health
13 more Dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hrs
Thirteen new dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, health authorities said.
Fatalities from dengue remained unchanged at 103 as no new death was reported during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: 39 more Dengue patients hospitalized in 24 hrs
It said 93 people died in Dhaka division alone, four in Mymensingh, two each in Chattogram, and Khulna and one each in Rajshahi and Barishal divisions.
Ten patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Dhaka while the remaining three cases have been reported from outside the division.
Some 116 patients who were diagnosed with dengue are receiving treatment in the country as of Tuesday.
Read: 2 more die from Dengue, 50 new patients hospitalized in 24 hrs
Of them, 73 are receiving treatment at different hospitals in the capital while the remaining 43 were listed outside Dhaka.
Since January, some 28,229 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with Dengue in the country. So far, 28,010 dengue patients have left hospitals after recovery, said the DGHS.
Omicron may sideline two leading drugs against COVID-19
As strained U.S. hospitals brace for a new surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the fast-spreading omicron variant, doctors are warning of yet another challenge: the two standard drugs they’ve used to fight infections are unlikely to work against the new strain.
For more than a year antibody drugs from Regeneron and Eli Lilly have been the go-to treatments for early COVID-19, thanks to their ability to head off severe disease and keep patients out of the hospital.
But both drugmakers recently warned that laboratory testing suggests their therapies will be much less potent against omicron, which contains dozens of mutations that make it harder for antibodies to attack the virus. And while the companies say they can quickly develop new omicron-targeting antibodies, those aren’t expected to launch for at least several months.
A third antibody from British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline appears to be the best positioned to fight omicron. But Glaxo’s drug is not widely available in the U.S., accounting for a small portion of the millions of doses purchased and distributed by the federal government. U.S. health officials are now rationing scarce drug supplies to states.
Read:Fauci says omicron variant is 'just raging around the world'
“I think there’s going to be a shortage,” said Dr. Jonathan Li, director of the Harvard/Brigham Virology Specialty Laboratory. “We’re down to one FDA-authorized monoclonal antibody” with omicron because of the reduced effectiveness of Regeneron and Lilly’s drugs.
The delta variant still accounts for more than 95% of estimated U.S. cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But agency leaders say omicron is spreading faster than any past variant and will become the dominant strain nationwide within weeks.
Delivered by injection or infusion, antibodies are laboratory-made versions of human proteins that help the immune system fight off viruses and other infections.
Glaxo’s drug, developed with Vir Biotechnology, was specifically formulated to bind to a part of the virus that is less likely to mutate, according to the companies. Early studies of laboratory-simulated omicron by the drugmakers and outside researchers show promising results.
Supply of the drug is “extremely limited, and additional doses of the product will not be available until the week of January 3rd,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in an statement posted online.
After pausing distribution last month to conserve supply, HHS is now shipping 55,000 doses of the drug, called sotrovimab, to state health departments, with the doses arriving as early as Tuesday. An additional 300,000 are expected in January.
The agency said it is distributing the drug to states based on their levels of infections and hospitalizations.
HHS recommends states conserve the drug for the highest risk patients who are most likely to have omicron infections, either based on laboratory testing that can identify the variant or elevated levels of omicron spread in local communities, identified as 20% and higher.
High-risk patients include seniors and those with serious health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and immune-system disorders.
Prior to the pause in shipments, Glaxo’s drug accounted for about 10% of the 1.8 million antibody doses distributed to state health officials between mid-September and late November, according to federal figures.
London-based Glaxo says it is on track to produce 2 million doses by May, under contracts with the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Japan and several other countries. The company is working to add more manufacturing capacity next year.
The loss of two leading antibody therapies puts even more focus on a pair of highly anticipated antiviral pills that U.S. regulators are expected to soon authorize.
The drugs from Pfizer and Merck would be the first treatments Americans can take at home to head off severe disease. Pfizer’s drug in particular has shown a powerful effect, curbing hospitalizations and deaths by nearly 90% in high-risk patients.
“If it’s rolled out effectively this has a real big potential,” to make up for antibody treatments, said Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University. “That’s an immediate place where these antivirals could minimize the impact of omicron.”
Read: WHO: Omicron detected in 89 countries, cases doubling fast
Still, initial supplies of both drugs are expected to be limited.
