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therapist

US Task Force Recommends All Adults Under 65 Be Screened for Anxiety

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The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommended that all physicians screen adult patients under 65 for anxiety. The move was motivated by the country’s mental health epidemic in the wake of the pandemic.

The USPSTF is a panel of medical experts appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services. The panel said the recommendation was brought forward to prevent mental health disorders from going undetected or untreated for a long time. Over the last few years, people were more stressed and depressed, and anxiety levels went through the roof.

Between August 2020 to February 2021, adults with symptoms of anxiety or depression increased from 36.4% to 41.5%. According to the World Health Organization, anxiety and depression increased by 25% worldwide. In 2021, 1 in 4 adults aged 18 to 44 received treatment for mental health.

The task force recognizes anxiety as “characterized by greater duration or intensity of a stress response over everyday events.”

Clinical psychologist Dr. Lori Pbert, who is on the task force, says that Americans have been remarkably stressed out after a series of stressors like COVID-19, inflation, death of loved ones, fear of illness and crime rates. According to the NYTimes and CNN, Dr. Pbert said, “our only hope is that our recommendations throw a spotlight on the need to create greater access to mental health care — and urgently.”

“Our hope is that by raising awareness of these issues and having recommendations for clinicians, that we’ll be able to help all adults in the United States, including those who experience disparities.”

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The task force lists generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and agoraphobia under the umbrella of anxiety conditions and recommends screening those who are not already diagnosed with a disorder. The panel also recommended that adults be screened for depression.

Mental health providers appreciated the recommendations but acknowledged that while screening tools are helpful, they are not a diagnosis, and subsequent testing is required to determine if an individual has a clinical disorder. A one-time screening may only be indicative of a temporary stressor. Providers also spoke on the lack of resources to address the issue on a wide scale.

Dr. Jeffrey Staab, a psychiatrist and chair of the department of psychiatry and psychology at Mayo Clinic, said the country is “short on mental health resources on all levels — psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists — that’s a real concern.”

“When providers say, ‘You must have a disorder, here, take this,’ we could face an overprescribing problem, but the opposite scenario is that we have lots of people suffering who shouldn’t be. Both outcomes are possible.”

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Dr. Pbert also said the task force’s research showed that people from minority groups are often overlooked in mental health research, contributing to continued systemic inequality both in and outside the medical field.

The primary care practice is currently a missed opportunity for screening. Black and Hispanic people are less likely to be treated for mental health conditions than white people and are more often misdiagnosed when they do receive care. Dr. Pbert said standardized screenings might help reduce those statistics by removing other factors like implicit bias.

The USPSTF made a similar recommendation for children earlier in the year. The task force set the age range to 65 and younger because older adults may produce positive screening results due to the natural aging effects such as fatigue and generalized pain.

The panel will finalize the draft after reviewing public comments and notes submitted before the Oct. 17 deadline. Though the recommendation is not mandatory, many physicians use the panel’s guidance to improve their standard of care.

Social Media Apps on iPhone

How Social Media Platforms Are Combating The Spread Of Misinformation

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Without any real solid regulation from the federal government in terms of combating these falsehoods from spreading, it’s up to the platforms themselves to make its users aware when a story, tweet, post, etc. contains important information that may not be 100% correct.

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Covid Virus

Coronavirus Could Have Been In The US Since December, According To New Research

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Outbreaks of illness attributed to the coronavirus weren’t widely documented until the spring, however, new reports suggest that the virus could have been in the United States as early as December. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously reported that the virus first hit the country in late January, but researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, believe otherwise. 

The study was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, and found that there was a significant increase in clinic and hospital visits by patients who reported respiratory illnesses the week of December 22nd, 2019. These patients all went to the ER with respiratory complaints, and many others were hospitalized with acute respiratory failure between December 2019 and February 2020. It’s important to note that these hospitalizations could have all been flu related as well, however, the spike in visits is substantial when compared to previous years, so it’s not to be taken lightly. 

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Currently, universities and schools across the country are coping with the inevitable spikes in outbreaks that have already been occuring. So far 50,000 coronavirus cases have been reported at various colleges and universities in all 50 states. Many universities are opting for required 14-day quarantine periods for all infected students. 

The University of Arizona and the Colorado University of Boulder have both implemented these quarantine measures. Arizona specifically is urging all of its students to remain indoors and isolated until the end of the month based on how many new cases they’re seeing. They saw 261 new cases appear on campus this year alone. 

