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As the new coronarvirus extends its reach, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family, experts say. “As with any respiratory virus, the main recommendations hold true with the novel coronavirus,” said Dr. Rachael Lee, a health care epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). “Wash your hands, cover your cough with your arm, and stay home if you feel sick.” Also, know when it is and isn’t safe to travel. So far the virus, known as COVID-19, has sickened more than 90,000 people and killed more than 3,000, mostly in China. Check guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health care authorities regarding travel to areas with the coronavirus, said Lee, who is also an assistant professor in the division of infectious diseases. “This has become dangerous because this is a first-of-its-kind type of coronavirus, and all humans do not have immunity built up to fight it,” Lee said in a university news release. Wearing surgical masks out in public is not recommended, she said, as brief exposure to the virus in public is unlikely to make a person sick. “Most cases have occurred when there has been prolonged contact, such as with health care professionals or family members serving as a caregiver. Use of masks is recommended for health care professionals, caregivers… read on >

More than 200,000 people in the United States have pulmonary fibrosis, but more than eight in 10 Americans don’t know the symptoms of the lung disease, a new survey finds. Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive disease that causes scarring of the lungs. Symptoms include persistent, dry cough, shortness of breath and fatigue. There is no known cure. An online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults was conducted by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, and found that 86% did not know the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis. The most common form of pulmonary fibrosis is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which has no known cause. Certain people are at increased risk for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, including those older than 60 and those with a history of smoking. But the survey found that among respondents aged 60 and older, 91% didn’t know the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis and 96% had never talked to their doctor about the disease. The rates among current or former smokers were more than 80% and 91%, respectively. People with a history of smoking were three times more likely to have pulmonary fibrosis or know someone affected by the disease, the findings showed. “Awareness of pulmonary fibrosis and its symptoms remains very low, and for many, the first time they hear of it is when they are diagnosed,” said William Schmidt, president and CEO of the… read on >

Vaccines protect you and your family against a number of diseases, so it’s crucial to keep them updated, health experts say. “It’s important to review your vaccination records with your health care provider,” said Libby Richards, associate professor of nursing at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. “Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Adults need them, too.” Which shots adults need depends on age and health history. Vaccines help the immune system fight infections faster and more effectively. Common vaccinations include shingles, pneumonia, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), influenza, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), hepatitis A and B and human papillomavirus (HPV), along with others. Flu vaccination is particularly important, especially in severe flu seasons, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You need a flu shot every year, Richards noted. Since October, at least 26 million Americans have had the flu, resulting in the deaths of at least 14,000 adults and 92 children. In its latest update on Feb. 14, the CDC said flu activity remains high in the United States. Even if you had other vaccines in childhood, their effectiveness can weaken over time, so you may no longer be protected, Richards said. “Pertussis — whooping cough — and tetanus vaccines are perfect examples of vaccines that require booster shots throughout one’s life,” she said in a university news release. Shingles vaccines… read on >

If you child has allergies or asthma, you need to take that into consideration when selecting a summer camp. “Parents and kids alike who are dealing with asthma or severe allergies need to know there’s a good fit and that the child’s medical needs are being met,” said Dr. J. Allen Meadows, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “Take the time to research camps you think your child will enjoy and ask the hard questions to make sure your child will be well cared for,” Meadows added in a college news release. Consider a specialty camp, such as one specifically for children with asthma or one for those with food allergies. These camps provide specialized medical and nonmedical staff. A day camp may be the best choice, Meadows said. Most day camps have measures to keep kids with allergies and asthma safe. Talk with staff about what your child can and cannot eat, and what they need to have on hand in case of a severe allergic reaction or an asthma attack. Make sure the day camp has dealt with allergies and asthma before, knows where the nearest hospital is and how to get there, and is aware of the specific needs of your child. Talk with your child’s allergist before deciding on a camp, Meadows added. The allergist may be… read on >

Rave online reviews about a hospital stay may not mean much about the actual medical care there, if a new study is any indication. Researchers found that across U.S. hospitals, patient-satisfaction scores were more dependent on “hospitality” factors — like friendly nurses, quiet rooms and good food — than on hard measures of health care quality. At hospitals with the lowest death rates, patient satisfaction tended to be higher, but only by a small amount, the study found. Instead, quiet, comfort and friendly staff were much stronger influences. It’s not exactly surprising: Patients know whether their food is palatable, their room is comfortable or hospital staffers are responsive, noted Cristobal Young, the lead researcher. “Those front-stage factors are visible to them,” said Young, an associate professor of sociology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. The “backstage” happenings, meanwhile, are critical, but not necessarily apparent. “The steps a hospital takes to control infection, for example, are very important,” Young said. “But they’re not visible to us.” And if patient satisfaction ratings do not capture those variables, people should take Yelp reviews with a grain of salt, according to Young. The study, published recently in the journal Social Forces, conflicts with some past research that found high patient-satisfaction ratings do correlate with the quality of a hospital’s medical care. But the fact that medical care affects patient… read on >

