Health
As Flu Becomes More Widespread, CDC Pushes Antiviral Meds
NEW YORK — In the midst of a worrisome flu season, health officials are pushing doctors to prescribe antiviral medicines more often.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday sent a new alert to doctors, advising prompt use of Tamiflu and other antivirals for hospitalized flu patients and those at higher risk for complications like pneumonia.
CDC officials say a nasty strain of flu is going around that is more dangerous to elderly people and very young children. What’s more, officials think the flu vaccine doesn’t work well against this particular virus. So “it’s more important than usual” that doctors treat certain patients with Tamiflu or other antiviral medications, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said at a press conference Friday.
CDC officials said flu was reported to be widespread in 46 states last week, up from 43 the week before. But there was a small drop in states reporting high numbers of flu-related doctor’s office visits. That’s one sign that for some areas, the worst stretch of the current flu season may be ending.
Flu seasons tend to last about 13 weeks, and CDC data suggests the nation is about seven weeks in, Frieden said. “It seems we’re right in the middle of flu season,” he said.
However, while flu may be ebbing in some states, it’s increasing in others, and it’s not clear whether flu has peaked overall, health officials said.
CDC research suggests doctors prescribe antivirals to one in five high-risk flu patients. CDC officials say the number should be higher.
When given promptly — within two days of the beginning of flu symptoms — they can shorten the amount of time someone is sick with the flu, a number of studies have found. The drugs also can prevent patients from becoming sick enough to end up in a hospital intensive care unit — or worse, Frieden said.
“Antiviral flu medicines save lives,” he said.
The CDC sent an advisory to physicians last month, warning them this could be a potentially bad flu season and encouraging prompt treatment with antivirals. CDC officials said doctors should not wait for test results confirming the flu if they are dealing with an elderly patient, someone who is very sick from the flu, or someone with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes and heart disease.
The CDC sent a second alert to doctors Friday that repeated earlier recommendations and noted a new antiviral was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month. It’s called Rapivab, and is an infusion that can be given to sick patients who aren’t able to take Tamiflu pills or another, inhalable antiviral medicine called Relenza.
Doctors have been cautious about prescribing antiviral medicines for a number of reasons, CDC officials say. Some want a lab result confirming flu before they prescribe a flu drug. In cases in which patients delayed seeking treatment, doctors may worry the patients are already be too far into the illness for the drugs to do much good.
And there also is uncertainty about the drugs’ effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations and complications.
Last year, a respected international network of researchers — the Cochrane Collaboration — published a review of past studies on the medications, and found there was no good evidence to support claims that Tamiflu reduces flu complications or flu-related hospitalizations. At best, it shortens flu symptoms by half a day, the Cochrane report said.
The CDC shouldn’t be promoting antivirals unless there is strong proof they prevent hospitalizations and key complications, said one of the Cochrane study’s authors, Peter Doshi, in an interview Friday. He is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and an associate editor of BMJ — the British medical journal in which the study was published.
CDC officials say the Cochrane review had limitations; for example, Cochrane looked at high-quality studies but none that included hospitalized patients. CDC officials say the agency is giving greater weight to observational studies, which are considered less rigorous than the research Cochrane focused on, but which offered a look at what happened in hospitalized patients. And that research did find a benefit.
Also, there aren’t really other options: Against flu, antiviral medicines are what’s left in the medical arsenal when the vaccine doesn’t work, experts say.
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Online:
CDC flu update: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Bay Area
Mind, Body, and Spiritual Well-Being for Women Addressed in NAACP Forum in Oakland
The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church. Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.
Special to The Post
The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church.
Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.
The forum will feature renowned experts, healthcare professionals, and advocates from Genentech, John Muir Health, Sutter Health of The East Bay, Kaiser Permanente, and the Alameda County Public Health Department.
Our expert panel will address various aspects of women’s health, including physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and healthy relationships. The forum will encompass a wide range of topics such as breast cancer, menopause, reproductive health, nutrition, mental health awareness, preventive care, and much more.
Participants will have the opportunity to attend informative sessions, interactive workshops, and panel discussions led by experts in their respective fields. Additionally, there will be wellness activities, screenings, and informational booths offering valuable resources and support.
This forum is open to women of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging inclusivity and diversity in the conversation surrounding women’s health. Whether you’re seeking information for yourself, a loved one, or simply looking to connect with other women, this event promises to be enlightening and empowering.
For more information and to register for the Total You Women’s Health Forum, please visit https://www.naacpoakland.org/ or contact Dr. Delores Thompson. WIN chairwoman at (510) 328-3638.
The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is dedicated to empowering women, and young teen girls. We look forward to your participation in this important event.
To register, go to https://www.naacpoakland.org/events/the-total-you-womens-health-forum
Alameda County
Oakland Conducts Its Biennial ‘Point in Time’ Homelessness Count
Oakland, along with other cities in Alameda County, conducted their biennial ‘Point In Time’ census count on Feb. 1 to gain a thorough understanding of the size and dispersion of the homeless population in the region. The Point In Time (PIT) count is federally required by the Housing and Urban Development Department as a requirement to receive funding and resources to tackle homelessness in the area.
By Magaly Muñoz
Oakland, along with other cities in Alameda County, conducted their biennial ‘Point In Time’ census count on Feb. 1 to gain a thorough understanding of the size and dispersion of the homeless population in the region.
The Point In Time (PIT) count is federally required by the Housing and Urban Development Department as a requirement to receive funding and resources to tackle homelessness in the area.
David Modersbach, Grants Manager of Alameda County Health Care for the Homeless program, said that the methodology this time around was different, as this count had a much more personal “lived experience” aspect that previous counts did not have.