The shrinking toolbox of treatments is a painful reminder that the virus still has the upper hand in the U.S., even with more than 200 million Americans fully vaccinated.
Scientists around the world are racing to understand omicron, including whether it causes more or less severe disease and how easily it evades protection from prior infection, vaccination, and antibody drugs.
“We’re certainly going to see hospitalizations rise,” said Dr. James Cutrell of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “If we have a lack of antibodies that’s certainly going to contribute to that many more patients needing to be in the hospital.”
How do thoughts and emotions affect your health?
The human body is a system of interconnected subsystems, including the nervous and immune systems. In general, emotional stress can affect many parts of your health in both good and bad ways. Thoughts and emotions are what create our reality, which in turn has a direct impact on your physical body. Your mind, heart, and spirit are all connected in one way or another. When you focus on good thoughts for yourself, it will have an effect on your mental state. When you put negative energy into the world around you with bad vibes, it will come back to haunt you tenfold. We will explore these in detail below.
How do negative emotions affect your health?
A recent study published by Harvard University suggests that your mindset can impact the development of chronic illnesses such as obesity, depression, and diabetes. If you think positively about yourself and how much control you have over your life, then it is more likely for things like inflammation (which contributes to pain and other physical symptoms) to be reduced. On the contrary, if someone feels worse about themselves or their situation because they lack a sense of purpose or agency in life – known as "learned helplessness" – then there is an increased risk of chronic illness developing. In terms of emotions affecting physical health, there are many well-known examples.
Read: Best Fruits for Fitness and Bodybuilding
So what emotions are the worst for our health? The answer is anger, fear, sadness, disgust, rage, loneliness, melancholy, and annoyance. Let's take a closer look at each of these negative feelings.
Anger and Rage
Anger can cause high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke, headaches, and more. It also releases cortisol which is a stress hormone that has been linked to weight gain and diabetes. Anger can also lead to problems such as sleeplessness and gastrointestinal problems. When we are angry, it's hard to think straight and make good decisions because we are so wrapped up in the emotion itself. This can lead to fights with loved ones or destructive behavior like road rage.
Rage causes elevated heart rate, which increases blood pressure, and stress hormones like cortisol are produced, leading to increased risk of cardiovascular health issues if left uncontrolled over long periods of time.
Read Protecting Your Child’s Mental Health: 10 Tips for Parents
Fear or Stress
Fear causes the body to release adrenaline which gives us energy, but it's also very stressful on our system. Stress can keep us from sleeping well, make our heart rate spike and even lead to a heart attack. It can also lead to anxiety and depression.
Sadness
Sadness is the most common negative emotion, and it can cause physical symptoms like a headache, stomachache, or pain in our chest. We might not eat well when we are feeling sad, or we might overeat, which leads to weight gain. Sadness can also lead to addiction problems if we turn to alcohol or drugs to try and make ourselves feel better. Furthermore, sadness can suppress the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight off infection or illness. It can also lead to changes in appetite that may result in weight gain or loss. Additionally, sadness often leads to stress which has its own negative effects on the body.
Read World Mental Health Day: What effect does depression have on the performance of athletes?
Disgust
Disgust can cause a number of physical problems including, sexual dysfunctions, eating disorders, psychosis, and claustrophobia. Further, it may also lead to skin conditions such as hives or blisters due to an increase in histamine production. Lastly, disgust can result in weight loss by causing feelings of revulsion that make it difficult for some people to want to eat at all.
Loneliness
Loneliness causes anxiety which leads to heart diseases, high blood pressure, weak immune system, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and even death.
Annoyance
Annoyance is a state of agitation that may lead to physical tension headaches, jaw pain, and problems sleeping. The researchers found that adults with chronic noise annoyance had an increased risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease and depression.
Read Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness and supporting someone with a mental health problem
All of these emotions are stressful on our system and can lead to physical health problems if we don't find a way to deal with them. It's important to remember that everyone feels these negative emotions from time to time. It's not abnormal. What's important is how we deal with them and whether or not they start to affect our daily life. If they do, it might be time to seek help from a professional.
How do positive emotions affect your health?
Positive emotions are considered to be the opposite of negative emotions. Positive emotions, such as amusement, contentment, happiness, excitement, and enthusiasm, bring us pleasure and satisfaction and create new opportunities for enjoyment and growth. They broaden our minds and help us connect better with others.