Many have also heard about the wedding in Maine that has now led to 176 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths. The seven people who died weren’t even at the wedding itself, but contracted it through individuals who were in attendance. The story is now being widely used as an example of just how badly this virus can impact individuals who were doing everything right in their lockdown procedures, but it still wasn’t enough due to others irresponsibility. 

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While authorities and government officials have “strongly encouraged” the health and safety measures created to prevent situations like the Maine wedding from occurring, the fact is these measures are rarely enforced. This is why America has one of the highest infection/death rates in the world. CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah recently spoke with the media about this wedding and gatherings in general in the US. 

“The virus favors gatherings, it does not distinguish between happy events like a wedding celebration. That event is now linked to outbreaks more than 100 miles away from the venue, and among people who had only secondary or tertiary contact with an attendee.”

Some officials and industries have been adjusting and preparing for a coronavirus-altered way of life to return to some semblance of normalcy, while others are preparing for the worst; a second wave.

Infected Covid Patient

Texas And California Among States Reporting Single-Day Record Spikes In Covid-19 Cases, Again

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Six states located in the Southern and Western parts of the US have reported one-day records for coronavirus deaths and new infections this past Tuesday. This is not the first time these states have beaten their own one-day records, as for the most part these states have been the ones reopening businesses and public gatherings, leading to a direct spike in cases. 

Texas recently passed 400,000 cases while California reported that Latinx individuals who are living in lower-income areas of the state are accounting for more than half of the cases. Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and Oregon were the other four states that beat their own single-day records for new cases and deaths; again, this is not the first time any of these states have surpassed their own previous records or overall records in the US for new case numbers/death rates. 

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This past Tuesday, the US experienced 1,300 Covid-19 related deaths, which is the biggest one-day increase since May. California specifically reported that 56% of all Covid-19 infections are found in Latinx individuals; they also account for 46% of the deaths. This is mainly due to the areas of the state that these individuals are living in and a major lack in resource distribution among the country. 

Florida reported 191 deaths within 24 hours on Tuesday and Texas added more than 6,000 new cases to their official numbers this Monday. Texas’ total number of infections is now 401,477 and counting; California, Florida, and New York are the only other states that have surpassed 400,000 cases, which makes sense considering those are the four most populated states in America. 

The debate over reopening schools in the fall has been a heated topic of discussion as September gets closer and closer. President Trump and members of his administration have been pushing for schools to reopen, while a majority of teachers, local officials, students, and parents agree that until there’s a vaccine, reopening schools is a bad idea. 

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Randi Weingarten is the president of the American Federation of Teachers and recently spoke at the union’s virtual convention this past Tuesday to discuss how they’ll handle schools reopening in the fall if the administration goes through with their decision. 

“We will fight on all fronts for the safety of students and their educators. It’s the 11th hour; we need the resources now.” 

In Texas, the Texas Education Agency recently stated that they would deny funding to any school that delays in-person classes; a threat that a lot of schools around the country are experiencing. A decision that was surprising for Texans considering how badly they’re being impacted from the virus at the moment. 

Republican members of the US Senate also recently pushed back on a $1 trillion coronavirus relief proposal while Democratic members rejected a $3 trillion relief plan. Both sides claim that they didn’t want to spend trillions of dollars on a public health crisis, a decision that’s been heavily criticized considering the government just gave the Pentagon $738 billion for their 2020 budget.

While we continue to wait for updates from our government and healthcare professionals, it’s imperative that we all continue to listen to the health and safety guidelines that have been imposed within the past few months until this virus is no longer an issue.

Mother & Daughter with Face Masks

World Health Organization Reports Record-Number Of New Covid-19 Cases

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The World Health Organization confirmed that this past Saturday the world reported a record number of new confirmed Covid-19 cases with more than 250,000 reported. This is the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that single-day new infections exceeded a quarter of a million; the specific number of new cases was 259,848. 

The biggest increases came from the United States, Brazil, South Africa, and India in that order; all countries collectively reported more than one million cases as of this past Friday. The previous record for single-day increases in case numbers was 237,743 cases, and that record was set just one day before this new one. 

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The WHO also reported that the number of global deaths is reaching 600,000 as 7,360 new coronavirus-related deaths were recorded worldwide on Saturday, which is the biggest global daily rise since May. These staggering numbers also come at a time where citizens in countries such as America and Brazil are actively protesting against their governments lack of action when it comes to implementing proper health and safety measures that have been proven multiple times to curve the spread. 

