Public health

Public health

For decades, gas stoves were the default choice for anyone who took home cooking seriously, mostly because they offered superior responsiveness and temperature control compared to electric. It was like this for so long that it was never really considered a serious debate. But all conventional thinking seems timeless until it suddenly isn't. Now, health concerns are raising questions about the true cost of gas, while technological improvements in top electric ranges have suddenly made them a lot more competitive.

Many California countertop workers diagnosed with silicosis from engineered stone are struggling to obtain workers' compensation benefits as insurers deny claims and taxpayers fund costly lung transplants through Medi-Cal.

Since the 2016 Ebola crisis, the world has suffered five major public health emergencies, including Covid-19, the largest pandemic of this century. In recent years, initiatives and mechanisms have emerged to respond to new health challenges, such as the Pandemic Fund and the WHO Pandemic Arrangement, but the experts acknowledge that we live in a world of greater volatility, uncertainty, fragmentation and interconnected shocks with far-reaching consequences than a decade ago.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating a confirmed measles case in a resident who recently traveled internationally, the agency said in a release Saturday. This is the fifth measles case identified by the county this year as outbreaks increase across the U.S. and globally. The infected resident arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday on Alaska Airlines Flight 1354. Other travelers at Tom Bradley International Terminal B that day between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. may have been exposed to the virus, officials said.

In southern Pakistan throughout April and May, temperatures have risen far above seasonal norms. In Sindh, daytime temperatures have frequently crossed 44C to 46C, forcing residents indoors during peak afternoon hours and severely affecting outdoor labourers, transport workers and farming communities. India has also been experiencing intense heatwave conditions in recent weeks, particularly across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and parts of northern and central India, where temperatures in several cities have crossed 45C.

Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg will be replaced as FDA's acting drug center director by Dr. Mike Davis, who has been serving as deputy director, according to an email sent to agency staff Friday that was obtained by The Associated Press.

CNN’s Pamela Brown straight up asked Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Friday if he had buyer's remorse for voting to approve Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary. Cassidy, a medical doctor, said last February that he decided to vote in favor of Kennedy after receiving assurances that the nominee would respect the science behind disease-preventing vaccines. Cassidy later denounced Kennedy for reversing course and slashing the childhood vaccine schedule.

The assembly member explained that paraquat is primarily used by fruit growers to prevent weed growth, adding that many other countries have already banned the chemical. More than 70 countries, including the countries where paraquat is manufactured, ban its use, she said. China has banned paraquat for use in its country, yet it is a prime manufacturer of the restricted-use chemical. In 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to keep allowing paraquat in the U.S. despite public concern and studies linking it to health risks.

Meth is meth. Like aspirin is aspirin. What matters is how much is in each dose. Today, Los Angeles does have a hyper-pure methamphetamine problem. It is a major driver of homelessness and mental illness here and in many other parts of the country. But it's not new.

“We know that smoking is linked to heart disease, respiratory disease, all types of illnesses like asthma,” said Dr. John Maa, a member of the San Francisco Marin Medical Society. His organization supports Melgar's proposal and says tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States.

Incredibly, the annual number of breath tests carried out in the last 15 years has plummeted as the number of drivers has skyrocketed.

Attkisson asked if Trump thought there should be a Vaccine Safety Commission. I believe in vaccines, but I don't believe that, you know, you have to have a mandate for all of them, Trump said. He continued: The polio vaccine's amazing, you know, wiped it out. And I believe in vaccines, but you know, I think we're up to 88 vaccines. And I really feel that vaccines, if they were given in smaller quantities. They want to cut some out, and I think that's good, too, and I agree with that. Eighty-two's too many.

“Are you looking for that flesh-eating bacteria?” she asked. “We’re looking into it,” they replied, hoping not to frighten her. The woman turned back toward the ocean, her curiosity satisfied. As she walked away, Kumar noticed that she had scrapes and bruises on her body. A few minutes later, he watched her step into the waves. He shook off a chill and returned to the task at hand.

Now there is a new call to action: asking you to show up, not just for a day, but for an entire week, focused specifically on the healthcare crisis our country is facing. Activist Cleve Jones and a growing coalition of organizations and advocates are calling for us all to show up and speak out throughout the first week of June, to demand that our federal, state, and local representatives prioritize healthcare.

Most scientific papers explain that hantavirus transmission occurs from rats to humans and that human-to-human contagion is rarely documented. It happens only with this strain and, until now, has been limited to very close contact in hospital settings or through sexual contact. But this 2020 study confirms the existence of superspreaders: people who, because of their viral load and social activity, can transmit the virus at a rate of 2.12.