Given a choice, seagulls prefer food that’s been handled by humans, a new British study finds. This suggests that the birds may watch you when deciding what to scavenge, according to the researchers. “We wanted to find out if gulls are simply attracted by the sight of food, or if people’s actions can draw gulls’ attention towards an item,” said study lead author Madeleine Goumas. She’s with the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter in Cornwall. “Our study shows that cues from humans may play an important part in the way gulls find food, and could partly explain why gulls have been successful in colonizing urban areas,” Goumas said in a university news release. In the study, researchers placed two wrapped oat bars on the ground in front of 38 herring gulls. A researcher picked up and handled one of the bars for 20 seconds and then put it back on the ground, but did not touch the other bars. Of the 24 gulls that pecked at one of the oat bars, 19 (79%) pecked at the one handled by a researcher. The experiment was repeated with sponges cut into the same size and shape as the oat bars. The gulls’ preference for the handled sponge did not exceed “chance levels.” This suggests that human handling draws their attention to food… read on >

Walking on America’s streets is getting ever more dangerous, a new report shows. Based on data from the first six months of 2019, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) predicts there were 6,590 pedestrian deaths that year, which would be a 5% increase over the 6,227 pedestrian deaths in 2018. The 2019 figure is the highest number of such deaths in more than 30 years, according to the association. “In the past 10 years, the number of pedestrian fatalities on our nation’s roadways has increased by more than 50%,” said GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. “This alarming trend signifies that we need to consider all the factors involved in this rise, identify the high-risk areas, allocate resources where they’re needed most, and continue to work with local law enforcement partners to address the chronic driver violations that contribute to pedestrian crashes,” Adkins said in an association news release. Pedestrians are projected to account for 17% of all traffic deaths in 2019, compared to 12% in 2009, according to the GHSA’s annual Spotlight on Highway Safety report, released Thursday. While there’s been a significant increase in pedestrian deaths over the past decade, the number of all other traffic deaths increased by only 2%. Overall, traffic deaths in the first half of 2019 are projected to be 3.4% lower than in the first half of 2018, according… read on >

In a sign that suggests America’s obesity epidemic is far from under control, a new government report shows that more than 40% of people in the United States are obese. And almost 1 in 10 is severely obese, the researchers added. “Over the time period from 1999 to 2018, the obesity prevalence increased about 12% — from 30.5% of Americans to 42.4% of Americans. Severe obesity almost doubled,” said study author Dr. Craig Hales. He’s a medical epidemiologist with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Much more than just a cosmetic issue, obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, gallbladder disease and more, according to the U.S. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Severe obesity means a BMI of 40 or above. BMI is a rough estimate of a person’s body fat based on their height and weight. Someone who is 5-foot-10 is obese when they reach 210 pounds. That same person would be considered severely obese at 280 pounds, according to CDC estimates. Hales said there’s no easy answer to this growing public health threat. “Obesity is a very complex health issue associated with many different… read on >

Starting the day with a big breakfast and keeping dinner light may help you burn more calories and keep you trimmer, new research suggests. Eating this way may also keep your blood sugar levels from going too high, the small study found. “Extensive breakfasting should be preferred over large dinner meals,” said study lead author Juliane Richter, of the University of Lubeck’s Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism in Germany. “This recommendation can be applied to healthy people to prevent metabolic diseases [such as diabetes], as well as to patients with overweight and obesity to reduce body weight,” she added. How could eating breakfast improve your weight and blood sugar levels? Richter said the reason isn’t clear yet and more study is needed. But it appears that digestion and metabolism keep pace with the body’s internal clock, she said. Another reason may be that if you don’t eat enough earlier, you’ll be more hungry throughout the day, Richter said. That could lead to overeating, or to eating the wrong kinds of foods later in the day. She also noted more calories are burned in the morning, so it just makes sense to eat more when calorie-burning is at its peak. But not everyone is convinced that a big breakfast is a must. Samantha Heller, a dietitian with NYU Langone Health in New York City, reviewed… read on >

A spirited game of ping pong may be more than just fun: New research suggests it could quell symptoms in Parkinson’s patients. The small study found that patients with the movement disorder had significant improvements in a wide range of symptoms after taking part in a six-month ping pong exercise program. “Ping pong, which is also called table tennis, is a form of aerobic exercise that has been shown in the general population to improve hand-eye coordination, sharpen reflexes and stimulate the brain,” said Dr. Ken-ichi Inoue, from Fukuoka University in Japan. “We wanted to examine if people with Parkinson’s disease would see similar benefits that may in turn reduce some of their symptoms,” Inoue explained. The study included 12 patients, average age 73, who had mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease and had been diagnosed with the disease for an average of seven years. The patients were assessed for symptoms and symptom severity, and then they played ping pong once a week for six months. During each weekly five-hour session, they did stretching exercises followed by ping pong with instruction from an experienced player. The program was developed by experienced ping pong players in the university’s department of sports science, specifically for Parkinson’s disease patients. Three and six months after they started the ping pong program, the patients had significant improvements in speech, handwriting, getting… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Common Sense on Shielding Yourself From Coronavirus

Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Lung Disease Many Don’t Recognize

Are Your Vaccinations Up to Date?

Pick Summer Camps Carefully When Your Kid Has Allergies, Asthma

It’s Not Medical Outcomes That Drive Patients’ Hospital Reviews

What Makes Your Food So Attractive to Seagulls?

Record Number of Pedestrian Deaths Seen in U.S.

More Than 4 in 10 Americans Are Now Obese: CDC

Big Breakfast May Be the Most Slimming Meal of the Day

Paddles Against Parkinson’s: Ping Pong Might Ease Symptoms

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