Additionally, government bodies in countries that have been able to control their spread greatly, such as China, Italy, Japan, etc., are worried about the virus re-emerging, especially considering there’s no vaccine for the virus yet. In Hong Kong specifically, leader Carrie Lam spoke with the media in regard to the 100 new cases that the city saw appear last week. 

“The situation is critical and there’s no sign it’s being brought under control. Social distancing measures will be extended…and the justice department will be asked to consider extending the mandatory face mask requirement to include all indoor places.”

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In the mainland of China where the virus is initially believed to have spawn, 16 new coronavirus cases have been reported this past Saturday, causing the city to go into “wartime mode,” meaning there are now no mass gatherings allowed and all residential communities have been sealed off from entry or exit. 

Spain saw one of the worst initial outbreaks in Europe, and now the government and local authorities are urging every resident to stay home so that scientists can continue to track and measure the spread of the virus. Social gatherings of more than 10 individuals have been banned in the country indefinitely, and police in Barcelona have closed down access to the city’s most popular beaches after too many residents actively ignored social distancing rules. 

In Australia, every resident living in Melbourne, the country’s second-largest city, is now required to be wearing a facial covering every time they leave their home. Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria which houses 5 million residents, and has now been put under a partial six-week lockdown as a result of 393 new cases appearing this weekend. 

As of right now, there are multiple vaccines in the works, but what’s most important is that citizens continue to listen to their healthcare professionals and practice social distancing, wear a mask in public, and wash their hands as much as possible.

Florida

Florida Real Estate Agency Hires Doctor To Assist In Navigating Pandemic

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Crocker Partners is a real estate agency in Boca Raton, Florida that recently decided to take extensive action into protecting its employees and clients from any Covid-19 fears. The agency has hired a real doctor as their director of environmental health as a way of better managing their business during a global health crisis. 

Dr. Walter Okoroanyanwu was recently hired for the position at Crocker Partners. He has a background in epidemiology and HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. He’s relatively established in America’s healthcare community, for example he has multiple contacts working within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in America, and knows staff members working at Emory University Rollins School of Public Health and at Rutgers University in New Jersey; both establishments have been working tirelessly to combat the coronavirus. 

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Okoroanyanwu himself has a master’s degree in public health from Emory as well, and an MBA from Rutgers; hence his multiple connections to both establishments. His job at Crocker Partners will be to apply his experiences working in healthcare and infectious diseases to create new programs for the agency that will help guide employees and clients manage buying a home safely in the middle of a global pandemic. 

“My mission is to create and maintain a work environment that limits the chance of spreading COVID-19.”

Florida in general is experiencing one of the worst surges in new Covid-19 cases the world has seen throughout the past few months. There are currently no statewide mandated policies put in place by Florida’s government to help curb this spread, which is only further worsening things like it is in many other states in America that have prematurely reopened. 

More than 30,000 individuals work in properties that are leased by Crocker as well. These properties include hotel/retail complexes, the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, corporate offices, etc. and while Crocker already requires every tenant and visitor to wear masks in their common areas, they wanted to go above and beyond. 

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The goal is to keep everyone informed and updated on all things relating to the virus, but they wanted someone who has a professional enough eye to really analyze the public data. While Crocker Partners is one of the first real estate agencies in America to place a doctor in an executive management position, they likely won’t be the last. 

Even beyond just real estate, it’s likely that most major corporations in America will hire someone in the medical field to better create policies to protect all employees and residents within the community. There’s been a general pattern of lack-of-action from local, state, and federal governments regarding all things Covid-19. Over half of the states in America have seen new surges of cases appear as a direct result of them reopening public settings without requiring proper face coverings and other safety measures. So now, private companies and employers are taking it upon themselves to do the work and protect their people at all costs. 

 “This is an innovative agenda here, and I see it as a stepping stone for other commercial developers to do the same thing.”

Okoroanyanwu said his first move as environmental health director is to procure rapid-tests for the coronavirus that can help deliver results within the hour for certain building tenants. Getting these immediate results will help minimize the spread greatly, because infected people will now know that they must self-isolate immediately, when they otherwise may have not even known they were sick and spreading the virus further. 

New technologies such as sanitation stations and ventilation systems will also begin being implemented into each building. The main message Okoroanyanwu and Crocker Partners is spreading here is that disease prevention and individuals health and safety will always be the number one priority, as it should be universally.