Category: Health

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Study Shows First HIV Patient ‘Cured’ Using Only Medications

For the first time, an HIV-positive patient has gone into long-term remission after being treated with a multi-drug cocktail raising hopes of a possible cure on the horizon. The patient, a 34-year-old Brazilian man diagnosed in 2012, was put on a three-drug regimen of antiretroviral therapy (ART) which was intensified with additional antiretrovirals plus  a skin cancer preventative called Nicotinamide, a water-soluble version of vitamin B3. Dr. Andrea Savarino, of the Instituto Superiore di Sanitá in Rome, Italy, explained the approach in a presentation to the UK organization AIDSmap prior to the 2020 International AIDS conference in San Francisco. The intensified treatment was stopped after 48 weeks and he returned to his normal three-drug regimen. In March 2019, he began a medically-supervised treatment interruption, stopping his antiretroviral therapy. His last tests (taken on June 22, 2020) show his viral load has remained undetectable, meaning he has maintained viral suppression for more than 65 weeks without antiretroviral medications. The patient’s HIV antibody tests also came back negative. “The virus did not rebound, the viral DNA was maintained negative,” Savarino said. “The antibody response decreased over time, if the antibody decreases, it is possible that the virus has stopped its repetition.”

(illustration of HIV cells)
While exciting news, Savarino cautions “the result is highly likely not to be reproducible,” describing these results as “preliminary.” He noted that four other patients were given the same regimen but HIV was not found to have been put in check in those individuals. The Brazilian patient is still being monitored to see if HIV has truly been eradicated from his system. Since the early 1980s, scientists have worked diligently to find a cure for HIV, which has infected more than 75 million people and killed almost 33 million since the AIDS epidemic began. Modern medications available today allow patients to control the virus and keep HIV in check, but Reuters reports there are an estimated 38 million people are currently living with HIV. There have been three prior reports of individuals apparently being ‘functionally cured’ (long-term remission) of HIV, but those cases were the result of complicated, invasive bone marrow transplants. All three received transplants from donors with a mutated gene for the CCR5 protein found on white blood cells. While HIV relies on the protein to enter the cells, the mutated version apparently blocks the virus from attaching to those cells. (source: Reuters, AIDSmap)

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Arizona Becomes 8th State To Confirm Over 100K Cases Of COVID-19

Arizona is now the 8th state to cross the 100,000 case threshold regarding COVID-19. And no, it’s not just ‘more testing’ behind the case of the number of cases. Hospitalizations due to coronavirus diagnoses are way up. From The Hill:

Arizona joins Texas, California, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Illinois in tallying more than 100,000 cases. 

Hospitalizations in inpatient and ICU beds and ventilators in use by coronavirus patients increased Sunday to their highest reported levels since hospital data reporting began in April, according to The Arizona Republic. 

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) began easing lockdown restrictions on May 1, allowing some salons, barbershops, restaurant dine-in services and retail stores to open their doors. But as cases and hospitalizations began to spike, Ducey last week ordered bars, gyms, movie theaters, waterparks and tubing rentals to close for 30 days. 

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Gays Gone Wild? Fire Island Social Media Posts Go Viral

In this episode of ‘Gays Gone Wild,’ “Fire Island” was trending on Twitter today after several social media posts went viral featuring tons of shirtless gays at shoulder-to-shoulder parties at the gay summer mecca, Fire Island. No masks, no social distancing. Journalist Chris Weidner curated the following posts and reports via Twitter. Among the ‘Covidiots’ is an apparent 23-year-old Giancarlo Kristian Albanese, currency analyst at EverythingFx. It looksl like he was planning on returning to his parents house (where he lives) in White Plains, NY. Except – his mother reportedly if undergoing chemotherapy, and his brother commented on Giancarlo’s post saying he is now unwelcome at home.

And then there’s Corey Hannon who told social media that he had been suffering from COVID-19 for over a week but went to Fire Island anyway.

Hannon later posted an ‘apology’ video which seemed to twist and turn itself in knots. On one hand, he said he never actually tested positive for COVID-19, but he believed he had experienced it. BUT – even though he took a test for the virus, he still headed out to Fire Island to frolic in the sun amid the gays. He ‘apologized’ for the ‘misrepresentation’ of his COVID story and that his video rant was never meant to be posted to his account as it was just ‘bad humor’ intended to be shared among friends. He also denounced so-called ‘cancel culture’ for how his own posts on social media came back to bite him in the ass. First of all, pal, stop posting every second of your life on social media if you don’t want to deal with the ramifications. You’re not that cool. Second, we can’t cancel what hasn’t happened. I’d never heard of Hannon before today. The idea of ‘cancel culture’ is to ‘cancel’ prominent individuals who have abused public trust in having a following. Dude, you ain’t that famous…