In 2022, the county relied more on statistical extrapolation and assumptions, but this year’s survey questionnaires allowed for details on substance abuse issues, how long someone has been living without proper housing, what resources people are in need of and much more.
“[The PIT count is] a critical opportunity for the county, Continuum of Care, and cities to understand the magnitude of homelessness in Alameda County. [The count] enables us to better allocate resources and implement effective programs to tackle this issue head-on in a compassionate and inclusive way,” Modersbach said.
St. Mary’s Center was one of the many meeting hubs across the county that hosted volunteers and community officials the morning of the count. The organization has been deeply involved in the effort to provide resources for unhoused people and others in need.
St. Mary’s is a nonprofit in West Oakland that helps seniors and preschool families with food and housing. Last year, the organization helped about 50 seniors find housing after they had fallen on hard times.
Sharon Cornu, executive director of St. Mary’s, said a lot of the older couples and individuals that come into the center have borne the brunt of the skyrocketing cost of living in the Bay Area. The most recent influx of seniors St. Mary’s has seen coming in for help has been made up of people who were evicted when the COVID-19-related moratorium on rent payment ended.
“Seniors are the fastest growing segment of the unhoused and the incredibly high cost of housing is driving them to the streets,” Cornu said.
Among the volunteers were workers with Operation Dignity, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans and those living on the street find shelter, transitional housing and supportive services.
“These are our stomping grounds,” Ivan Magana, program manager for Operation Dignity said.
Magana stated that his team was extremely familiar with the people residing in the encampments they were conducting the count in since Operation Dignity made many visits to these areas while doing community outreach. He said they had even informed some of the unhoused people they knew about the count a few days prior so they would not be alarmed when the enumerators showed up early in the morning to conduct the count.
Not everyone got the memo though, as the volunteers encountered an almost violent situation around the 6 a.m. when a young woman living in a bus yelled at the Operation Dignity workers to leave her alone.
Luckily, the three-year experience Mangana has working with Operation Dignity and his knowledge of therapeutic health services, equipped him with the techniques needed to deescalate the tension. The woman soon realized who the volunteers were and apologized, he said.
Another volunteer and Operation Dignity worker, Yolanda Kirkpatrick, noted that she was initially hesitant because of the early schedule. She felt the time deterred others from participating, too.
Her prediction would come true as the hours went on and they continued to walk along 24th St in downtown Oakland and there was very little activity on the streets.
The volunteers shared similar sentiments. Although the community the people they were engaging for the count and surveys encounter tend to distrust outsiders, the PIT count was necessary for the city to receive the appropriate level of federal funds to address a crisis that is spiraling out of control in California.
A full analysis and report of the count will be made available in the summer.
Community
For Cervical Cancer Month, Medical Community Focused on Education
January was Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Physicians, advocates and others in the medical community commemorated the month by raising awareness about a form of cancer they say is highly preventable and treatable. Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV) and it develops slowly over time but can be prevented with proper care in girls as young as 13 years old.
By Magaly Muñoz
January was Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
Physicians, advocates and others in the medical community commemorated the month by raising awareness about a form of cancer they say is highly preventable and treatable.
Cervical cancer is caused by a virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV) and it develops slowly over time but can be prevented with proper care in girls as young as 13 years old.
Sonia Ordonez, an OBGYN and gynecology surgeon at Kaiser Permanente, stated that as soon as people with cervixes reach the maturity reproductive age, they should start taking preventative measures like getting the HPV vaccine. The vaccine involves a series of two-doses for people aged 9 through 14 or three-doses for people 15 through 45 years old.
“I see a lot of young women who can’t remember or may not have gotten [the vaccine] when they were younger, or maybe got one, but we can give them the series of vaccines and restart at any point in time,” Ordonez said.
She said that cervical cancer is not the only cancer caused by HPV. Strains of the virus can also lead to throat, anal and penile cancers.
Screening is also an effective way to check for cervical cancer and should be done every three years after someone turns 21, doctors recommend. It is best to start as early as possible to catch occurrences early.
Ordonez said that this cancer is also more likely found in people of color and has led to more deaths overall.
A Mayo Clinic article published last month stated that Black women are more likely to be diagnosed and die of cervical cancer, compared to White women in the U.S.
2,000 Black women are diagnosed every year with cervical cancer and 40% die as a result.
“This disparity is not due to genetic differences among White, Black or Hispanic women, but rather related to systemic racism, access to healthcare and socioeconomic factors,” Dr. Olivia Cardenas-Trowers, a Mayo Clinic urogynecologist, said in the article.
Ordonez stated that immigrant women are also highly susceptible to the cancer, as many Latin American countries may not have accessibility to screenings or lack of insurance makes it harder for them to get tested.
Hispanic women are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 30% more likely to die from it, as compared to non-Hispanic White women, according to the Office of Minority Health.
Family medicine physician, Joy Anyanwu, stated that the pandemic contributed to hesitancy about getting cervical cancer screenings among some women. Other factors are people’s aversion to vaccines, parents not wanting to believe that their children are or will become sexually active, and doubt about the overall effectiveness of the vaccine.
“The vaccine is very safe — over 97% effective in preventing cervical cancer,” Anyanwu said. “Even if you aren’t having sex, the earlier you start would actually help.”
Anyanwu said she understands that parents might not want to ask questions about their children’s reproductive health, but it’s a mindset that can be a barrier to having important conversation about prevention or care.
To keep families their families and communties healthy, the doctor emphasized that people should prioritize keeping up with their vaccine series and going to screenings every year.
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