Weekly Gravy « Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Most American parents know that sunscreen is important for their children, but there are gaps in their knowledge of its proper use, a new survey finds. The majority of the more than 1,100 parents of children aged 5 to 12 said they’ve at least sometimes used sunscreen on their kids, and that sunscreen is very important in preventing sunburns and skin cancer. However, the survey found that 11% of parents don’t have a specific minimum sun-protection factor (SPF) they use and 3% said they don’t use sunscreen for their child. Parents said they consider several factors in deciding whether to use sunscreen, including how long their child will be outside, what their child is wearing, their child’s complexion and skin tone, whether their child will be around water and how hot it is. Nearly half of parents take into account whether it is a sunny or cloudy day, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, from Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan. “Parents should be aware that UV rays from the sun can reach their children on cloudy and hazy days, not just on bright and sunny days. Children need protection, regardless of the amount of sunshine,” poll co-director and pediatrician Dr. Gary Freed said in a university news release. The survey also found that parents decide whether to… read on >

If you love to play sports, it’s tough advice to follow after months of lockdown: Go easy. You may be tempted to jump right back into things as playing fields, courts, gyms and other athletic facilities reopen, but it’s best to take some time for conditioning first, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says. “For many sports, it has been three months since the last practice. Cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength and flexibility may have declined with [the] need to social distance,” said orthopedic surgeon and AAOS spokesperson Dr. Nicholas DiNubile. “Regardless of your activity, it is important to remember to ease into it and be patient with yourself,” he said in an AAOS news release. “If you give yourself time, the skills will come back.” People who weren’t active before the pandemic might want to view the reopening of facilities as an opportunity to improve their health and fitness levels, or to take up a new sport or activity. If you plan to restart or start an exercise program, here are some guidelines: Don’t increase the intensity or duration of the activity more than 10% per week. Stay hydrated during your workouts. Always warm up and stretch before beginning a workout. Cold muscles are more prone to injury. Warm up with jumping jacks, stationary cycling or running or walking in place for three to… read on >

America saw its coronavirus case count pass 4 million on Thursday, as health officials across the country reported a third day of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 deaths. Alabama posted a record-setting 2,390 new cases on Thursday, while four other states — Hawaii, Indiana, Missouri and New Mexico — also hit their single-day peak for new cases, The New York Times reported. Meanwhile, Florida and Tennessee each had more virus-related deaths than on any other previous day. The rapid spread of coronavirus this summer is sobering, taking just 15 days to go from 3 million cases to 4 million, the Washington Post reported. This spring, it took 45 days to jump from 1 million cases to 2 million, while the leap to 3 million then took 27 days. California has been slammed twice during the pandemic: it was the first state to issue a stay-at-home order this spring, to slow an early outbreak. But after a reopening that some health officials warned was too fast, cases surged. That triggered a statewide mask mandate and the closure of bars and indoor dining again, the Times reported. With over 422,000 cases, California has surpassed New York to have the most COVID-19 cases of any state. It set a single-day record on Wednesday, with more than 12,100 new cases and 155 new deaths. In the face of climbing… read on >

Hopes for robust, long-term antibody protection after a bout of COVID-19 have been dampened by a new study that finds the protection may only last a few months. Still, experts noted that the body’s immune system has more than one way to defend against viruses it has already encountered, so the findings don’t dash hopes for a vaccine. “Infection with this coronavirus does not necessarily generate lifetime immunity,” Dr. Buddy Creech, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, told the Associated Press. But antibodies are only part of the immune system’s armamentarium, added Creech, who wasn’t part of the new research. The study was published July 21 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers led by Dr. Otto Yang, of the University of California, Los Angeles, sought to determine the “half-life” of antibodies generated by contact with the new SARS-CoV-2 virus. Half-life means the time it takes for half of the antibodies to disappear. Yang’s group took blood samples from 34 people who had all recovered from a mild case of COVID-19. Twenty were women and 14 were men, and they averaged 43 years of age. Based on blood tests collected up to 119 days after the onset of symptoms, the researchers said the half-life of antibodies linked with SARS-CoV-2 infection was just 36 days — just over a month. At that… read on >

The COVID-19 pandemic has America’s hospitals on the fiscal ropes, with many facing financial ruin without continued aid from the federal government, a new report predicts. Average hospital margins across the nation could sink to −7% in the second half of 2020 without further help, with half of all hospitals potentially operating in the red, the American Hospital Association’s new analysis estimates. “The COVID crisis continues to cripple the financial health of hospitals and health systems,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA). “As today’s analysis shows, this pandemic is the greatest financial threat in history for hospitals and health systems, and is a serious obstacle to keeping the doors open for many,” Pollack added. U.S. hospitals have had to spend more on personal protective equipment to keep their employees safe from COVID-19, even as revenues have dropped due to state-level lockdowns that canceled all but the most desperately needed services and surgeries. The analysis, prepared by the financial advisory firm Kaufman, Hall & Associates, considered two potential scenarios — an optimistic slow but steady decrease in COVID-19 cases, and a pessimistic outlook based on periodic surges in infections that would place additional stress on hospital operations. U.S. hospitals typically operate at an average 3.5% annual profit, “which is very thin” compared with other industries, said Ken Kaufman, managing director… read on >