Positive emotions help boost our immune system, while they also reduce stress hormones and inflammation in the body. Further, positive emotions also improve heart health and protect against heart disease. They increase oxygenation and blood flow to the brain, which can improve cognitive function, eventually improve sleep quality and overall mood. Moreover, positive emotions can help us form and maintain important social connections. They can keep our brains healthy by protecting against brain decline or Alzheimer's disease, improving communication between neurons in the brain, and helping to grow new cells in the hippocampus (which controls learning and memory).
Read Digital Addiction of Children: How can parents get kids off screens?
Final Words
So far, we have discussed how your emotions can affect your health. There are diverse ways to work through emotional feelings, such as getting help from friends or family members, practicing stress management techniques, meditation, and yoga. All of these methods have been shown throughout time to be effective for dealing with negative thoughts and changing them into positive ones, so they do not lead to illness or other mental problems later on down the road.
The best way would probably be talking with someone who specializes in counseling patients with depression at their local hospital's psychiatric ward. Further, we have to practice positivity. And positive emotions are emotive states like happiness, joy, excitement, love, and serenity. These good feelings that people experience during positive events give them the feeling of being healthy or keeping their health intact.
Read How to Break Internet Addiction?
Rumour mill goes into overdrive over Khaleda’s health: Fakhrul
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday alleged that a quarter is spreading rumours over Khaleda Zia’s health condition with an evil intention."These are absolutely rumours and baseless. I’ll let you know about Madam’s (Khaleda’s) condition if you directly phone me,” he said as journalists drew his attention to various speculations on Khaleda’s latest health condition.Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said some rumours are still there even after he briefed journalists about their party chief’s latest condition on Tuesday night. “I think any quarter is spreading these with malicious intent.”The rumour mill went into overdrive on social media since Tuesday night that Khaleda’s conditions deteriorated seriously, creating confusion among many BNP leaders and activists and common people.Fakhrul, however, said Khaleda is still in a very critical stage. “Doctors are monitoring her condition properly and treating her accordingly. They’re doing their best.”Asked about another speculation over countrywide ’red alert’ over the bad news on Khaleda’s condition, the BNP leader said he did not find its basis as the government has so far issued no notification in this regard.
READ: Khaleda’s treatment abroad: BNP announces 8-day programme
The BNP leader alleged that the government pushed their party chief towards death by not providing her any treatment after sending her to jail in ‘’false’’ cases.Recalling Khaleda’s many contributions to the country and its people, he said the government is depriving such a leader of availing of the scope to go abroad for advanced treatment.“She is in dire need of medical treatment abroad…there’s no legal barrier for the government to allow our leader to go abroad,” Fakhrul said.He said the government has the authority to send Khaleda abroad anytime considering her current condition. “The country’s people now believe that the government does not want Khaleda Zia to remain alive. That’s why they’re not taking any step for her treatment outside the country.”Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, was readmitted to Evercare Hospital on 13 November, six days after she had returned home from the hospital.The BNP chief's physicians said she has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, critical cardiac, kidney ophthalmological and dental complications. The hemoglobin level in her blood has also dropped.
READ: No change in Khaleda’s condition: Fakhrul
On behalf of the family, Khaleda's younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted an application to the Home Ministry on 11 November urging the government to allow her to go abroad for better treatment.Law Minister Anisul Huq, however, recently said the BNP chairperson first has to make a fresh application by going back to jail to go abroad for treatment.
G20 leaders to tackle energy prices, other economic woes
Leaders of the Group of 20 countries gathering for their first in-person summit since the pandemic took hold will confront a global recovery hampered by a series of stumbling blocks: an energy crunch spurring higher fuel and utility prices, new COVID-19 outbreaks and logjams in the supply chains that keep the economy humming and goods headed to consumers.
The summit will allow leaders representing 80% of the global economy to talk — and apply peer pressure — on all those issues. Analysts question how much progress they can make to ease the burden right away on people facing rising prices on everything from food and furniture to higher heating bills heading into winter.
Health and financial officials are sitting down in Rome on Friday before presidents and prime ministers gather for the G-20 Saturday and Sunday, but the leaders of major economic players China and Russia won’t be there in person. That may not bode well for cooperation, especially on energy issues as climate change takes center stage just before the U.N. Climate Change Conference begins Sunday in Glasgow, Scotland.
