Painful symptom of latest Covid variant identified
A notable symptom associated with Nimbus is an incredibly painful "razor blade throat," though other symptoms are typical of Covid infection.
Experts state that despite its rapid spread, the Nimbus variant does not appear to be more severe than previous strains.
The variant's quick transmissibility is attributed to genetic mutations that allow it to bind easily to human cells.
The World Health Organization has designated Nimbus as a "variant under monitoring" and considers the global public health risk to be low, with current vaccines expected to remain effective.
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Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Trump's spending bill will likely boost costs for insurers, shrink Medicaid coverage
NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's spending bill is set to raise administrative costs and make managing costs more difficult for insurers like UnitedHealthcare and CVS Health's Aetna that operate Medicaid health plans, experts say. As a result, those insurers will likely pull back their Medicaid coverage and invest more in existing markets to retain their healthier members, experts said. States contract with insurers, including UnitedHealth Group's (UNH.N), opens new tab UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health's (CVS.N), opens new tab Aetna, Centene (CNC.N), opens new tab and Molina (MOH.N), opens new tab, to operate Medicaid plans that are jointly funded by state and federal governments. Almost all of Molina's and nearly half of Centene's insurance business is composed of Medicaid members. That portion is smaller for Aetna and UnitedHealthcare which operate large commercial businesses. Seven industry experts say the bill's funding cuts and its stipulation requiring states to verify patients' work status deliver a blow to insurers. The provision in Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires low-income adults, in states that have expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, to prove every six months that they meet work requirements in order to maintain coverage. State Medicaid departments, grappling with scant operational teams, will have a difficult time carrying out verification protocols, five industry experts said. "The expectation is that states are going to have to be ready by 2026 or 2027, and that's a fast turnaround window," said Nikita Singareddy, CEO of healthcare platform Fortuna Health. A spokesperson for Centene said it would work with federal and state partners to help patients navigate change. A spokesperson for CVS Health declined to comment. UnitedHealth Group and Molina did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. For insurers, the disruptions could result in more sick people enrolled in the Medicaid plans they operate on behalf of the government because those who are more ill are likely to complete the verification process because they have an immediate need for healthcare, industry experts and an investor said. The Congressional Budget Office estimated Medicaid policy changes in the bill could leave 7.8 million people uninsured by 2034. Mass disenrollments could begin in 2027 on a rolling basis, according to an expert at a state policy organization. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. States may choose to pay companies operating health plans at lower rates due to funding cuts, said Eric Levine, a principal consultant at Avalere Health. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, insurers have said the rates they are paid by states have not caught up to actual cost of care. Disenrollments of healthy people may exacerbate this misalignment, leading to inaccurate rates paid to plans and squeezed profit margins, according to a spokesperson for a national insurance trade organization and an investor. If insurers find the fallout from these changes daunting, they are likely to exit certain markets or pull back on bidding or competing for footprints in new areas. "Insurers will continue to be more cautious about not just entering any new states, but retrenching just in the states where they have the highest market share, most scale and more profitable business," said Jeff Jonas, a portfolio manager at Gabelli Funds, which owns shares of UnitedHealth Group. In an effort to keep healthier patients that drive profits enrolled, insurers may employ plan design changes ahead of the bill's finalization, adding perks that can make enrollment more appealing. This could help insurers retain and attract healthy members, according to Matt Salo, CEO of Salo Health Strategies and founding director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors and two other policy experts. Hosting volunteer events and job or educational search services are strategies insurers may use to engage members and reduce losses, said Levine. Health plans are also expected to boost transportation benefits and other social-need benefits for low-income Americans. Jonas and a spokesperson for a national health insurer say this programming will boost administrative costs in the short-term.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Tired eyes? This Korean depuffing eye gel visibly reduces dark circles and eye bags in just TWO weeks: 'I can see a huge difference!'
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more If you spend the majority of your day staring at screens, or always running just a little bit low on sleep, you know the pain of puffy, tired eyes. Instead of spending every morning coating concealer upon concealer on your under eye, why not solve the problem for good? Enter the belif Aqua Bomb Depuffing Eye Gel — now available at Ulta. belif Aqua Bomb Depuffing Eye Gel This depuffing eye gel visibly reduces eye bags and brightens dark circles, in just two weeks. It packs ingredients like caffeine, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid. The cooling applicator tip also feels great on the under-eye area, and gives your eyes the energy boost they need every morning. $32 Shop The Belif eye gel uses a Korean skincare formula like no other. It has caffeine, hyaluronic acid, and a cooling ceramic tip to immediately depuff and soothe tired eyes. This skincare cream also hydrates around your eyes, brightens dark circles, and plumps fine lines. Belif also mentions that using this eye gel will help improve the look of eye bags over time. In fact, the belif Aqua Bomb was clinically tested, and users found a change in the appearance of eye bags in just two weeks. It even plumps and depuffs significantly in just two weeks. To use, all you need is a pea-sized dollop of this eye gel. Apply it gently to your under eye area, from the inner to outer corners. You can also apply it to your eyelid if needed. You'll want to use it in the morning, but you can use it both day and night if you need to. It's made from clean ingredients too, and works well for all skin types. Plus, since it's just 0.5 ounces, you can easily travel with it in your handbag — no more getting off red-eye flights looking tired and worn out. This eye gel is your rescue. Ulta Beauty shoppers seem to love it too, giving it a 4.4-star rating. 'I notice a VISIBLE difference in the puffiness of my eyes when using this in the morning. Perfect for doing a gentle massage around the eye/brow bone area when I have a tension headache from staring at a screen as well,' says one shopper. Another mentions how it helped reduce the appearance of dark circles: 'In just a few days I noticed the brightening effects, with the darkness and fine veins in my under eyes almost invisible. It depuffs within about 10 min and with consistent morning and evening use my undereyes stay in good shape.' 'I use this twice a day and have for a week. I can see a huge difference already! I have a line under both eyes that is now almost all gone,' says a third. If you suffer from baggy under eyes or dark circles, this belif eye gel is your easy solution. Use it daily to see a change in just two weeks!
