Higginslang4198

Objective-This report describes select measures of health among former cigarette smokers aged 65 and over. Methods-Data from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey were used to describe the health of former cigarette smokers aged 65 and over by estimating the percentage with fair or poor health, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), four or more chronic conditions, and limitations in social participation. The health measures were adjusted for age, sex, race and Hispanic origin, and education and presented by the number of years that the former smoker smoked. The number of years smoked was estimated from responses to questions on the age the former smoker started to smoke regularly and how long ago they quit smoking cigarettes. Results-Among adults aged 65 and over, 49.4% of men and 30.6% of women were former cigarette smokers. Almost one-fourth of former smokers smoked for 40 years or more. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, former smokers reported higher levels of fair or poor health, COPD, and four or more chronic conditions compared with never smokers and similar levels of fair or poor health, four or more chronic conditions, and limitations in social participation compared with current smokers. Former smokers had higher levels of fair or poor health, COPD, four or more chronic conditions, and social participation limitations as their years of smoking increased. Conclusions-Smoking cessation has been shown to be beneficial at any age. However, even after quitting smoking, the length of time a person smoked is reflected in current health measures among people aged 65 and over.Objective-This report describes how problems paying medical bills and forgone medical care vary by family composition among families with at least one older adult (aged 65 and over). Methods-Data from families in the 2017-2018 National Health Interview Survey that included at least one older adult were analyzed (n = 19,471). Bivariate and multivariate analyses, adjusted for selected family characteristics that may put families at financial risk, were conducted for both outcome measures and shown by family composition. The family compositions examined were one older adult living alone, two older adults, one younger (aged 18-64) and one older adult, three or more adults (where at least one was an older adult), and two or more adults (where at least one was an older adult) and at least one child (under age 18 years). Results-About 8.6% of families with older adults experienced problems paying medical bills, and 8.9% had forgone medical care. The most common composition for older-adult families was one older adult living alone (39.7%). Older-adult families consisting of only two older adults were the least likely to have experienced problems paying medical bills (4.0%) and to have forgone medical care (3.8%) compared with other family compositions. Older-adult families with at least one child were the most likely to experience problems paying medical bills (21.3%) and to have forgone medical care (18.4%). After adjusting for selected family characteristics in multivariate analyses, the odds of experiencing problems paying medical bills and forgone medical care weakened for all family compositions but remained significantly lower for families with two older adults. Conclusion-Among families with older adults, financial burdens of medical care vary based on family composition.Shingles is a painful rash caused by the varicella zoster virus (1). Persons of all ages are at risk for shingles. However, this risk and the risk of complications increase with age (1,2). Vaccines have been developed to prevent shingles, and beginning in 2017, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that all adults aged 50 and over be vaccinated (3). Prior to this change, ACIP had recommended that only adults aged 60 and over receive a shingles vaccine (3). This report describes trends in shingles vaccination as well as variation by demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics among adults aged 60 and over.Objectives-This report presents changes in state-specific birth rates for teenagers between 2017 and 2018 by race and Hispanic origin of mother. Methods-Data are from birth certificates of the 50 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). read more Teen birth rates, the number of births to females aged 15-19 per 1,000 females aged 15-19, are shown by state for all births and for non-Hispanic single-race white, non-Hispanic single-race black, and Hispanic females for 2017 and 2018. Results-Birth rates for females aged 15-19 declined in 38 states between 2017 and 2018; nonsignificant declines were reported in eight additional states and D.C. Among non-Hispanic white teenagers, rates declined in 29 states between 2017 and 2018; nonsignificant declines were reported in 16 additional states. Teen birth rates for non-Hispanic black females declined in 10 states between 2017 and 2018; nonsignificant declines were seen in 21 additional states and D.C. For Hispanic teenagers, birth rates declined in 10 states between 2017 and 2018; nonsignificant declines were reported in 30 additional states and D.C. The magnitude of change between 2017 and 2018 varied by state for each race and Hispanic-origin group.To determine whether policies to limit transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hinder spread of other infectious diseases, we analyzed the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan. Rates of other infections were significantly lower after SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures were announced. This finding can be applied to cost-effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 prevention.We report detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in hemodialysis effluent from a patient in Japan with coronavirus disease and prolonged inflammation. Healthcare workers should observe strict standard and contact precautions and use appropriate personal protective equipment when handling hemodialysis circuitry from patients with diagnosed coronavirus disease.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 did not replicate efficiently in 13 bat cell lines, whereas severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus replicated efficiently in kidney cells of its ancestral host, the Rhinolophus sinicus bat, suggesting different evolutionary origins. Structural modeling showed that RBD/RsACE2 binding may contribute to the differential cellular tropism.