Here’s a look at some of the economic issues facing G-20 leaders:
THE PANDEMIC RECOVERY
The International Monetary Fund says the top priority for the economic recovery is simple: speed up the vaccination of the world population. Yet big headlines on vaccine cooperation may not be forthcoming at the Rome summit.
The G-20 countries have supported vaccine-sharing through the U.N.-backed COVAX program, which has failed to alleviate dire shortages in poor countries. Donated doses are coming in at a fraction of what is needed, and developed countries are focused on booster shots for their own populations.
Negotiations before the summit have not focused on a large number of vaccines that could be made available, though countries talked about strengthening health systems.
Meanwhile, rising consumer prices and government stimulus programs to help economies bounce back from the pandemic may be discussed, but central banks tend to deal with higher prices and stimulus spending is decided at the national level.
Read: No pathway to reach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5˚C goal without the G20: UN chief
GLOBAL TAXES
One major economic deal is already done: The G-20 will likely be a celebration of an agreement on a global minimum corporate tax, aimed at preventing multinational companies from stashing profits in countries where they pay little or no taxes.
All G-20 governments signed on to the deal negotiated among more than 130 countries, and it now faces an ambitious timeline to get approved and enacted through 2023.
U.S. President Joe Biden has tied his domestic agenda to it — creating a global minimum tax can allow the United States to charge higher taxes without the risk of companies shifting their profits to tax havens. U.S. adoption is key because so many multinational companies are headquartered there.
The agreement also helps remove trade tensions between the U.S. and Europe. It allows nations including France, Italy and Spain to back off digital services taxes that targeted U.S. tech companies Google, Facebook and Amazon.
Biden goes to the G-20 with his tax and economic agenda still subject to congressional negotiations. That means he will be unable to show that the U.S. is leading on global corporate taxes, though his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said G-20 leaders understand the nature of congressional talks.
“They’ll say, ‘Is President Biden on track to deliver on what he said he’s going to deliver?’ And we believe one way or the other, he will be on track to do that,” Sullivan said.
HIGH ENERGY PRICES
The summit offers an opportunity for dialogue on high oil and gas prices because it includes delegations from major energy producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, major consumers in Europe and China, and the U.S., which is both.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin plan to participate remotely.
“Perhaps the most important thing the G20 could do is to tell those among them that are major energy suppliers that they should think about their future,” said Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank.
If energy prices are too high in the developed world, it will only speed up the move away from fossil fuels, “which is ultimately, in the long run, bad for the suppliers,” he said.
The White House says Biden intends to engage with other key leaders about energy prices, with oil recently hitting a seven-year high in the U.S. at over $84 per barrel and the international Brent crude benchmark reaching a three-year peak at over $86.
“We are definitely in an energy crisis, there is no other way to put it,” said Claudio Galimberti, senior vice president of analysis at Rystad Energy and an expert in oil market demand.
But he said it’s unlikely the G-20 “can take any decision that has immediate impact.”
So far, Saudi-led OPEC and allies including Russia, dubbed OPEC+, have ignored Biden’s pleas to increase production faster than its pace of 400,000 barrels per day each month into next year.
In one bright spot, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state-controlled company Gazprom to pump more gas into storage facilities in Europe, where prices have quintupled this year and fears have spread about winter shortages.
But producing nations “are in a powerful position,” Galimberti said. “There is no one who can put pressure on OPEC+.”
Read:G20 leadership vital in defense against COVID-19: UN chief
SUPPLY CHAINS
Biden will press for countries to share more information about troubles with supply chains that have slowed growth in the developed world. Port and factory closures, shortages of shipping containers and rising demand have contributed to backlogs at ports and delays for deliveries of everything from bicycles to computer chips used in smartphones and cars.
Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said the president would push for more transparency about identifying logjams with other governments: “How do we know, at every level, where there may be bottlenecks or breaks in the supply chain so that we can quickly respond to them?”
Trade expert Chad P. Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, agreed that sharing information can be helpful but said “there’s very little anyone can do” now about the backups over a lack of shipping containers.
Longer term, leaders can discuss efforts to diversify supply of key goods such as masks, other medical protective equipment and semiconductors.
“There is a call to diversify some production of semiconductors geographically” away from Asia, Bown said.
The U.S. and the European Union are talking about finding ways to incentivize chip production at home without starting a subsidy war — for instance, by agreeing on which sectors of the semiconductor industry each side would seek to attract.