A ton of dangerous lead dust may have been deposited around Notre Dame cathedral in Paris when it burned in April 2019 — far more than had been estimated, a new study suggests. The cathedral’s roof and spire were covered in 460 tons of lead — a neurotoxic metal that’s especially dangerous to children — and questions have been raised about how much lead was released into nearby neighborhoods. An analysis of 100 soil samples from sites around the cathedral concluded that 2,200 pounds of lead dust landed within 1 kilometer (0.6 of a mile). That’s six times the current estimate for lead fallout within 12 miles of the site. Lead levels downwind were twice that in areas outside the smoke plume’s path, the study found. For a brief time, people within a kilometer downwind probably had greater exposure to lead fallout than suggested by French authorities, according to the study published recently in the journal GeoHealth. Fewer than 100 milligrams of lead would be expected in a kilogram of non-contaminated soil, the researchers said. But samples collected within a kilometer of the cathedral averaged 200 mg/kg. Lead levels collected northwest of the cathedral averaged nearly 430 mg/kg — double that of the surrounding area, and above France’s 300 mg/kg limit. “Our final estimation of the total amount of excess lead is much larger compared… read on >

Some people in their 90s stay sharp whether their brain harbors amyloid protein plaques — a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease — or not, but why? That’s the question researchers sought answers for among 100 people without dementia, average age 92, who were followed for up to 14 years. Their answer? A combination of genetic luck and a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle. “The vast majority of research studies on aging and Alzheimer’s disease try to understand what factors predict disease and memory impairment. We turned these questions upside-down, asking ‘What seems to protect us from disease and impairment in our 90s?’” said lead researcher Beth Snitz, an associate professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh. “Understanding this kind of resilience may well help identify ways to prevent dementia,” Snitz added. The study reinforces some things scientists already knew, such as the importance of good cardiovascular health and building up a “cognitive [mental] reserve. These likely can help buffer against the effects of brain disease or injury later in life,” she said. Her team also found that people whose scores were normal on thinking and memory tests when the study began were less likely to have problems with their thinking skills, even if they had amyloid protein plaques in their brains (which have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease). The researchers also found that those with the APOE2… read on >

Coffee has been tied to many potential health benefits, but people should drink it for pleasure, and not disease prevention. That’s one of the main conclusions of a new research review. In it, researchers give an overview of the evidence on coffee and caffeine — the subjects of many health studies over the years. “The impact of coffee consumption on health is important because there are few other dietary factors that so many people across the world are so frequently exposed to,” said Rob van Dam, the lead author on the review. And overall, his team found, the news is good for coffee lovers: Caffeinated coffee does not appear to raise any disease risks, and is instead linked to lower odds of various diseases. And moderate doses of caffeine are generally safe for most people. “Moderate” is the key, however. Too much caffeine can disrupt sleep or make people jittery. “The amount of caffeine that leads to unpleasant side effects varies greatly from person to person,” said van Dam, a professor at the National University of Singapore. He suggested people pay attention to whether caffeine seems to affect their ability to fall asleep or lead to “agitation or anxiety.” If it does, van Dam said, “they can adapt their level of intake or timing of intake during the day.” That’s the advice for most adults.… read on >

For the first time in nearly two months the daily U.S. coronavirus death toll topped 1,000 on Tuesday, with President Donald Trump acknowledging that the country’s outbreak will likely “get worse before it gets better.” Trump’s comments came during the first coronavirus task force briefing he’s held since April, as he conceded there were now “big fires” in the country, particularly in Florida and across the South and West. He also shelved his past resistance to masks, displaying his own and asking Americans to wear them because “they have an impact.” Meanwhile, three states that have been slammed by the pandemic in recent weeks continued to struggle to handle surges of COVID-19 patients in their hospitals, CNN reported. Hospitalizations in Florida have risen by more than a third in the 12 days since the state started releasing daily hospitalization data. There are now more than 9,500 people hospitalized in Florida and least 53 hospitals in 27 counties said they had no more beds in their ICUs, CNN reported. Miami-Dade County has exceeded its ICU capacity, with 130% occupancy on Monday, state officials reported. In California, Los Angeles County has surpassed its record for daily hospitalizations for the fourth time in the past week, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s public health director, told CNN. The county has at least 2,232 patients currently hospitalized with 26% of… read on >

Weekly Gravy

Look Good – Feel Good – Feed Good

A little about: Weekly Gravy

All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Parents: Sharpen up on Your Sunscreen Knowledge

Sports After Lockdown: Take It Slow

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Pass 4 Million, Third Day of Over 1,000 Deaths Logged

Antibodies Fade a Few Weeks After Mild COVID-19, Study Finds

Pandemic Has Half of U.S. Hospitals Operating at a Loss: Report

Toxic Lead Fallout From Notre Dame Fire May Be Worse Than Thought

Will Your Brain Stay Sharp Into Your 90s? Certain Factors Are Key

Coffee: Good for You or Not?

Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 1,000 as Trump Warns the Worst is Still to Come

Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 1,000 as Trump Warns the Worst is Still to Come