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Fears measles outbreak will ‘spread like wildfire' after child dies and doctors warn all parents to be vigilant
FEARS of measles spreading like wildfire are growing after a child infected with the virus died amid plunging vaccine rates. The youngster was a patient at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital, which has seen 17 cases in the past few weeks. 3 3 Infections are increasing across the country, as low MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination rates leave children vulnerable. Doctors are urging parents to get their kids jabbed, as the risk of infection rises with increased travel and social mixing over the summer holiday. Major outbreaks in Birmingham and London contributed to 2,911 measles cases in England last year, the highest number since 2012. The child who died, whose name and gender were not revealed, was thought to have had other serious health problems. It was not clear whether they were vaccinated. So far this year there have been 529 confirmed cases in England, with 109 in the month to July 3. Professor Matt Ashton, Liverpool's director of public health, said: "I'm extremely worried the potential is there for measles to really grab hold in our community. "My concern is the unprotected population and it spreading like wildfire. It's really important people understand the seriousness of this." The UK's MMR two-dose vaccination rate has slumped to its lowest levels for ten years 84 per cent, which is well below the 95 per cent needed for herd immunity. Reported measles cases in the US have also reached a 33-year high, this year with three dead, including two unvaccinated healthy children. Powerful new video urges all parents to protect their children from surge of deadly Victorian disease as millions 'at risk' Most cases improve within a week, but measles can cause serious complications. This includes pneumonia, seizures, meningitis, encephalitis and blindness if it spreads to the lungs. In rare cases, it can lead to subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal brain disorder, which develops years - sometimes decades - after infection. The UK was granted it's 'measles-free' status with the World Health Organisation in 2016, but lost it in 2019 after a surge in cases. Prof Helen Bedford, of University College London, said: "During the summer holidays people are on the move. Unprotected children are at risk travelling within the country or more widely." Meanwhile, Professor Ian Jones, an expert in virology at the University of Reading, added: "If measles is circulating in the community because of low vaccination rates, sooner or later it will find its way to kids who are already unwell, where the infection can be catastrophic. 3 "While deaths from measles in the developed world are rare, the risk can be entirely discharged by vaccination and the lead Alder Hey have taken to vaccinate kids entering A&E is admirable. "But the community message is the one to reiterate. "Get your kids vaccinated, both for your own kids' sake and to prevent the virus reaching those who are more vulnerable." In Liverpool, only 73 per cent of children aged five have received the necessary two shots, while in parts of London uptake is below 65 per cent. By contrast, almost all children have received both doses of the MMR vaccine by the age of five in Rutland (97.6 per cent) and Northumberland (95 per cent), the latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows. According to The Sunday Times, the death of a child in Liverpool is to the second fatality from an acute measles infection over the last decade in the UK. Last week, public health officials wrote an open letter to parents in the region, urging them to get their children vaccinated. Expert answers MMR questions TO help deal with parental concerns, Professor Helen Bedford, a specialist in child public health at University College London, tells you all you need to know about the MMR vaccine. When is the vaccine given? The MMR vaccine is part of the NHS Routine Childhood Immunisation Programme. It's typically given via a single shot into the muscle of the thigh or the upper arm. The first dose is offered to children at the age of one (babies younger than this may have some protection from antibodies passed on from their mother, which start to wear off at about 12 months.) The second dose is then offered to children aged three years and four months before they start school. To check to see if you or your child have had the recommended two doses of MMR, you can look at their/your Personal Child Health Record, also known as the red book. If you can't find the red book, call your GP and ask them for your vaccine records. You are never too old to catch up with your MMR vaccine. If you see from your vaccination records that you did not receive two doses as a child, you can book a vaccination appointment. Is the vaccine safe? The MMR vaccine is safe and effective at preventing measles, mumps and rubella. In the UK, we started using the jab in 1988, so we have decades of experience using it. The jab is made from much-weakened live versions of the three viruses. This triggers the immune system to produce antibodies that are protective in the face of future exposure. It takes up to three weeks after having the vaccine to be fully protected. Like any vaccine, the MMR jab can cause side-effects, which are usually mild and go away very quickly. This includes rash, high temperature, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell for about two or three days. There is also a very small chance children can have a severe allergic reaction. But compared to the complications of measles, there is no contest that vaccination is by far the safest and most effective route to take. Why was it linked with autism? In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues published a now-discredited paper in medical journal The Lancet. The paper suggested that the MMR vaccine might be associated with autism and a form of bowel disease. It led to a sharp decline in vaccination rates. Even at the time, the research was considered poor. The Lancet retracted the story in 2010 after Wakefield's article was found 'dishonest' by the General Medical Council. He was later struck off and subsequently, in 2011, the British Medical Journal declared the story fraudulent. Does it contain ingredients from pigs? There are two types of MMR jabs: One with gelatin (animal/pig collagen), and one without it. For some religious groups, the inclusion of pig products is not acceptable. Those people should ask for the vaccine without gelatin.
