewer than 2,000 Butterflies Counted So Far, Western Monarch Takes an Astonishing Step Closer to Extinction (Bay Nature)

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November 22,  2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Hospitals nationwide face shortage of medical staff amid spike in COVID-19 cases (ABC News)
• Evangelical Doctors' Group Pleads With Churches To Stay Home (NPR)
• Covid-19 has killed 250,000 people in the US. That's 10 times the deaths from car crashes in a year (CNN)
• California Doctors Work to Prioritize Who Will Get COVID-19 Vaccine First  (KQED)
• One in five COVID-19 patients develop mental illness within 90 days – study (Reuters)  
• Measles surging as COVID-19 curbs disrupt vaccinations (Reuters)
• A gym trainer exposed 50 athletes to Covid-19, but no one else got sick because of a ventilation redesign (CNN)

SCIENCE & TECH

• Zoom to implement heightened security program in settlement with the FTC (The Hill)
• NASA Model Reveals How Much COVID-related Pollution Levels Deviated from the Norm (NASA)
• ‘Stop the Steal’ supporters, restrained by Facebook, turn to Parler to peddle false election claims (Washington Post)

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October 7,  2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• COVID-19 Is Transmitted Through Aerosols. We Have Enough Evidence, Now It Is Time to Act (Time.com)
• Huge Study of Coronavirus Cases in India Offers Some Surprises to Scientists (New York Times)
• COVID-19 then and now: Six reasons why death rates are improving  (San Jose Mercury News)
• When can you be around others if you had or likely had COVID-19?  (CDC)
• Some Insurers End Pandemic Waivers of Fees and Deductibles for Telehealth (New York Times)
• NPR Investigation: Web Of 'Wellness' Doctors Push Unproven COVID-19 Treatment  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• How to track your ballot like a UPS package (Washington Post)
• Facebook bans QAnon across its platforms (NBC)
• Federal court issues preliminary injunction halting administration’s ban of Chinese app WeChat (Washington Post)
• NASA outlines $28 billion plan to land the first woman on the Moon by 2024 (CNN)
• With the Feds circling, Google is starting to play nice with smaller rivals  (Reuters)

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August 27,  2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Polio eradicated in Africa: WHO (WebMD)
• COVID-19 in the quad: Colleges crack down on student parties as virus spreads across campuses (ABC)
• FDA approves new rapid-result coronavirus test (USA News
• Coronavirus: Putin memes flood social media(BBC)
• Heart Association: Coronavirus causing heart damage to many patients (10 News)
• FDA says these hand sanitizers won't protect you against COVID-19 (CBS)

SCIENCE

• Better Models, More Computing Power Led to Accurate Hurricane Laura Predictions (Inside Science)
• Warning over 'dangerous' DIY beauty trends on TikTok (BBC)
• TikTok sale appears imminent. Rumors fly as Microsoft and Walmart team up for bid (CNet)

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By Miriam Raftery

August 12, 2020 (San Diego) – District Attorney Summer Stephan is warning of an “alarming uptick” in overdose deaths caused by fentanyl.  Stephan says dealers are lacing various illegal drugs with fentanyl in what she calls “a recipe for death.”

At least 119 deaths so far this year are confirmed to be related to fentanyl in San Diego County, with another 84 deaths in which the drug is suspected to be a factor.  Isolation during the pandemic is believed to be a key factor contributing to the increase in addiction and fatalities.

According to a joint statement issued by state and federal prosecutors, law enforcement and county health officials, the number of deaths in 2020 is expected to exceed last year’s total of 152.