Month: October 2023

Oct 14

Blood drives to be held across Southern Tier

SOUTHERN TIER, N.Y. (WETM) — The American Red Cross will be hosting more than a dozen blood drives across the Southern Tier over the next month to help address the national blood shortage. According to the Red Cross, thousands of people donated blood and platelets to help with the shortage last month, but at least 10,000 more donations are needed each week over the next month to meet hospital needs. The Red Cross is urging eligible donors, particularly those with type O blood and those giving platelets, to attend one of its blood drives. The Red Cross is offering people who donate blood or platelets from Oct. 21 through Nov. 9 a $10 gift card to a restaurant of their choosing to encourage more donations. Donors will also be entered to win one of three $5,000 gift cards. Details about this promotion can be found on the Red Cross’s website. Red Cross declares national blood shortage ‘in wake of back-to-back climate disasters’ Getting a flu or COVID-19 vaccine does not affect blood donor eligibility. As long as a potential donor feels healthy on their donation day and meets other donor requirements (including weighing at least 110 pounds and being over the age of 17 or 16 with written parental permission) and brings proper identification, they can donate. A full list of donation eligibility requirements can be found on the Red Cross’s website. Those interested in donating blood can make an appointment for one of the upcoming drives being held in the Southern Tier. A list of blood drives scheduled between Oct. 21 and Nov. 9 broken down by location can be found below: Chemung County Elmira First Presbyterian Church Oct. 26 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 1054 West Clinton Street North Presbyterian Church Nov. 2 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. 921 College Avenue Big Flats Arnot Mall Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 3300 Chambers Road Horseheads American Legion Post 442 Oct. 25 from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 71 Old Ithaca Road Horseheads Fire Department Oct. 31 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. 134 North Main Street Schuyler County Montour Falls Schuyler County Humane Services Nov. 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 323 Owego Street Watkins Glen KOA Watkins Glen Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 1710 state Route 414 Why blood donations are needed year-round Steuben County Addison Addison Central School Oct. 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 1 Colwell Street Addison Community Center Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 13 Community Drive, Suite 103 Avoca Howard Community Center Oct. 31 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 7481 Hopkins Road Bath Lakeview Apartments Oct. 24 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. 105 Geneva Street Centenary United Methodist Church Nov. 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 3 West Washington Street Taylor Health at Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 7571 state Route 54 Campbell Campbell Savona High School Oct. 25 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. 8455 county Route 125 Corning VFW Post 524 Oct. 23 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. 281 Baker Street Southeast Steuben County Library Nov. 9 from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. 300 Nasser Civic Center Plaza, Suite 101 Painted Post Forest View-Gang Mills Fire Department Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 125 Forest Drive United Church of Painted Post Nov. 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 201 North Hamilton Street Victory Highway Wesleyan Church Nov. 9 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 150 Victory Highway

Oct 14

IIT-B startup ImmunoACT’s “affordable” blood cancer therapy gets regulatory approval – a first for India’s CAR-T cell therapy

