Newfoundland & Labrador
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Posted: December 08, 2023
COVID-19 brought many obstacles to Newfoundland and Labrador's outfitting industry, but the head of the province's outfitting association says things are about to change for the better.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association has been hosting its annual general meeting in Deer Lake this week, with 65 companies represented.
Association president Brad LeDrew says it's great to see people return and enter the fold.
"We finally get a chance to see each other. Talk about the trials, tribulations, and also how everything went," LeDrew said.
All 250 of the province's outfitters closed at the beginning of the pandemic, but LeDrew said business is starting to expand once again. He says it gave operators time to reset and rethink their strategies which should pay off now that clients from other countries, particularly the United States, are booking again with family and friends.
"It's a chance that people took to maybe put some work into their lodges, maybe put some time into their business planning [and] marketing," LeDrewsaid.
WATCH| This outfitter is looking forward to what he thinks could be a banner season in 2024:
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"Right now Newfoundland is on the world's bucket list. It always has been," he said.
"I think people are taking the chance now and saying 'let's go there', and we are seeing numbers of bookings that are higher than before. I think '24and 2025 have a good chance of being bumper years. "
But the pandemic isn't the only thing that has had a negative impact on outfitters in recent years.
Parts of the province have declining moose populations, lowersalmon stocks and warming rivers. That concern was most prevalent near the end of July, when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans restricted or closed fishing at certain rivers after reports of dead salmon washing up on localbeaches.
While outfitters like LeDrew say they're watching temperature patterns each year, they aren't panicked about the future of the industry.
"We expect that this year will be totally different. And we will know in the next couple of years if there is a pattern," he said.
"I wouldn't worry about it. We had some great fishing."
Speaking to CBC News, Fisheries, Foresrtry and Agriculture Minister Elvis Loveless said outfitting is an important industry to the province and is looking forward to the season beginning.
"2023 was a good year for our our outdoors, and we look forward to 2024 absolutely," Loveless said.
"And I want to thank them, thank them for what they do for this province and bringing people from outside to explore and enjoy what we have."
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Though the United States saved over 40,000 lives due to COVID-19 from September 2021 to June 2022 from the help of boosters, 29,000 lives could have been saved if the U.S. moved at a faster speed resembling Israels booster rollout.
According to a study recently released in Health Affairs, Israel was the first country in the world to launch COVID-19 boosters, in late July 2021, with strong public health messaging.
The booster campaign in Israel successfully turned increasing infection rates associated with the Delta variant, leading to a decrease in hospitalizations and death.
However, the U.S. booster rollout was slower with a rollout in mid-September 2021, and public health messaging was mixed.
Researchers of the study compared each countrys experience to ask the question: How many lives could the U.S. have saved if boosters were authorized sooner?
In attempt to answer this question, a two-step observational approach, utilizing individual-level mortality data and COVID vaccination records for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, was conducted from 2017 to 2022.
Milwaukee, with a diverse population of 928,000 in 2021, provided vaccination and mortality data for the entire adult population.
Applying the Milwaukee-based data to national data, researchers estimated that among 300,791 COVID deaths in people aged 55 years and older, 56,566 were among vaccinated, booster-eligible individuals, with 52% potentially preventable deaths if operated under an Israeli strategy.
Researchers also explored different scenarios. They estimated potential lives saved if the U.S. booster campaign had matched Israel's uptake speed, considering later initiation, and examined the additional lives lost with a slower U.S. booster authorization.
Weekly analyses were done on non-immunocompromised individuals aged 55 and older, categorized by age groups. Researchers then factored a four-week lag after vaccination to consider vaccine effectiveness against death.
Israeli vaccination rates came from TIMNA, while Milwaukee data relied on linked vaccination and mortality records.
Using a Markov model with states representing vaccination status and COVID death, researchers looked at transition probabilities based on CDC data and mortality risk estimates specific to Milwaukee.
The model effectively replicated actual U.S. data, with a 1.5% difference in predicted deaths (296,412) compared to actual deaths (300,791) over the study period.
A breakdown by vaccination status revealed 51% were unvaccinated, 14% were one-dose recipients, 29% were fully vaccinated and 5% were booster recipients.
The study estimated 77,156 deaths among vaccinated individuals without a booster and 28,821 deaths with a booster.
