Black, Hispanic Men Left Behind on Declining HIV Rates in the U.S.
While the number of new HIV infections fell among white men who have sex with men (MSM) over the past decade, infection rates among Black and Hispanic/Latino MSM were less positive, according to the CDC. In a new Vital Signs report, researchers highlighted racial disparities in HIV trends from 2010 to 2019, with new infections […]
Vaccinated Blood Cancer Patients Still at Risk for Severe COVID-19
Patients with hematologic malignancies who had breakthrough COVID-19 infections still had high risk for severe or critical disease, according to a registry-based study. Out of 113 reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection post-vaccination in people with blood cancers, 79 (60.4%) experienced severe or critical disease, with 75 requiring hospitalization, reported Livio Pagano, MD, of the Università […]
Superbugs in Seniors Led to Nearly 12,000 Deaths in a Single Year
Six common antibiotic-resistant microbial infections in Medicare-age Americans resulted in close to 12,000 deaths in 2017, and cost the U.S. nearly $1.9 billion, a new study found. This population of older Americans, therefore, accounted for more than one-third of the total national costs and deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance, reported David Hyun, MD, director of […]
How Serious Is a Rhinovirus Infection? Symptoms and Treatment
While rhinovirus infections are highly contagious, they rarely lead to life-threatening complications. However, rhinoviruses are often fatal for high-risk cancer patients. Rhinovirus infection, which is more common during spring and fall, is likely to cause only mild symptoms, with the virus being by far the predominant cause of the common cold, especially in children. Human […]
Are Ringworm and Candida the same?
Ringworm and Candida are not the same. While they are both fungal infections, they are caused by different types of fungi, and affect different parts of the body. No. Ringworm is a fungal infection and Candida is a family of fungi species that cause an infection called candidiasis. Ringworm and candidiasis are both fungal infections, […]
2020 Was Not a Good Year for Infection Control
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in acute care hospitals soared during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, potentially erasing years of progress in combating these infections, researchers said. Significant increases in the national standardized infection ratios for central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated events, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia were noted in 2020 over […]
A Letter From the Front Lines of Quarantining With Kids
We saw this coming. Pediatricians sounded the alarm as cases of viral upper respiratory infections poured into our emergency departments, wards, and pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) earlier this summer. We warned citizens and lawmakers about what might happen if we sent our children back to school without reliable mitigation efforts in place. As a […]
Common Viral Infections: Infectious Diseases & Viruses
Viruses cause some of the most common infections all over the world, including COVID-19. Here are the most common viral infections. Viruses are tiny germs that cause some of the most common infections all over the world, including the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the most common viral infections include: Do antibiotics help in […]
Non-Polio Enterovirus Symptoms, Treatment & Contagious Period
Non-polio enteroviruses cause a variety of infections, including aseptic meningitis, hand, foot, and mouth disease, herpangina, and the common cold. Symptoms and signs of enterovirus infection include hypoxia, eye pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fever. Treatment involves supportive care to reduce symptoms. Human enteroviruses are a genus in the family Picornaviridae (small positive-sense […]
‘Breakthroughs’ in Highly Vaxxed Bay Area Spur Interest in Boosters
As breakthrough COVID infections among staff at Bay Area hospitals garner attention as the latest Cape Cod-like cluster, one of these facilities has started offering booster shots for some. Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG), a public hospital that is part of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said it will accommodate special requests […]