An IIT Bombay incubated company, ImmunoACT, has been granted approval by Indian drug regulator Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) for its CAR-T cell therapy NexCAR19. According to an ET report, this therapy, which is backed by drug maker Laurus Labs, is designed to treat certain types of blood cancers. NexCAR19 is the first humanized CD19-targeted Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy developed in India to receive approval.The therapy will be used for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell lymphomas and leukemia in India. Although the pricing of NexCAR19 has not been disclosed, ImmunoACT has stated that it aims to make the therapy available to its partner hospitals as soon as possible. In the past, ImmunoACT’s CEO, Rahul Purwar, announced that the CAR-T cell therapy would be priced between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh per patient, significantly cheaper than existing treatments, which cost 3-4 crore (INR) per patient.The approval was based on the results of a multi-center phase I/II pivotal clinical trial led by Dr. Hasmukh Jain. The trial involved 60 patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas and leukemia. The clinical data showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 70%. Additionally, the therapy demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with low toxicity and minimal side effects such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS). This indicates a significant improvement over other commercially approved CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapies, the report said. Union Minister Piyush Goyal advocates strengthening consumer and data protection laws for startups NexCAR19 is the result of a decade-long collaboration between IIT-Bombay and Tata Memorial Centre (TMC). The design and development of NexCAR19 were led by Atharva Karulkar, Alka Dwivedi, and a team headed by Rahul Purwar, associate professor at IIT Bombay. The therapy underwent integrative process development and manufacturing under cGMP at ImmunoACT. Clinical investigations and translational studies were conducted by Dr. Hasmukh Jain, Dr. Gaurav Narula, and their teams at Tata Memorial Hospitals.Rahul Purwar, Founder and CEO of ImmunoACT, said, “Now our patients in India and countries with limited resources will have access to this life-saving drug at an affordable cost.” He also emphasized the significance of this achievement, comparing it to a “moon shot” and highlighting that it positions India among a select group of countries with access to CAR-T therapy.Hyderabad-based drug maker Laurus Labs has been a key supporter of ImmunoACT, investing over $18 million to help scale its research and development efforts, as well as its commercialization endeavors.

Oct 14

Doctors Warn Of Long-Term Complications From Repeated COVID-19 Infections

According to doctors who spoke to NBC News, getting COVID-19 more than once can cause lingering and chronic symptoms. The Oct. 12 interview revealed that the dangers of reinfection are especially heightened for Black people. Emergency room physician in Maryland and Virginia, Dr. Geoffrey Mount Varner, said that the virus poses a serious threat to the Black community, despite the wide range of symptoms one person can experience when they are infected with the virus a second time. Varner began, “Some of the data clearly showed that Covid impacted Blacks disproportionately, so it only makes sense that it’s going to be the same with multiple infections because there are so many people who had it,” and “because we have more comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity — the main drivers in terms of having a negative impact as it relates to Covid — with multiple infections the data is showing that each infection is like a health insult that will manifest itself more in the hardest-hit community, which is Black people.” “So, you have a sick person getting this virus more than once and the outcome is going to be different, more harmful, than white counterparts.” Some of the confounding issues in infection and severity rates are highest in the Black community. Issues such as health care disparities amplify the risk factors. A 2021 meta-analysis study on the impacts of Covid revealed that Black people were much more likely to need to be admitted into the Intensive Care Unit after being infected, and that is likely due to their lower likelihood of having health insurance, access to quality health care, or even clinical safety information. Dr. Jayne Morgan, a cardiologist and the executive director of the Covid task force at Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, explained that the exacerbated effects of Covid among people of color is “creating a cycle of hardships that could stunt family growth.” Unfortunately, due to Covid’s intelligence, particularly the Omicron variant, the virus tends to have a combination of initially mild symptoms while being the most “infectious variant” to date. The initial lack of severity prompts people to continue on with business as usual, without knowing the devastating risk of reinfection. Morgan explained, “It’s so incredibly successful, infecting people over and over again and making people say, ‘Oh, this is nothing.’ But it keeps swirling around. Reinfection doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be protected from the next evolution of the variants, which are hurting people now. So people have to take protective measures over reckless behavior, which, we are seeing now, is not without consequences.” Successful Atlanta attorney Willian Matos opened up to NBC about his experience with repeatedly catching COVID-19. Matos, who had Covid three times, described having migraines and body aches the first time. In between catching it again Matos got the vaccination and booster shot, so thankfully he experienced more mild symptoms with the second two rounds. However, he admitted that having Covid “was murderous” and that he was afraid of the long term impacts of having it more than once. “The impact of long Covid lingers,” he told the outlet. “People said it would be like the flu. Well, you get the flu and you get over it, hopefully, and you move on. That’s not what doctors are telling us about what they are seeing with Covid. You get it multiple times and it’s doing something to the body that the flu hasn’t.” RELATED CONTENT: New Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccine Presents Challenges—Here’s Why