Data revealed that a faster booster rollout could have potentially saved approximately 29,418 lives if the U.S. matched Israel's pace.
Delaying booster approval cost around 800 lives per week, but even an eight-week delay would have saved 22,900 lives, the study found.
Overall, booster authorization ultimately saved 41,639 lives by June 30, 2022.
Additionally, it was found weekly estimates revealed notable effects during the Delta-Omicron wave in the end of 2021 and early 2022. The benefits of prompt action and the drawbacks of delayed responses leveled as the Delta-Omicron wave eased off in the spring of 2022.
Delayed booster authorization would have left more people vulnerable during the Omicron period.
Researchers noted limitations within the study.
Some of these limitations include the limited sample size in Milwaukee that led to uncertainties in their estimates, potentially not representative of the entire U.S.
Researchers also focused on Pfizer and Moderna recipients, acknowledging potential variations for Johnson & Johnson.
They also noted their assumption that boosters wouldn't alter infection rates may have led to conservative projections, due to challenges in modeling.
Though researchers didn't specifically measure the effects on various racial and ethnic groups, higher COVID-19 mortality rates in these populations suggest the timing of booster shots might have a bigger impact on them.
TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) - You can witness the unveiling of an "In Memory Of" mosaic on Sunday. It will feature the names of over 200 loved ones lost to COVID-19 and other diseases among the pandemic.
You can find the event at Mission Manor Park (6100 S 12th Avenue), just south of Drexel. It's happening from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. There will be music, refreshments, a name reading, and a candle lighting ceremony.
RALEIGH, N.C. As we gear up to get down with family and friends this holiday season, an infectious disease specialist from UNC-Chapel Hill is sharing tips on how to celebrate safely amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across the country.
Almost 23,000 people were in hospital with COVID-19 in the week following Thanksgiving.
That rise coincides with an increase in respiratory illnesses across North Carolina, with 506 people being admitted to the hospital in the last week due to COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease expert from UNC-Chapel Hill, recommends people stay vigilant and get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
It's a lot like your iPhone, right? Like you get an update once in a while to kind of keep up with the technology. And here we're updating our vaccines to keep up with the variants that are circulating, Wohl said.
The good news is we're nowhere near at the case level we've seen in the past. Hospitalizations are nowhere near as severe as they were in the past, earlier in the pandemic, Wohl said, So, that's the good news. The bad news is, is the trends are showing us that things are getting a little worse as expected during the winter season.
For those who have recently had COVID-19 and have not been vaccinated with the new booster, Wohl says its less urgent to get the shot right now.
I will say topping our protection up by getting boosted to me makes a lot of sense, especially if you haven't been infected for a long time, because then the kind of infection you had doesn't look as much like the virus that's circulating now, he said.
Meanwhile, Wohl says he expects the vaccines to get to a point where people can get vaccinated on a yearly basis, like the flu, and potentially have those vaccines combined into one shot.
I'm a big believer in vaccines. I think they help us a lot, and I think they're extremely, extremely safe, Wohl said.
If youre planning on traveling or being in a crowded area, Wohl recommends wearing masks and keeping your hands clean.
Most of us get infected with other things besides COVID, like the stomach virus that's going around right now or flu from our hands, more so than people breathing on us in some cases, he said. So, keeping your hands clean and keeping the Purell close by, masking, especially if you're vulnerable to really severe disease from respiratory illnesses, then I think that makes sense.
The congressional investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic has led members of the House to call for reforms to the World Health Organization on the issue of strengthening safety standards and protocols for biological research.
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is holding a hearing on Wednesday on WHO reforms, an event originally planned for late October but postponed. The subcommittee plans to hear from officials from the State Department, Department of Health and Human Services, and USAID.
FDAAPPROVES WORLD'S FIRST CRISPR GENE-EDITING DRUG FOR SICKLE-CELLDISEASE
With the United States among the largest financial contributors to the WHOgiving approximately $700 million in 2021, 65% above the annual membership duesRepublicans on the subcommittee are questioning the return on investment based on the organization's failures with respect to COVID-19, particularly the outsize influence exerted on the organization by the Chinese Communist Party.