Twitter was NOT havin it:

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Broadway Actor Adam Perry’s 109 Days Of COVID-19

Broadway actor Adam Perry backstage at Frozen (image via Instagram)
Adam Perry, who’s appeared in numerous Broadway shows (Frozen, Rocky, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Anything Goes, Promises, Promises, A Chorus Line, Wicked) shared his ongoing journey with the coronavirus having lived with symptoms now for over 100 days. For months now, the myth of the coronavirus has been that it “only affects the elderly.” But Perry, who has been in peak physical condition for years thanks to dancing on Broadway and hitting the gym regularly, says his experience with COVID-19 has been “terrifying.” “There is nothing like the feeling of not being able to breathe,” he told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on Erin Burnett OutFront.

Since testing positive for the virus on March 17, Perry says his ongoing symptoms start with a cough and then develop into tightness in his chest. Even more disconcerting, every time the veteran Broadway performer thinks he’s beaten the disease, his symptoms return. “I would feel better for a few days and then it would just come and smack me again,” Perry said. “I had two days of symptoms and then felt like a million bucks for three days. So I thought I was off the hook, thought I beat it, but then it came back with a vengeance.” A serious concern for Perry today is struggling with his ‘new normal.’
Adam Perry (center) in Broadway Bares in 2017 (image via Instagram)
“I have been doing eight shows a week for 15 to 20 years,” he said. “Now the capacity is not the same. I am just praying daily that it will get back to normal and I will be able to do things again.” The 39-year-old actor shared on his Facebook page that watching the news of new COVID-19 cases surging across the country left him in tears. “I cried watching the news tonight,” wrote Perry. “Cases are spiking. The president makes jokes about coronavirus. People shame others for wearing masks. The country is making it a partisan issue.” Perry urged viewers to “come together, wear a mask, socially distance for as long as we can until there’s a vaccine because this thing has an infinite variable of outcomes for people.” He added that, in his view, there’s “a short term, long term, and ‘we just don’t know,’ so it’s just really important that people take care of each other.” He added, “I just really don’t want other people to have to experience what I experienced.” Watch Perry’s recent appearance on CNN above along with just a few posts from his Instagram account showing how fit the Broadway veteran has stayed over the years.

 

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Cuntry gal in Cabela’s & vintage Ralph Lauren 🎣

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Pines lighting tho 🌲🧚🏻‍♂️🌲 📷: @lapidustudio

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Golden Pride 💛🏳️‍🌈💛 📸: @esp_bymike

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Jan 1st. Is it summer yet? 🙄 🌊photography by @lapidustudio

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Natural tho 🌿 Photo by @kevinmcdnyc 📷

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⚓️🌊⚓️ 📷: @kylekrieger

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US Breaks Record For Daily Increase With 55K New Cases

When Donald Trump told Americans we’d “hit new highs,” I doubt this is what he was talking about. From Reuters:

The United States reported more than 55,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the largest daily increase any country has ever reported, according to a Reuters tally.

The daily U.S. tally stood at 55,274 late Thursday, topping the previous single day record of 54,771 set by Brazil on June 19. Just two weeks ago, the United States was reporting about 22,000 new cases a day.

It has now reported more than 40,000 cases for seven straight days and broken records for new cases three days in a row, according to the tally.

The number of new cases has risen in 37 out of 50 states with Florida leading the way with over 10,000 cases reported on Thursday. As testing has increased, so have positive test results which are up 7% nationally.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Orders (Almost) All Texans To Wear Face Masks In Public

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (screen capture)
For months, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) refused to require citizens of the Lone Star state to wear face masks when out in public. In fact, he banned local governments from doing so. But with new cases of the coronavirus hitting record numbers, Abbott has now issued a statewide mandate requiring Texans to wear masks in public in any county with 20 or more positive COVID-19 cases. From the Texas Tribune:

The order requires Texans living in counties more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible.

But it provides several exceptions, including children who are younger than 10 years old, people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, people who are eating or drinking and people who are exercising outdoors.

The mask order goes into effect at 12:01 p.m. Friday. It immediately applies to all Texas counties, but counties with 20 or fewer active cases can be exempted — if they opt out. County judges must submit an application to be exempted to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. TDEM will list the counties that have opted out on its website.

He also banned certain outdoor gatherings of over 10 people unless local officials approve. He had previously set the threshold at over 100 people.

Without naming names or pointing fingers, Abbott’s order specifically does NOT exempt one group: “any person attending a protest or demonstration” with over 10 people who cannot socially distance. Black Lives Matter movement – he’s talking to you. Hospitalizations for coronavirus hit 6,904 on Wednesday, the third straight day setting a new record.