Oct 14

Red Cross of Southern Nevada urges community to donate blood amidst national crisis

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The American Red Cross of Southern Nevada is urging community members to take two crucial steps this season—get vaccinated against the flu and donate blood. Officials said getting the flu shot and COVID-19 booster could be more important than ever as a severe flu season and possible overlapping COVID-19 resurgence might add to the current challenges that have led to a blood shortage. “We know many folks are getting their flu shots this year and are wondering if they can still donate blood after being vaccinated, whether it’s the flu shot, COVID-19 booster, or the new RSV vaccine,” said Dr. Walter Kelley, Medical Director for the Rocky Mountain Division of the American Red Cross. “Let’s clear this up. Yes, you absolutely can. There’s no need to wait after getting vaccinated to donate blood.” READ MORE NEWS 3 | The Animal Foundation seeking donations for dog found suffering from gunshot wound This year has seen thousands of potential blood donations uncollected as severe weather events forced the closure of blood donation centers and the cancellation of blood drives across the country. According to officials, the last time the Red Cross declared a national blood emergency was in January 2022, which was the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Hospital demand for blood currently exceeds the rate of incoming donations, causing a 25% decrease in the Red Cross national blood supply. While all blood types are needed, there is a critical need for type O donors. Type O positive is the most frequently transfused blood type, while O negative serves as the universal donor and is often used in emergencies when the patient’s blood type cannot be quickly determined. Donors can schedule an appointment using the Red Cross Blood Donor App by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Oct 14

Study says how sleeping less than 7 hours can hurt your heart

Are you one of those who wake up early daily, get your kids ready for school, and rush to catch the train to work? And then, do you stay up late at night to finish your chores or pay your bills? The sleeping disorders If you answered yes, you are not alone. About one-third of Americans are in the same boat and get only five to six hours of sleep every night instead of the recommended seven to eight hours. But what you may not know is that even a slight and chronic lack of sleep can increase your risk of developing heart disease in the future: Surveys of thousands of people have shown that people who report mild but chronic sleep deficits have more heart disease later in life than people who get enough sleep.

Oct 14

Police: Rensselaer County man drove with blood alcohol content nearly 5 times the legal limit

A Rensselaer County man has died — two days after he was arrested for allegedly driving with a blood alcohol level nearly five times the legal limit. Thomas R. Murphy, 45, of Wynantskill, was arrested after a traffic stop on Oct. 9 at about 2 a.m. in Sand Lake. Troopers responded to a report of a car off the roadway at the intersection of Miller Road and Snake Hill Road. Murphy denied he was injured and was charged with DWI and other traffic violations. He was transported to the State Police station in Sand Lake, where he recorded a 0.38% blood alcohol concentration. The legal limit for intoxication is 0.08%. Murphy was issued tickets to appear at a later date and released to a sober third party. Update: Murphy died on Oct. 11, according to Legacy.com.

Oct 14

Oct. 26: GGH to host blood drive

GENEVA — Geneva General Hospital will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 26 in Conference Room A/B on the basement level of the 196 North St. facility. The Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis, its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments. To schedule an appointment, contact Alicia at [email protected] or visit redcrossblood.org and enter keyword GENEVAHOSPITAL. Those interested also can call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Oct 14

Rare ‘flesh-eating’ bacterium spreads north as oceans warm, including CT. What to know.

