Month: February 2022

LONDON -- Cases of Lassa fever have been identified in the United Kingdom for the first time in over a decade. The U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed in a press release Wednesday that two people have been diagnosed with Lassa fever in England, while a third "probable case" is under investigation. All three cases are within the same family in the East of England and are linked to recent travel to West Africa, where the potentially deadly infectious disease is endemic. "Cases of Lassa fever are rare in the U.K. and it does not spread easily between people. The overall risk to the public is very low," Dr. Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at the UKHSA, said in a statement Wednesday. "We are contacting the individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmat...

The federal government on Thursday proposed new guidelines for prescribing opioid painkillers that remove its previous recommended ceilings on doses for chronic pain patients and instead encourage doctors to use their best judgment. But the overall thrust of the recommendations was that doctors should first turn to “nonopioid therapies” for both chronic and acute pain, including prescription medications like gabapentin and over-the-counter ones like ibuprofen, as well as physical therapy, massage and acupuncture. Though still in draft form, the 12 recommendations, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the first comprehensive revisions of the agency’s opioid prescribing guidelines since 2016. They walk a fine line between embracing the need for doctors to prescribe...

Two people who have recently returned to the UK from Western Africa have been diagnosed with Lassa fever, an Ebola-like viral hemorrhagic disease, London confirmed on Wednesday. The cases were detected within the same family living in the east of England, the government said, adding that a third suspected case is currently under investigation. The symptoms of the disease include fever, weakness, headaches, and vomiting. It can also lead to bleeding from the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, or vagina, and eventually cause death, although its fatality rate is significantly lower than that of Ebola. Around a quarter of patients who survive the disease might...

Omicron appears to produce milder symptoms compared to previous strains of the virus, in fact, many of those infected won't display any symptoms at all. But many Brits may have been unaware they were spreading the disease as they failed to spot these six lesser-known signs of the virus. Here are the six distinctive symptoms associated with the Omicron variant. Most Britons associate Covid with the main symptoms listed on the NHS website, these are: a new persistent cough, a loss of smell or taste or a high temperature. Although the NHS states these are still the main symptoms of Covid, new data suggests Omircon produces symptoms similar to the common cold, such as a runny nose, headaches or feeling fatigued. However, the ZOE Covid study has helped to find far more symptoms associated with...