NATO releases 2024 Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment Report NATO released the Secretary General’s annual Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment on Tuesday (9 July 2024). It notes that accelerating climate change has “a profound impact on Allied security,” and stresses the need for NATO to remain fit for purpose in a rapidly changing environment. NATO NATO

...

Why the Election May Slow Plans to Replace Lead Pipes - KFF Health News Lead in drinking water is a known danger. But how many of the country’s estimated 9 million lead service lines need to be replaced — and how quickly — is subject to debate. The clock is ticking on two competing plans as the election looms. khnkytjaw KFF Health News

...

With the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest — and strictest — plan to minimize the risk of Americans drinking lead-contaminated water on the horizon, the debate over whether the rules go too far or not nearly far enough is reaching a tipping point.

Governor Polis issues disaster emergency declaration as new avian flu outbreak detected in Weld County Over 1.7 million birds in a Weld County commercial egg operation have to be destroyed to prevent the spread of avian flu. Paolo Zialcita Colorado Public Radio

...

Bird flu response in Michigan sparks COVID-era worry on farms Some dairy farmers are resisting Michigan's nation-leading efforts to stop the spread of bird flu for fear their incomes will suffer from added costs and hurt rural America. Tom Polansek,P.j. Huffstutter,Leah Douglas Reuters

...

Study: Long-term post-COVID altered sense of smell in healthcare workers common The authors found that 37% of the COVID-positive group suffered quantitative olfactory dysfunction. CIDRAP

...

"Perhaps even more striking, 24% of all tested COVID-19 survivors still experience parosmia 2.6 years after COVID-19 diagnosis, nearly half of which experience medium to severe symptoms," the authors concluded. "Given the length of time, it is possible that these olfactory problems may not be fully reversible in a plurality of individuals."

...

New variants of Covid have started to spread across the UK. ...new strains of Covid named N FLiRT and LB.1.

Dr Mariyam Malik, an NHS and private GP at Pall Mall Medical.:

“The FLiRT variant has specific changes in its spike protein that might make it spread more easily and dodge immunity from past infections or vaccines,” says Dr Malik. “Similarly, the LB.1 variant has mutations that help it spread and possibly weaken the protection we get from previous immunity, making these variants different from earlier versions of the virus.

...

Where COVID cases are increasing in the US amid summer 'bump' Amid an expected "bump" in summer COVID-19 cases, data indicates the southern and western U.S. are seeing the largest increases. ABC News ABC News

...

Test positivity was highest in the Southwest and western U.S. with 15.7% positivity in the region comprised of Arizona, California and Nevada, CDC data showed.

This may be the most overlooked COVID symptom Many of us associate COVID with respiratory issues. But some people end up feeling more like they have food poisoning than anything else. The Seattle Times

...

Many of us associate COVID with respiratory issues. But some people who get sick with the virus never experience a sore throat, coughing or body aches, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. Certain people end up feeling more like they have food poisoning than anything else.

When Hospital Cyberattacks Compromise Care, Not Just Data - KFF Health News When hospitals are hit by cyberattacks that compromise crucial technology systems for managing patient care, the stakes are staggering. “We’ve started to think about these as public health issues and disasters on the scale of earthquakes or hurricanes,” said Jeff Tully, a co-director of the Center for Healthcare Cybersecurity at the University of California at […] khnerich KFF Health News

...

Environmental factors, both natural and man-made, play a significant role in shaping our well-being, affecting everything from respiratory conditions to the spread of infectious diseases.

As global populations grow and industrial activities expand, understanding these relationships becomes crucial to public health planning and intervention.

In this blog, we will share insights into how various environmental factors critically impact public health and what measures can be taken to mitigate these effects.

...

L

Sleep disturbances linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes Pre-existing sleep disturbances were tied to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection of 12%. CIDRAP

A new meta-analysis of 48 observational studies that included 8,664,026 people reveals that pre-existing sleep disturbances are tied to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and worse outcomes if infected. The study is published in eClinicalMedicine. 

...