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Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promise In First Phase Testing

(image via JumpStory)
  The results of the phase one testing of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine are in and the results are promising. According to StatNews, 45 patients were divided into four groups: 12 were given a 10-microgram dose, another 12 were given a 30-microgram dose, another 12 received a 100-microgram dose, and the remaining 9 were given a placebo. The third group (100-microgram) triggered fevers in half of the patients in that group, and they did not receive follow-up doses. The first two groups (10-microgram and 30-microgram) were given a second injection three weeks after the initial dose. Fevers appeared in 8.3% of those in the 10-microgram group while 75% of those in the 30-microgram group developed fevers. None of the fevers were considered serious nor did they result in hospitalization. The vaccine was found to have generated antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Some of those antibodies appear to be ‘neutralizing,’ meaning they seem to prevent the virus from functioning. The levels of neutralizing antibodies were 1.8 to 2.8 times the level of those found in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. But the results weren’t conclusive in proving if the higher levels of antibodies would lead to immunity from the virus. A trial phase involving a larger group of patients will be necessary to prove that people who have received the vaccine are at least 50% less likely to become infected. That next phase of testing is expected to take place this summer. While the results of this first phase have been made public, the data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published by a medical journal. StatNews reports there are 14 different coronavirus vaccines in various phases of testing at this time. FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn told ABC’s Good Morning America four vaccines have been given authorization to proceed with clinical trials.

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Why Does The US Have Far More Deaths From COVID-19 Than EU?

L-R Donald Trump, VP Mike Pence (image: public domain/Flickr)
Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have argued in recent weeks the increase in confirmed U.S. cases of COVID-19 is primarily the result of more testing for the virus being conducted. However, that’s not true, as The New York Times explains. The U.S., which once trailed the European Union in per capita overall deaths, has now racked up many more. From the New York Times:

Most other high-income countries are dealing with modest numbers of new cases — often an inevitable consequence of reopening — and the countries are responding aggressively. Many are following the advice of public health experts, ordering social distancing, mask-wearing and partial lockdowns and doing their best to track people who came in contact with new patients.

The United States is not. President Trump and many governors continue to flout scientific advice and send mixed messages about the seriousness of the virus.

As the U.S. soars past the EU in coronavirus-related deaths, it’s worth noting that the population of the EU (446 million) eclipses the U.S. (328 million) by nearly 120 million. In the graphic below, check out how many more deaths due to COVID-19 the U.S. has suffered versus the EU. Also, Japan – which has a population of 128 million – has far fewer deaths. But wearing a face mask in the Asian country is a common practice, year in, year out.

(graphic via New York Times)

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Gilead Sciences Announces Pricing For COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir

(image via Depositphotos)
Gilead Sciences Inc. has announced that it will charge U.S. hospitals approximately $3,120 for the majority of patients who need remdesivir, one of the first drugs to show significant upside in treating COVID-19. From Bloomberg News:

Patients suffering from the illness caused by the novel coronavirus are usually given six vials of remdesivir over five days. The price, which comes to $520 a vial, would apply to commercially insured patients in the U.S., according to a letter from Gilead Chief Executive Officer Daniel O’Day posted on the company’s website Monday.

It plans charge $390 a vial, or $2,340 for a five-day regimen, for direct government purchases by the U.S. or other developed countries.

Gilead’s pricing decision is consequential because it sets a precedent for how much future Covid-19 treatments might cost. While it’s higher than some patient groups had pushed for, it was close to a level that some drug-pricing watchdogs have said would be acceptable based on remdesivir’s expected benefit.

Gilead has promised to donate 940,000 doses of the medication through the month of June.  So far, nearly a quarter of a million treatment courses of remdesivir have been made available for free.

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Percentage Of Younger People Testing Positive For Coronavirus On The Rise

From the Washington Post:

Health officials are imploring young people to wear masks and practice social distancing as coronavirus transmission among younger Americans continued to drive record outbreaks in several states.

The pleas come as governors in Texas and Florida instituted new limits on bars and alcohol consumption to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, citing the skyrocketing number of young people who are contracting it.

At the White House Friday, Vice President Pence and other members of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, in its first briefing in weeks, urged young people to take the virus more seriously.

“Younger Americans have a particular responsibility to make sure that they’re not carrying the coronavirus into settings where they would expose the most vulnerable,” Pence said.

Robert R. Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said younger people are often asymptomatic or have mild symptoms but can easily spread the virus to older or immune-compromised patients.

In Oklahoma, nearly half of all new cases reported since the state began reopening 65 days ago are under the age of 35. According to the Centers for Disease Control, younger coronavirus patients (ages 18-49) made up 35 percent of hospitalizations last week.