Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Remain Too High
Reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the United States decreased during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but most resurged by the end of that year. Ultimately, reported cases of gonorrhea, syphilis, and congenital syphilis surpassed 2019 levels, while chlamydia declined, according to new data published on April 12, 2022 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data provide the clearest picture yet of COVID-19’s impact on this nation’s STD epidemic. Reported cases of gonorrhea and primary & secondary (P&S) syphilis were up 10% and 7%, respectively, compared to 2019. Syphilis among newborns (i.e., congenital syphilis) also increased, with reported
cases up nearly 15% from 2019, and 235% from 2016. Early data indicate primary and secondary syphilis and congenital syphilis cases continued to increase in 2021 as well. Reported cases of chlamydia declined 13% from 2019.
Trends in Drug Overdose Deaths Among US Adolescents, January 2010 to June 2021
The rate of overdose deaths among U.S. teenagers nearly doubled in 2020, the first year of the COVID pandemic, and rose another 20% in the first half of 2021 compared with the 10 years before the pandemic, even as drug use remained generally stable during the same period, according to new UCLA research. It is the first time in recorded history that the teen drug death rate has seen an exponential rise, even though rates of illicit drug use among teens are at all-time lows. Published on April 12, 2022 in JAMA, this study indicates that beginning in 2020, adolescents experienced a greater relative increase in overdose mortality than the overall population, attributable in large part to fatalities involving fentanyls. In the context of decreasing adolescent drug use rates nationally, these shifts suggest heightened risk from illicit fentanyls, which have variable and high potency. The highest rates of overdose deaths were among American Indian and Alaska Native adolescents.
HEALTH TECHNOLOGY CORNER
Use Of Smart Sensors To Ensure Vaccine Safety
A new study from Tel Aviv University enables developers, for the first time in the world, to determine vaccine safety via smart sensors that measure objective physiological parameters. According to the researchers in an article published on March 14, 2022 in Communications Medicine (part of the Nature family of journals), most clinical trials testing the safety of new vaccines. including COVID-19 vaccines, rely on participants' subjective reports, which can lead to biased results. In contrast, objective physiological data, obtained through sensors attached to the body, are clear and unambiguous. The study was conducted when many Israelis received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The investigators believe that there is no reason to rely on self-reports or wait for the occurrence of rare side effects like myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, which occurs in one of 10,000 patients. Innovative sensors monitored 13 physiological parameters, such as: heart rate, breathing rate, cardiac output, and blood pressure.
Ancestral Diversity And Genetic Loci For Anthropometric Traits
Researchers in genomic studies examine the DNA of a population to understand the influence of genetics on health and disease. Although genomic studies have been common for more than a decade, most participants in these studies have been of European descent. Hispanic/Latinos have been underrepresented in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for anthropometric traits despite their notable anthropometric variability, ancestry proportions, and high burden of growth stunting and overweight/obesity. Results of a study published on April 14, 2022 in the journal Human Genetics and Genomic Advances show that increasing the diversity of genomic samples can improve researchers’ ability to identify important genetic markers for health conditions. A goal of conducting genomic studies is to develop precision medicine, which is the delivery of the exact treatment or medication that individuals need exactly when they need it. To date, the article is the largest published genomic study of body measures in Hispanic/Latino individuals.