Debbie King barely gave it a second thought when she scraped her right shin climbing onto her friend’s pontoon for a day of boating in the Gulf of Mexico on Aug. 13. Even though her friend immediately dressed the slight cut, her shin was red and sore when King awoke the next day. It must be a sunburn, she thought. But three days later, the red and blistered area had grown. Her doctor took one look and sent King, 72, to the emergency room. Doctors at HCA Florida Citrus Hospital in Inverness, Florida, rushed King into surgery after recognizing the infection as Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially fatal bacterium that kills healthy tissue around a wound. While King lay on the operating table, the surgeon told her husband she would likely die if they didn’t amputate. Second person dies from infection contracted in CT waters Just four days after the scrape, King lost her leg then spent four days in intensive care. “The flesh was gone; it was just bone,” she said of her leg. Cases of V. vulnificus are rare. Between 150 and 200 are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention every year, with about 20% resulting in death. Most are in states along the Gulf of Mexico, but, in 2019, 7% were on the Pacific Coast. Florida averages about 37 cases and 10 deaths a year. But a rise in cases nationally and the spread of the disease to states farther north — into coastal communities in states such as Connecticut, New York, and North Carolina — have heightened concerns about the bacterium, which can result in amputations or extensive removal of tissue even in those who survive its infections. And warmer coastal waters caused by climate change, combined with a growing population of older adults, may result in infections doubling by 2060, a study in Scientific Reports warned earlier this year. “Vibrio distributions are driven in large part by temperature,” said Tracy Mincer, an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University. “The warmer waters are, the more favorable it is for them.” The eastern United States has seen an eightfold increase in infections over a 30-year period through 2018 as the geographic range of infections shifted north by about 30 miles a year, according to the study, which was cited in a CDC health advisory last month. The advisory was intended to make doctors more aware of the bacterium when treating infected wounds exposed to coastal waters. Infections can also arise from eating raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters, it warned. That can cause symptoms as common as diarrhea and as serious as bloodstream infections and severe blistered skin lesions. New York and Connecticut this summer issued health warnings about the risk of infection as well. It’s not the first year either state has recorded cases. CT health department: 1 person dies, 2 made ill from eating raw shellfish or swimming in LI Sound “There’s very few cases but when they happen, they’re devastating,” said Paul A. Gulig, a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. ‘An Accident of Nature’ Vibrio has more than 100 strains, including the bacterium that causes cholera, a disease that causes tens of thousands of deaths worldwide each year. The V. vulnificus strain likes warm brackish waters close to shorelines where the salinity is not as high as in the open sea. Unlike some other Vibrio strains, it has no mechanism to spread between humans. It’s found in oysters because the mollusks feed by filtering water, meaning the bacterium can become concentrated in oyster flesh. It can enter humans who swim in salty or brackish waters through the slightest cut in the skin. Infections are treated with antibiotics and, if needed, surgery. “It’s almost an accident of nature,” Gulig said. “They have all these virulence factors that make them really destructive, but we’re not a part of this bug’s life cycle.” Once inside the human body, the bacteria thrive. Scientists don’t believe the bacteria eat flesh, despite how they’re often described. Rather, enzymes and toxins secreted by the bacterium as it multiplies break down the human tissue in the area below the skin, causing necrosis, or death of tissue cells. The infection spreads like wildfire, Gulig said, making early detection critical. “If you take a pen and mark where the edge of the redness is and then look at that two or four hours later, the redness would have moved,” Gulig said. “You can almost sit there and watch this spread.” Researchers have conducted studies on the bacteria, but the small number of cases and deaths make it tough to secure funding, said Gulig. He said he switched his research focus to other areas because of the lack of money. But growing interest in the bacteria has prompted talk about new research at his university’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. Examining the bacteria’s genome sequence and comparing it with those of Vibrio strains that don’t attack human flesh could yield insights into potential drugs to interfere with that process, Gulig said. Shock and Loss Inside the operating room at HCA Florida Citrus, the only signs of King’s infection were on her shin. The surgeon opened that area and began cutting away a bright red mush of dead flesh. Hoping to save as much of the leg as possible, the doctor first amputated below her knee. But the bacteria had spread farther than doctors had hoped. A second amputation, this time 5 inches above the knee, had to be performed. After surgery, King remained in critical care for four days with sepsis, a reaction to infection that can cause organs to fail. Her son was there when she awakened. He was the one who told her she had lost her leg, but she was too woozy from medication to take it in. It wasn’t until she was transferred to a rehab hospital in nearby Brooksville run by Encompass Health that the loss sank