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NEWS:
Study Demonstrates For The First Time That Ticks Weaken Skin's Immune Response
Hitherto, scientists have not fully understood why ticks are such dangerous disease vectors. A research team led by Johanna Strobl and Georg Stary from MedUni Vienna's Department of Dermatology shows that tick saliva inhibits the skin's defence function, thereby increasing the risk of diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) or Lyme disease. The study was recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The researchers carried out their investigations on skin samples from volunteers and also on models of human skin, mimicking the bite of the most common European tick (Ixodes ricinus). In both cases, the team led by Georg Stary (MedUni Vienna's Department of Dermatology, CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases) in collaboration with the research group of Hannes Stockin
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Penn Medicine Study Finds Automated Texts Decrease Odds of Rehospitalization
An occasional, simple “How are you feeling?” text from a primary care team can make a big difference in patients’ health after they are discharged from the hospital, according to a new JAMA Network Open study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
After patients were discharged from a hospital following emergency care, researchers saw a significant decrease in hospital readmission among patients who received automated check-in text messages from their primary care team. Specifically, the researchers found a 55 percent decline in the likelihood that these patients would need to stay at the hospital again in the next month, and a 41 percent reduction in the odds that they would need emergency care of any kind over the next 30 days.
“In a fragmented health care landscape, relatively simple applications of technology can help patients feel mor
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FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Announces Six-Week Campaign to Get More Americans their Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Before End of the Year
Today, the Biden Administration is announcing a six-week campaign through the end of the year urging Americans to get their updated COVID-19 vaccine. With winter and holiday gatherings right around the corner, more Americans getting their updated vaccine will help avoid thousands of preventable COVID-19 deaths.
The six-week campaign will focus on reaching seniors and the communities that were hardest hit by COVID-19 by making it even more convenient to get vaccinated and increasing awareness through paid media.
Making it even more convenient to get vaccinated – particularly for seniors and communities most impacted:
Over 70,000 locations are offering the updated COVID-19 vaccines, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken steps this month to expand to even more locations, including mobile settings and sites in rural and remote areas, through more flexible orderi
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Winter Viruses & The Busy Travel Season: Doctors Share Tips To Stay Healthy
Fall is upon us, which means colder-weather illnesses are too. Common viruses and close contact when traveling can wreak havoc on your immune system - especially during the holidays when we see peak travel days across the US. Doctors at MedStar Health share advice on how to stay protected when traveling:
>> If you don’t feel well, stay home
Delaying a trip is much better than spreading a virus. You’ll feel much better when traveling once recovered, and those you share transportation with will thank you too.
>> Avoid alcohol when traveling
Alcohol consumption can impair the body’s immune system, as well as impair sleep - which is vital to maintaining the immune system. It also dehydrates the body.
>> Open the vents above your seat on planes
Airlines adopted new airflow technology at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with filters able to circulate clean air every 2-3 minutes.
