Month: May 2021

BLACKSMITH FORK RIVER — When watershed scientist Janice Brahney and grad student Macy Gustavus go for a hike to take water samples, even in the most remote places, they're always confident they'll find what they're looking for. "Yeah, we find plastic in pretty much all of our water samples," Gustavus said, "if not all of our water samples." Brahney used words like "alarming" and "shocking" as she described her ongoing research project. An associate professor at Utah State University, she's looking for tiny particles of microplastics in the air we breathe and the water we drink. "We're finding plastics everywhere we look," Brahney said, "which is really concerning." The problem stems from the fact that plastic is used in almost every aspect of modern-day life. We leave lots of plastic stuf...

In the past 20 years, new coronaviruses have emerged from animals with remarkable regularity. In 2002, SARS-CoV jumped from civets into people. Ten years later, MERS emerged from camels. Then in 2019, SARS-CoV-2 began to spread around the world. For many scientists, this pattern points to a disturbing trend: Coronavirus outbreaks aren't rare events — but will likely occur every decade or so. Now, scientists are reporting that they have discovered what may be the latest coronavirus to jump from animals into people. And it comes from a surprising source: dogs. When the COVID-19 pandemic first exploded, Dr. Gregory Gray started to wonder if there might be other coronaviruses out there, already making...

SALT LAKE CITY — A new study from Utah researchers suggests that two common omega-3 compounds found in fish oils may counteract each other, blunting possible heart health benefits. Researchers at Intermountain Healthcare's Heart Institute conducted the study with 987 participants to examine cardiovascular health. Examining the subjects over 10 years, the research focused on two omega-3 fatty acids commonly found naturally in fish oil and in omega-3 supplements: eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. The study concluded that EPA is the component of fish oils that contains the most benefits, and DHA may actually "blunt" the effects of EPA, according to Viet Le, an Intermountain physician assistant who was the lead investigator for the study. Le said even though the...

Diagnosis and intervention as early as possible is important. This includes control of blood sugar, urgent removal of dead tissue, and antifungal drug treatment.  But unfortunately, many infections will be diagnosed late and access to treatment is limited. This was the case in India prior to Covid-19 and the current demands on the health system will only make things worse.  Controlling these fungal infections will require increased awareness, better tests to diagnose them early, along with a focus on controlling diabetes and using corticosteroids wisely. Patients will need access to timely surgery and antifungal treatment. But there also needs to be more research into prevention of these infections. * Monica Slavin is an expert in lung infections at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and ...

Press release from the Humboldt County Joint Information Center: Fourteen new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Humboldt County today, bringing the total number of county residents who have tested positive for the virus to 4,166. Mass vaccination clinics continue throughout the week, with nearly 1,800 residents scheduled.   Humboldt County Public Health will hold three Pfizer first-dose vaccination clinics starting Thursday, May 20, with additional clinics planned for Thursday, May 27, and Wednesday, June 2. Clinics are held from 2 to 6 p.m. at College of the Redwoods, located at 7351 Tompkins Hill Road in Eureka.   All county residents age 12 and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. A parent or guardian must accompany minor children and provide written consent for vaccinat...