The same process that causes dew drops to form on a blade of grass appears to play an important role in Alzheimer's disease and other brain diseases. The process, known as phase transition, is what allows water vapor to condense into liquid water, or even freeze into solid ice. That same sort of process allows brain cells to constantly reorganize their inner machinery.
But in degenerative diseases that include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's, the phase transitions inside neurons seem to go awry, says Dr. J. Paul Taylor, a neurogeneticist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
New Clues To ALS And Alzheimer's Disease From Physics
www.npr.org
Structures inside healthy brain cells nimbly move from one state to the next to perform different functions. But in certain degenerative brain diseases, scientists now think, that process gets stuck.Recently people have wondered “Is it safe for me to go see my doctor? Should I keep that appointment with my dentist? What about that knee replacement I put on hold: Should I go ahead with that?” These are pressing concerns as hospitals, outpatient clinics and physicians’ practices have started providing elective medical procedures — services that had been suspended for several months.
Late last month, KFF reported that 48% of adults had skipped or postponed medical care because of the pandemic. Physicians are deeply concerned about the consequences, especially for people with serious illnesses or chronic medical conditions. To feel comfortable, patients need to take stock of the precautions providers are taking. This is especially true for older adults, who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.
What Seniors Should Know Before Going Ahead With Elective Procedures
khn.org
People who put off care as COVID-19 surged are easing back into the medical system. Here’s how to know if it’s safe.Updated as of July 1, 2020.
Helps us stay away from crowds of shoppers. Thank you✔
What about Sam
What about Fietas?
Nice
Please shop local....... not big box......
Stores are stocked. We don't need this any more
In other words, if you are elderly you don’t get to enjoy a relaxing breakfast and second cup of coffee. How about making younger kids haul their butts out of the house early instead.
In early April, state inspectors completed a survey of Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Riverside as part of a federal effort to make sure nursing homes were protecting elderly residents from the coronavirus.
Their one-page report concluded: “No deficiencies.”
The next day, April 8, a fleet of ambulances lined up outside Magnolia to evacuate all 83 residents after the staff refused to show up for work, terrified of the deadly infection already spreading within the facility.
As coronavirus raged through nursing homes, inspectors found nothing wrong
www.latimes.com
Elder advocates accuse the state of abdicating its responsibility to police nursing homes at a critical moment.All three research teams independently analyzed what determines whether a nursing home will see a coronavirus outbreak. And all of us found that what matters most is the community where the nursing home is located. No care facility, no matter how excellent, can keep covid-19 away if it’s widespread in the areas where staff members live and work. To protect our most vulnerable citizens, we have to protect everyone.
Because the federal reporting system made it optional for nursing homes to report covid-19 cases and deaths related to the coronavirus before May 8, we might never get a clear picture of how the pandemic ravaged these facilities in its early months. One initial estimate suggested that the federal reporting system might have undercounted the number of nursing home residents and staff members killed by the pandemic by as many as 14,000, or 35 percent. But what we know is bad enough.
Opinion | We can’t protect nursing homes from covid-19 without protecting everyone
www.washingtonpost.com
There is no magic code that nursing homes have cracked to keep their residents safe. We need to protect everyone to protect the most vulnerable.