Instead of prioritizing honesty, transparency, and the health of citizens worldwide, the World Health Organization became subject to overwhelming undue influence from the Chinese Communist Party and placed its political interests ahead of its international duties," wrote Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) ahead of the postponed Oct. hearing. "Should Americans rely on the WHO when disaster strikes in the future? At this point in time, is it possible for the WHO to be productively reformed?"
Wenstrup said he aims to ensure that the organization cannot be manipulated by the power of one large nation, whether the U.S. or China.
"I want to see some ideas of how we can make the WHO more independent, totally free from political influence," Wenstrup previously told the Washington Examiner. Wenstrup also said that he would like to soon have a meeting with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, particularly to discuss the necessity of increasing compliance with biosafety measures for dangerous pathogen research.
Josh Michaud, a global health expert at healthcare policy think tank KFF, says that Congress has little role in engagement with WHO policies, as that responsibility falls on the White House and executive public health agencies.
In May 2020, then-President Donald Trump threatened to withdraw U.S. funding and membership from the WHO, citing the organization's failure in not properly preparing the world for COVID-19 before widescale spread. At that time, the U.S. had given $400 million to the WHO, 15% of the organization's operating budget.
Two months later, Trump canceled $62 million in funding to the WHO and set the U.S. withdrawal date for July 2021, which was quickly reversed by the incoming President Joe Biden.
Although a president can unilaterally withdraw the U.S. from the organization or unilaterally, making internal reforms to the function of WHO becomes even harder.
As a recurring member of the WHO's executive board, Michaud said the U.S. does hold an "oversized influence compared to smaller countries" in terms of setting WHO policy but thinks it is "not enough to completely sway the organization."
"Any policy changes are approved at the World Health Assembly, which is the annual meeting of all of the different member states of the WHO, and the US is just one country among 194 [members], so the influence only goes so far," said Michaud.
During the Select Subcommittee's prior hearings on biosafety standards for pathogen research, several committee members suggested the need for stronger enforcement of existing policy. Others suggested establishing unilateral agreements with countries conducting U.S.-funded research to strengthen safety in laboratories and limit types of experimentation.
Michaud said that although oversight of large multilateral organizations like the WHO is difficult, establishing unilateral agreements between individual countries like the US and China on biosafety or other topics would present its own types of challenges without some of the benefits of a global forum on public health.
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The U.S. has several global public health programs that are completely under the control of the U.S. government, such as USAID and the PEPFAR HIV/AIDS prevention program. Developing an equivalent program for biosafety and viral research "would be a tall order and would take time and investment," said Michaud, especially within the constraints of Congress's annual appropriations process.
"In the WHO case, they have a role to play [as a] sort of coordinating mechanism ... and serves as a meeting point for countries to discuss health policy issues of international importance, and to make recommendations based upon the knowledge of experts from across the world," said Michaud. "There's a legitimacy to the global efforts say of who that bilateral program may not have."
Media Advisory
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Program now offers testing, telehealth and treatment for COVID-19 and flu.
The federal government has expanded the Home Test to Treat program, an entirely virtual community health program that offers free COVID-19 health services: at-home rapid tests, telehealth sessions and at-home treatments, to eligible participants nationwide. Home Test to Treat, which is a collaboration among the National Institutes of Health, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, launched as a pilot in select locations earlier this year.
With its expansion, the Home Test to Treat program will now offer free testing, telehealth and treatment for both COVID-19 and for influenza (flu) A and B. It is the first public health program that includes home testing technology at such a scale for both COVID-19 and flu. The program initially will provide the LUCIRAbyPfizerCOVID-19 & Flu Home Test, the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorized test that can detect both viruses in a single test at home.
For those indicated, treatment must begin within a limited window from onset of symptoms, underscoring the importance of continuity of care, from diagnosis to treatment. In addition, providing these services virtually, while individuals remain at home, is intended to expedite the time to treatment and the convenience of accessing services virtually from home.
Any adult (18 years and older) with a current positive test for COVID-19 or flu can enroll to receive free telehealth care and, if prescribed, medication delivered to their home. Adults who do not have COVID-19 or flu may enroll and receive free tests if they are uninsured or are enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs health care system, or the Indian Health Services. If recipients test positive at a future time, they can receive free telehealth care and, if prescribed, treatment.
