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A C.D.C. airport surveillance program found the earliest known U.S. cases of Omicron subvariants.

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A C.D.C. airport surveillance program found the earliest known U.S. cases of Omicron subvariants.

Eligible vacationers might volunteer to supply a self-collected nasal swab on the airport. Swabs from 5 to 25 vacationers — from the identical flight or nation — had been added to a single tube after which examined for the virus utilizing P.C.R. testing. Optimistic samples had been then sequenced to find out which model of the virus was current.

Between Sept. 29 and Jan. 23, 10 % of 161,000 eligible vacationers enrolled within the research, and 1,454 pattern swimming pools had been examined for the virus. Regardless of the preflight testing requirement, greater than 15 % of the swimming pools had been constructive.

This comparatively excessive positivity fee could point out that vacationers had been early in the middle of their infections — and thus had viral masses too low for some assessments to detect — after they took their predeparture assessments, or that they contracted the virus within the time between being examined and touchdown in the USA, the researchers say. Individuals may additionally have submitted fraudulent check outcomes.

Earlier than Nov. 28, almost the entire constructive pattern swimming pools contained the Delta variant, the researchers discovered. (The one exception was a constructive pattern whose precise genetic lineage couldn’t be decided.)

After that, nonetheless, Omicron rapidly got here to dominate; from Nov. 28 to Jan. 23, two-thirds of the constructive samples had been Omicron. A lot of the Omicron samples had been the BA.1 subvariant, which was initially probably the most prevalent model worldwide. BA.1 stays the most typical lineage in the USA, although BA.2 has been gaining floor and now accounts for 35 % of infections, in keeping with C.D.C. estimates.

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However the researchers discovered the BA.3 subvariant in a pool of samples collected from vacationers arriving from South Africa on Dec. 3. They reported the discovering in GISAID, a world repository of viral genomes, on Dec. 22. It was the primary reported case of BA.3 in the USA; it could be greater than a month earlier than the subsequent was reported.

The airport program additionally detected the primary recognized U.S. case of BA.2, in samples collected from South African vacationers on Dec. 14. The researchers reported the discovering every week earlier than the subsequent U.S. case of BA.2 was reported.

“It is a new instrument within the C.D.C. instrument equipment that works, and we’ve proven it’s efficient and it may be layered with all of our different mitigation measures,” Dr. Friedman stated.

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John Goodman, 72, Says His 200-Lb. Weight Loss Helps Him ‘Live Life Better’

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John Goodman, 72, Says His 200-Lb. Weight Loss Helps Him ‘Live Life Better’


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New weekly injection for Parkinson's could replace daily pill for millions, study suggests

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New weekly injection for Parkinson's could replace daily pill for millions, study suggests

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A new weekly injectable drug could transform the lives of more than eight million people living with Parkinson’s disease, potentially replacing the need for daily pills.

Scientists from the University of South Australia (UniSA) developed a long-acting injectable formulation that provides two key Parkinson’s medications for an entire week.

There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, which is the second-most common neurological disorder, affecting more than one million Americans, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

STANFORD SCIENTISTS ‘TOTALLY SURPRISED’ BY POTENTIAL PARKINSON’S TREATMENT DISCOVERY

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To manage symptoms like tremors, rigidity and slow movement, patients typically take daily oral medications, such as levodopa and carbidopa, according to the university’s press release.

This method can be especially difficult for individuals who have trouble swallowing or are otherwise unable to take the pills consistently, leading to irregular medication levels, increased side effects and reduced effectiveness.

Scientists from the University of South Australia developed a long-acting injectable formulation that provides two key Parkinson’s medications for an entire week. (iStock)

Levodopa is the “gold-standard therapy for Parkinson’s,” according to lead researcher Professor Sanjay Garg at UniSA, but its short lifespan means it must be taken several times a day.

The researchers tested an injectable gel implant that combines an FDA-approved biodegradable substance with a pH-sensitive substance to achieve a controlled and sustained drug release.

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PARKINSON’S PATIENTS WHO TAKE ‘MAGIC MUSHROOMS’ SEE KEY BENEFITS, STUDY FINDS

The gel is injected through a single shot under the skin or into the muscle tissue, which means there’s no need for a surgical implant and discomfort is minimal, they noted.

The team found that the gel gradually released the key Parkinson’s medications (90% of the levodopa drug and 81% of the carbidopa) over the course of one week.

The findings were published in the journal Drug Delivery and Translational Research.

Woman holding two pills

To manage symptoms like tremors, rigidity and slow movement, patients typically take daily oral medications. (iStock)

“Reducing the frequency of dosing from multiple times a day to a weekly injection is a major step forward in Parkinson’s therapy,” Garg said in the release. “We’re not just improving how the drug is delivered; we’re improving patients’ lives.”

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Extensive lab tests confirmed the system’s effectiveness and safety.

“We’re not just improving how the drug is delivered; we’re improving patients’ lives.”

The implant degraded by over 80% within a week and showed no significant toxicity in cell viability tests.

“The implications of this research are profound,” Garg added.

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Deepa Nakmode, a PhD student at the University of South Australia, noted that this method is designed to release both levodopa and carbidopa steadily over one week, maintaining consistent plasma levels and reducing the risks associated with fluctuating drug concentrations.

“After years of focused research, it’s incredibly rewarding to see our innovation in long-acting injectables for Parkinson’s disease reach this stage,” he said in the release. 

The team’s invention has now been filed for an Australian patent, Nakmode added.

Parkinson's disease could increase greatly by 2050

Extensive lab tests confirmed the new medication’s effectiveness and safety, the researchers noted. (iStock)

The technology could also be adapted for other chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, chronic pain and infections that require long-term drug delivery, according to Garg.

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The system can be tuned to release drugs over a period ranging from a few days to several weeks, depending on therapeutic needs.

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Scientists hope to start clinical trials in the near future and are exploring opportunities to make the gel commercially available.

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Does Creatine Boost Weight Loss? It Burns Fat 7x Faster in Women Over 50

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Does Creatine Boost Weight Loss? It Burns Fat 7x Faster in Women Over 50


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