When to See a Nutritionist?
A nutritionist or a dietitian is a person who can direct others towards a healthier lifestyle by selecting the right nutrients that will improve their metabolism and digestion. Everyone wants to have a healthy meal that will cater to their personalized needs of nutrients. But with so much information pouring in from all directions, it can be quite a challenge to “eat right.” This is when one should seek help from a registered nutritionist.
10 Reasons Why You Should See a Nutritionist
Let’s look at 10 reasons why one should consult a dietitian.
To manage blood sugar, high blood pressure or other chronic conditions
There are some chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases or even high cholesterol which require constant monitoring and management. Since these diseases are closely associated with dietary restrictions, seeking the help of a nutritionist is highly recommendable.
Read: Speakers for standard services from nutritionists, dieticians
A skilled dietitian can help the patient with a dietary chart consisting of food to serve their individualized need of nutrients that can not only manage these diseases but also can improve their current conditions.
To lose or gain weight
Weight gain or weight loss requires extensive research as a slight imbalance can push the body towards malnutrition or obesity. These can be pretty challenging owing to how different it is for each person. No two people lose or gain weight in the same way. Thus, in order to preserve the body’s dietary balance, it is essential to take help from someone who has reliable knowledge in this field. In this case, a dietitian can prepare a meal chart that can help people reach their desired weight goals without having to compromise on the nutrition they need.
Read How to Overcome Depression Without Medication?
Pregnancy
Pregnancy brings forth a variety of changes in a woman's body. During this time, a woman does not only take food for herself, but she also has to ensure proper nutrition for the child inside of her. Naturally, this calls for some attention to the kind of food she is taking.
To secure such a diet which can provide the necessary nutrients for both the mother and the child, the advice of a nutritionist is vital. Apart from this time during pregnancy, the consultation of a dietitian is also essential after the pregnancy during the post- partum period to facilitate breastfeeding and post- partum health.
Read Low-grade Fever: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, Prevention
Digestive problems
Signs of digestive problems include frequent diarrhea, constipation, acidity, irregular bowel movement etc. People who suffer from these constantly might take it as a normal part of their digestion. But they need to understand that it is not and this requires immediate attention from a registered dietitian.
A nutritionist can specify a list of food for such patients to control and improve their digestive issues. With proper management and restriction of certain food items, these conditions can even be brought to normal.
Read Mosquirix: WHO Recommends World's First Malaria Vaccine RTS,S
Mood Issues
Mood disorders can be referred to as anxiety, depression, panic, ADHD etc. With the interconnection between the mind and the body, if anything goes down with the body, it automatically affects the soundness of mind. Hormones like Cortisol or stress hormones are released in the body when a person suffers from various types of mood issues.
Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness and supporting someone with a mental health problem
Proper counseling and treatment can cure mental problems completely like other physical problems. Since mental health complications are not like physical pain, many do not understand when they should actually seek mental health support. Moreover, family or social taboos also stand in the way. With that not, World Mental Health 2021 is going to observe on October 10 with the theme, 'Mental health in an unequal world.' So, when should a person seek help for mental problems? And how to support people with mental health problems? We will get to know about mental health support in this article.
What is a mental health problem?
The actual definition of mental illness varies according to country, culture, and people. Hence, there is no unified definition of mental health problems. However, some common words are used to indicate mental illness. For example, psychological problems, mental health, headache, etc., are used to indicate mental illness.
Read: Memory loss: Types, symptoms, and when to seek help
How to understand if anyone is suffering from mental illness?
When a person's behavior changes drastically, especially the emotional expression changes, which starts to affect the daily activities, in such cases, one should understand that the person is not mentally stable. Apart from these symptoms, there are some specific issues that may indicate a mental health problem. Usually, people with mental illness suddenly become excited. People are also seen keeping themselves away from everyone for a long time.
Staying upset for more than two weeks in a row can be a sign of mental health problems. Quarrels with everyone and don't want to talk to anyone can be the symptoms too. Other symptoms are hearing some irrelevant sounds, unnecessarily doubting, not taking care by stopping doing regular daily activities like bathing or brushing teeth, and dissatisfaction and loss of interest in the activities that bring happiness.