Visit Home Test to Treatfor more information. Home Test to Treat is operated under a NIH/ National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) contract with VentureWell, with a subcontract to eMed.
NIBIB Director Bruce Tromberg, Ph.D., who leads the RADx Tech program, is available for comment.
To arrange an interview, contactnibibpress@mail.nih.govor call 301-496-3500.
Home Test to Treat is a component of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Tech program of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at NIH. NIBIB also leads the research component of Home Test to Treat, which aims to assess the benefits for patients and identify factors that are crucial to broad adoption of home test to treat services. The Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Program is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
About the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative:The RADx initiative was launched on April 29, 2020, to speed innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. The initiative has four programs: RADx Tech, RADx Advanced Technology Platforms, RADx Underserved Populations and RADx Radical. It leverages the existing NIHPoint-of-CareTechnology Research Network. The RADx initiative partners with federal agencies, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Department of Defense, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Learn more about theRADx initiative and its programs.
About the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB):NIBIBs mission is to improve health by leading the development and accelerating the application of biomedical technologies. The Institute is committed to integrating the physical and engineering sciences with the life sciences to advance basic research and medical care. NIBIB supports emerging technology research and development within its internal laboratories and through grants, collaborations, and training. More information is available at theNIBIB website.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIHTurning Discovery Into Health
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Before the pandemic, Anthony Shingler was a strong and active man working 60-hour weeks in the security industry. But during his time off he liked nothing better than to take trips with his family.
In 2018, he and his wife Nicola climbed Snowdonia together, and in 2020 they took their children and grandchildren on holiday to Cornwall. They enjoyed walking along the cliffs and exploring hidden beaches together, while Mr Shingler messed around with some amateur photography.
The 60-year-old is in a very different position now. These days, he uses a mobility scooter to get about, and his hands are fused in a fixed position. He no longer has the dexterity to operate a camera or even manipulate a knife and fork. He has to have his food cut up for him.
Speaking from his home in Stoke-on-Trent, Mr Shingler still comes across as a jovial character. But his voice wavers as he explains: I feel such a burden.
Everything changed for the family on March 5 2021 when Mr Shingler received the AstraZeneca vaccination against Covid-19.
Like many people, he experienced mild symptoms the following day. But unlike most others whose symptoms improved Mr Shinglers got substantially worse. Over the course of two weeks, he developed a heavy feeling in his legs, and pins and needles in his hands, feet and lower lip.
He became so unsteady on his feet that his wife had to collect him from work. By this point, they were hugely concerned and sought medical help. But according to Mrs Shingler, he was sent home twice from Royal Stoke University Hospital in Staffordshire with one doctor putting his symptoms down to an allergic reaction, and another diagnosing him with sciatica.
On March 22, Mr Shingler woke up paralysed from the waist down and returned to hospital for a third time. This time he was admitted to the neurology ward, where he was subjected to tests and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, before being rushed to intensive care.
He had been diagnosed with GBS which can cause paralysis, sometimes including problems swallowing and breathing.
Mrs Shinglers voice cracks as she recalls this time. Covid restrictions meant that she was not allowed to accompany him and they had to say their goodbyes over FaceTime, not knowing if Anthony would survive. She also found it hard to get information. At some point, she says, a doctor suggested to Mr Shingler that he was having a reaction to a vaccine.
But when she raised this issue with another doctor on the phone, she says he became irate and lectured her.
He began to shout at me about people dying of Covid.
At this point I said, look doctor, we are going to have to agree to disagree on this because right now my husband needs help.
In the end, Anthony stayed in ICU for eight and a half months. He was finally discharged from hospital in May last year with papers stating that the primary admission diagnosis was respiratory failure secondary to guillian barre syndrome [sic] following the astra Zeneca [sic] covid 19 vaccination.
The following month, he was awarded a 120,000 payout from the Governments Vaccine Damage Compensation Scheme given to people who are deemed at least 60 per cent disabled by vaccine injury.
Whilst it has helped pay for the couple to adapt their bathroom and make up for some of Mr Shinglers lost earnings he is still struggling with his new life.
They returned to Cornwall for the first time a few months ago, but cut the trip short after two days because so many of the places and activities that he used to love are now inaccessible.
Its the frustration that makes you depressed. What you cant do, and what you used to do. Simple tasks, like taking the washing basket down even tightening screws up, he says. I cant go kicking a football with my grandson and he loves football.
Nickie doesnt deserve how I am now.
SACRAMENTO -- An estimated one in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, killing on average 42,000 women a year in the United States.
What if there was a vaccine that would significantly lower each woman's chance of ever getting it in the first place? In that question lies what could be the answer to one day eliminating the deadly disease.
A groundbreaking vaccine created through decades of research at the Cleveland Clinic and developed by Anixa Biosciences in San Jose, California is driving innovation by targeting triple-negative breast cancer, the disease's deadliest and most aggressive form.
"This vaccine could potentially eliminate breast cancer," said Dr. Amit Kumar, Anixa CEO.
The vaccine's findings from its first trial with 16 women were published Wednesday, with each participant reporting no bad side effects and no resurgence of their cancer so far.
Jennifer Davis, a brave woman from small-town Ohio, was the first woman in the world to get the vaccine in October 2021.
"This is how we advance medicine. It's important to be a part of those things," Davis said. "I am just beyond grateful."
When Davis heard the dreaded words "you have cancer" in September 2018, it came six months after her first alert to an abnormality on a routine mammogram and ultrasound.
At the time, her biopsy turned up negative for cancer.
"I really wanted to believe everything was OK, but I knew something wasn't right," Davis said.
At 41 years old, she had no history of cancer. Still, she could feel a lump growing and decided to go for a second opinion and a second biopsy.
She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. Her mind instantly went to her family and three children.
"It was very hard to tell them and try and be strong for them," Davis said. "With triple negative, there is nothing for us to take no pill or anything to prevent recurrence. The rate is high and outcomes are poor if it does come back."
After chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and radiation, Davis was finally free of cancer, but she was not free of the fear that lingers.
"I was always nervous and afraid of it coming back," she said.
So when she learned of an experimental vaccine trial while receiving her cancer care at the Cleveland Clinic, she thought, "What do I have to lose?"
"It was something that was going to give me peace of mind," Davis said. "If this could work for me, then I wouldn't have to worry about a recurrence."
She became the first woman in the world to take the breast cancer vaccine.
A registered nurse herself, what eased her mind was the fact that in years of trials in animals, there had been no cancer recurrence and no anaphylactic reaction.
"That was all I needed to hear," said Davis, who reports that in the two years since taking the vaccine, she has never felt better.
The vaccine has been studied for more than two decades at the Cleveland Clinic, pioneered by pre-clinical research led by the late Dr. Vincent Tuohy.
Inspired by this and what it could mean for the future of cancer diagnosis, Dr. Kumar approached the clinic about developing the vaccine.
"I looked at it and I saw the vision," Kumar said.
So how does it work?
"Is it, in essence, teaching your body not to grow a tumor?" CBS13 reporter Ashley Sharp asked.
"That's exactly right. It's teaching your body to destroy the cells that can grow a tumor," Kumar said.
If a virus shows up in the body, the immune system teaches itself how to destroy it, knowing, easily, which cells are bad.
In cancer, it is more difficult, Dr. Kumar explained.
"All of the cells that become cancerous in your body came from normal, healthy cells," Kumar said. "The difference is not big, so the immune system has a harder time recognizing a cancer cell and distinguishing it from a healthy cell."
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the vaccine works by targeting a lactation protein called -lactalbumin, which is no longer found after lactation in normal, aging tissues. It is, however, present in most triple-negative breast cancer patients. If breast cancer develops, the vaccine is designed to instruct the immune system to attack the tumor and keep it from growing entirely.
"The results are incredibly promising," Kumar said. "The vision is one day to be able to give this to any woman who wants to prevent cancer from ever occurring in her body. It's a small step and we have many more steps to go, but it's incredible if we can make this happen."
It's a promising find for the future of fighting cancer that started with one woman but hopefully ends with every woman.
"The bigger picture of this is overwhelming for me," Davis said.
The second vaccine trial is set to start in 2024, this time with 600 women instead of 16. This study will be on a much larger scale, where half the women will get the vaccine and the other half will get a placebo.
The hope is that within five years, they can get FDA approval to distribute the vaccine to the public.
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