Sometimes, people stop themselves from making any sort of social relationships, thinking negatively about themselves or feeling responsible for everything, decisiveness or loss of concentration, and plan suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Read: Covid-19 Brain Fog: How to improve memory power and brain health after Covid
In some cases, sleep may be reduced abnormally or increase, feel an aversion to food or increased appetite and loss of interest in home, office, or professional work.
However, these problems do not mean that the person has a mental illness. But if anyone has these signs or symptoms, the person should talk to a psychiatrist. After that, the doctor can analyze it and understand whether any action should be taken.
Ex-Facebook manager criticizes company, urges more oversight
While accusing the giant social network of pursuing profits over safety, a former Facebook data scientist told Congress Tuesday she believes stricter government oversight could alleviate the dangers the company poses, from harming children to inciting political violence to fueling misinformation.
Frances Haugen, testifying to the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, presented a wide-ranging condemnation of Facebook. She accused the company of failing to make changes to Instagram after internal research showed apparent harm to some teens and being dishonest in its public fight against hate and misinformation. Haugen’s accusations were buttressed by tens of thousands of pages of internal research documents she secretly copied before leaving her job in the company’s civic integrity unit.
But she also offered thoughtful ideas about how Facebook’s social media platforms could be made safer. Haugen laid responsibility for the company’s profits-over-safety strategy right at the top, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg, but she also expressed empathy for Facebook’s dilemma.
Haugen, who says she joined the company in 2019 because “Facebook has the potential to bring out the best in us,” said she didn’t leak internal documents to a newspaper and then come before Congress in order to destroy the company or call for its breakup, as many consumer advocates and lawmakers of both parties have called for.
Haugen is a 37-year-old data expert from Iowa with a degree in computer engineering and a master’s degree in business from Harvard. Prior to being recruited by Facebook, she worked for 15 years at tech companies including Google, Pinterest and Yelp.
Read: Outage highlights how vital Facebook has become worldwide
“Facebook’s products harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy,” Haugen said. “The company’s leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer but won’t make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people.”
“Congressional action is needed,” she said. “They won’t solve this crisis without your help.”
In a note to Facebook employees Tuesday, Zuckerberg disputed Haugen’s portrayal of the company as one that puts profit over the well-being of its users, or that pushes divisive content.
“At the most basic level, I think most of us just don’t recognize the false picture of the company that is being painted,” Zuckerberg wrote.
He did, however, appear to agree with Haugen on the need for updated internet regulations, saying that would relieve private companies from having to make decisions on social issues on their own.
“We’re committed to doing the best work we can, but at some level the right body to assess tradeoffs between social equities is our democratically elected Congress,” Zuckerberg wrote.
Democrats and Republicans have shown a rare unity around the revelations of Facebook’s handling of potential risks to teens from Instagram, and bipartisan bills have proliferated to address social media and data-privacy problems. But getting legislation through Congress is a heavy slog. The Federal Trade Commission has taken a stricter stance toward Facebook and other tech giants in recent years.
“Whenever you have Republicans and Democrats on the same page, you’re probably more likely to see something,” said Gautam Hans, a technology law and free speech expert at Vanderbilt University
Haugen suggested, for example, that the minimum age for Facebook’s popular Instagram photo-sharing platform could be increased from the current 13 to 16 or 18.
She also acknowledged the limitations of possible remedies. Facebook, like other social media companies, uses algorithms to rank and recommend content to users’ news feeds. When the ranking is based on engagement — likes, shares and comments — as it is now with Facebook, users can be vulnerable to manipulation and misinformation. Haugen would prefer the ranking to be chronological. But, she testified, “People will choose the more addictive option even if it is leading their daughters to eating disorders.”
Haugen said a 2018 change to the content flow contributed to more divisiveness and ill will in a network ostensibly created to bring people closer together.
Read: Whistleblower: Facebook chose profit over public safety
Despite the enmity that the new algorithms were feeding, she said Facebook found that they helped keep people coming back — a pattern that helped the social media giant sell more of the digital ads that generate the vast majority of its revenue.
Haugen said she believed Facebook didn’t set out to build a destructive platform. “I have a huge amount of empathy for Facebook,” she said. “These are really hard questions, and I think they feel a little trapped and isolated.”
But “in the end, the buck stops with Mark,” Haugen said, referring to Zuckerberg, who controls more than 50% of Facebook’s voting shares. “There is no one currently holding Mark accountable but himself.”
Haugen said she believed that Zuckerberg was familiar with some of the internal research showing concerns for potential negative impacts of Instagram.
The subcommittee is examining Facebook’s use of information its own researchers compiled about Instagram. Those findings could indicate potential harm for some of its young users, especially girls, although Facebook publicly downplayed possible negative impacts. For some of the teens devoted to Facebook’s popular photo-sharing platform, the peer pressure generated by the visually focused Instagram led to mental health and body-image problems, and in some cases, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts, the research leaked by Haugen showed.
One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.
She also has filed complaints with federal authorities alleging that Facebook’s own research shows that it amplifies hate, misinformation and political unrest, but that the company hides what it knows.
After recent reports in The Wall Street Journal based on documents she leaked to the newspaper raised a public outcry, Haugen revealed her identity in a CBS “60 Minutes” interview aired Sunday night.
As the public relations debacle over the Instagram research grew last week, Facebook put on hold its work on a kids’ version of Instagram, which the company says is meant mainly for tweens aged 10 to 12.
Read: Ex-Facebook manager alleges social network fed Capitol riot
Haugen said that Facebook prematurely turned off safeguards designed to thwart misinformation and incitement to violence after Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in last year’s presidential election, alleging that doing so contributed to the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
After the November election, Facebook dissolved the civic integrity unit where Haugen had been working. That was the moment, she said, when she realized that “I don’t trust that they’re willing to actually invest what needs to be invested to keep Facebook from being dangerous.”
Haugen says she told Facebook executives when they recruited her that she wanted to work in an area of the company that fights misinformation, because she had lost a friend to online conspiracy theories.
Facebook maintains that Haugen’s allegations are misleading and insists there is no evidence to support the premise that it is the primary cause of social polarization.
“Today, a Senate Commerce subcommittee held a hearing with a former product manager at Facebook who worked for the company for less than two years, had no direct reports, never attended a decision-point meeting with (top) executives – and testified more than six times to not working on the subject matter in question. We don’t agree with her characterization of the many issues she testified about,” the company said in a statement.
Biden, McConnell get COVID-19 boosters, encourage vaccines
Seventy-eight-year-old Joe Biden and 79-year-old Mitch McConnell got their booster shots Monday, the Democratic president and the Republican Senate leader urging Americans across the political spectrum to get vaccinated or plus up with boosters when eligible for the extra dose of protection.
The shots, administered just hours apart on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue, came on the first workday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans 65 and older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments.
Both leaders said that even though the booster doses provide more enduring protection against the virus, they weren’t the silver bullet to ending the pandemic.
Read: Quad on track to produce 1 bn vax doses in India: Biden
“Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated,” Biden said.
Nearly 25% of eligible Americans aged 12 and older haven’t received a single dose of the vaccines. They are bearing the brunt of a months-long surge in cases and deaths brought about by the more transmissible delta variant of the virus that has killed 688,000 in the U.S. since the pandemic began.
“Like I’ve been saying for months, these safe and effective vaccines are the way to defend ourselves and our families from this terrible virus,” said McConnell, a polio survivor.
Biden got his first shot on Dec. 21 and his second dose three weeks later, on Jan. 11, along with his wife, Jill Biden. The first lady, who is 70, received her Pfizer booster dose in private at the White House on Monday afternoon, said her spokesperson, Michael LaRosa.
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“Now, I know it doesn’t look like it, but I am over 65 — I wish I — way over,” the president joked. “And that’s why I’m getting my booster shot today.”
Biden has championed booster doses since the summer as the U.S. experienced a sharp rise in coronavirus cases driven by the delta variant. While the vast majority of cases continue to occur among unvaccinated people, regulators pointed to evidence from Israel and early studies in the U.S. showing that protection against so-called breakthrough cases was vastly improved by a third dose of the Pfizer shot.
But the aggressive American push for boosters, before many poorer nations have been able to provide even a modicum of protection for their most vulnerable populations, has drawn the ire of the World Health Organization and some aid groups, which have called on the U.S. to pause third shots to free up supply for the global vaccination effort.
Biden said last week that the U.S. was purchasing another 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine — for a total of 1 billion over the coming year — to donate to less well-off nations.
Biden took questions from reporters about his vaccination experience and matters of the day as a military nurse injected the dose into his arm.
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The president said he did not have side effects after his first or second shots and hoped for the same experience with his third.
Vice President Kamala Harris, 56, received the Moderna vaccine, for which federal regulators have not yet authorized boosters — but they are expected to in the coming weeks. Regulators are also expecting data soon about the safety and efficacy of a booster for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot.
At least 2.66 million Americans have received booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine since mid-August, according to the CDC. About 100 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 through the Pfizer shot. U.S. regulators recommend getting the boosters at least six months after the second shot of the initial two-dose series.
COVID-19 vaccine boosters could mean billions for drugmakers
Billions more in profits are at stake for some vaccine makers as the U.S. moves toward dispensing COVID-19 booster shots to shore up Americans’ protection against the virus.
How much the manufacturers stand to gain depends on how big the rollout proves to be.
U.S. health officials late on Thursday endorsed booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine for all Americans 65 and older — along with tens of millions of younger people who are at higher risk from the coronavirus because of health conditions or their jobs.
Officials described the move as a first step. Boosters will likely be offered even more broadly in the coming weeks or months, including boosters of vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. That, plus continued growth in initial vaccinations, could mean a huge gain in sales and profits for Pfizer and Moderna in particular.
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“The opportunity quite frankly is reflective of the billions of people around the world who would need a vaccination and a boost,” Jefferies analyst Michael Yee said.
Wall Street is taking notice. The average forecast among analysts for Moderna’s 2022 revenue has jumped 35% since President Joe Biden laid out his booster plan in mid-August.
Most of the vaccinations so far in the U.S. have come from Pfizer, which developed its shot with Germany’s BioNTech, and Moderna. They have inoculated about 99 million and 68 million people, respectively. Johnson & Johnson is third with about 14 million people.
No one knows yet how many people will get the extra shots. But Morningstar analyst Karen Andersen expects boosters alone to bring in about $26 billion in global sales next year for Pfizer and BioNTech and around $14 billion for Moderna if they are endorsed for nearly all Americans.
Those companies also may gain business from people who got other vaccines initially. In Britain, which plans to offer boosters to everyone over 50 and other vulnerable people, an expert panel has recommended that Pfizer’s shot be the primary choice, with Moderna as the alternative.
Andersen expects Moderna, which has no other products on the market, to generate a roughly $13 billion profit next year from all COVID-19 vaccine sales if boosters are broadly authorized.
Potential vaccine profits are harder to estimate for Pfizer, but company executives have said they expect their pre-tax adjusted profit margin from the vaccine to be in the “high 20s” as a percentage of revenue. That would translate to a profit of around $7 billion next year just from boosters, based on Andersen’s sales prediction.
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J&J and Europe’s AstraZeneca have said they don’t intend to profit from their COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.
For Pfizer and Moderna, the boosters could be more profitable than the original doses because they won’t come with the research and development costs the companies incurred to get the vaccines on the market in the first place.
WBB Securities CEO Steve Brozak said the booster shots will represent “almost pure profit” compared with the initial doses.
Drugmakers aren’t the only businesses that could see a windfall from delivering boosters. Drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens could bring in more than $800 million each in revenue, according to Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager with Gabelli Funds.
Jonas noted that the drugstores may not face competition from mass vaccination clinics this time around, and the chains are diligent about collecting customer contact information. That makes it easy to invite people back for boosters.
Drugmakers are also developing COVID-19 shots that target certain variants of the virus, and say people might need annual shots like the ones they receive for the flu. All of that could make the vaccines a major recurring source of revenue.
The COVID-19 vaccines have already done much better than their predecessors.
Pfizer said in July it expects revenue from its COVID-19 vaccine to reach $33.5 billion this year, an estimate that could change depending on the impact of boosters or the possible expansion of shots to elementary school children.
Read: Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11
That would be more than five times the $5.8 billion racked up last year by the world’s most lucrative vaccine — Pfizer’s Prevnar13, which protects against pneumococcal disease.
It also would dwarf the $19.8 billion brought in last year by AbbVie’s rheumatoid arthritis treatment Humira, widely regarded as the world’s top-selling drug.
This bodes well for future vaccine development, noted Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan.
Vaccines normally are nowhere near as profitable as treatments, Gordon said. But the success of the COVID-19 shots could draw more drugmakers and venture capitalists into the field.
“The vaccine business is more attractive, which, for those of us who are going to need vaccines, is good,” Gordon said.