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Is it healthy to sleep with the window open?

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Sleeping with the window open is considered to be a fairly popular choice amongst many individuals, especially for those who live in fairly quiet areas. Such a minimal habit you do every night could impact the way you sleep and your overall health.

Keeping a window open can often lead to a cool breeze and some ambient noise that can help to guide people into an even deeper sleep. If you don’t regularly sleep with the window open because it could disturb your slumber, you may want to think ahead to opening the window before you head to sleep tonight.

Some studies are actually showing that opening up a window before you go to bed can have some major health benefits. Here are some of the top reasons why sleeping with the window open can be essential for your health:

  1. Getting a deeper sleep: According to a Dutch sleep study of 17 participants, even a small crack in your window before you go to sleep can often lead to a more restful night. Fresh air as you are falling asleep can help you to fall into a more restful sleep and enjoy better airflow throughout the night. Getting more oxygen can help you feel more rested and this leads to more energy from a regular sleeping cycle.
  2. Less CO2 in your air quality: A room that has better ventilation leads to less CO2 that you will be inhaling throughout the evening. Shutting your doors and windows for privacy and to save energy may not be the healthiest solution for us after all. Improved concentrations of CO2 as we sleep at night can often lead to more allergens in the air, toxins that can affect our immune system, and more.
  3. Reduction in air pollution: Opening up a window can really help with reducing air pollution over time. Getting more air circulating through your home can create a living environment that is much safer for you and your family. Improved air quality can give you more energy through the day and it can cut down on dust throughout your home too.
  4. Potentially help you lose weight: Some experts would suggest that keeping your room just a few degrees cooler can prevent diabetes and obesity. A cooler room can help you to enjoy better sleep which will help you to burn more calories throughout the day. Sleeping in a room that’s a little bit cooler could be a secret that helping you lose weight a bit faster.
  5. Improve your home ventilation: If you regularly rely on your furnace fan to provide you with ventilation through your home, opening up a window could help to improve your indoor air quality. This can lead to better efficiency for your home as well as better overall air quality throughout your property. Rather than the maximum amount of airflow having to go through one conduit, you can make sure that you are getting a better flow of air in and out of your home. Recycling the air will help you enjoy a far better experience in your property, plus cheaper utility cost!

If you are interested in enjoying a far better night’s sleep, consider opening up a window before you go to bed tonight. With consistency and making this a natural habit, you could potentially find great health benefits overtime.

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Covid-19

Biotech Company based in Washington Advances COVID-19 Treatment Trials

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Companies across the globe are working on finding treatments for COVID-19 patients, and the latest is from CytoDyn Inc. The Washington-based biotech has developed a possible COVID-19 treatment and is one step closer to nationwide distribution if clinical trials are successful.

CytoDyn Inc. announced Monday that it made an exclusive deal with the pharmaceutical company American Regent to distribute its latest product, leronlimab, by approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Leronlimab is currently under review by the FDA as a treatment for HIV. The drug is an antibody that attaches itself to specific immune cell receptors HIV agents. Studies from CytoDyn indicated it could be effective in slowing the speed of inflammatory molecules production.

The effects of COVID-19 can cause lung complications in patients that can lead to various respiratory illnesses. CytoDyn hopes to be used soon to treat a potentially fatal condition called Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by inflammation in the lungs, as seen in several COVID-19 patients. The company announced last month it had recruited 75 patients for a Phase 2 trial studying leronlimab’s effects on COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms.

According to CytoDyn, results from 390 COVID-19 patients’ clinical trials should be complete by the end of July. The most common side effects of leronlimab in HIV trials were diarrhea, headaches, and high blood pressure, based on a National Institute for Health report. 

The World Health Organization reported there are 19 potential candidates for a COVID-19 vaccine as of July 6. 

Other forms of treatment for COVID-19 patients are still being reviewed for their efficiency from antiviral drugs to ventilators depending on the severity of symptoms in patients. 

Sources: 

  1. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/03/07/how-pharma-companies-are-fighting-against-covid-19/
  2. https://www.cytodyn.com/newsroom/press-releases/detail/446/cytodyns-leronlimab-prevents-transmission-of-shiv-in
  3. https://www.thecentersquare.com/washington/washington-based-biotech-company-advances-covid-19-treatment-trials/article_874c8308-bfb8-11ea-aefd-cba60d46adc0.html
  4. https://www.americanregent.com/
  5. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/05/14/how-does-covid-19-affect-the-lungs/
  6. https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/drugs/423/leronlimab/0/patient
  7. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines
  8. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/what-coronavirus-does-to-the-lungs
  9. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/draft-landscape-of-covid-19-candidate-vaccines
  10. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/04/22/st-joseph-hospital-testing-remdesivir-on-coronavirus-patients/

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Covid-19

California Places Orange County on Coronavirus Watch List

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Monday, state health officials placed Orange County on a watch list along with other counties at risk possibly facing new lockdown orders. According to the analysis, California’s Dept. of Public Health cited outbreaks at assisted living facilities, memory care facilities, and other communal homes in Orange County as key drivers behind the rise in positive coronavirus tests and an upturn in hospitalizations.

Orange County leaders have an action plan they can follow created by the state health department to help slow the disease and avoid renewed lockdown orders. 

There are 19 counties in California including Orange County that have been added to the state’s monitoring list. This closely tracks metrics such as rates of new 100,000 residents, averages of positive tests, and new hospitalizations

In recent weeks, the spread of coronavirus in Orange County has moved closer to surpassing key criteria outlined by the state to identify troubled counties. Monday, June 29, the county reached 108.9 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, surpassing the state’s threshold of 100. The rate of positive tests, 9.2% on Monday, exceeding the state’s limit of 8%. Orange County initially surpassed the state’s testing positivity limit on Friday with 8.5%.

According to Health Care Agency data, there are currently 485 people with COVID-19 in Orange County hospitals, a 66% increase since June 1, when local hospitals had 292 COVID-19 patients. Orange County could face renewed lockdowns that could again limit non-essential businesses’ operations if the rise in hospitalization and other metrics are not reversed. 

Before resorting to these measures in the county, state health officials want local leaders to work on a multi-part plan to tamp down the county’s infection rate. Recommended methods include raising public messaging about the importance of social distancing, small to no gatherings, and wearing face masks in public.

State health officials want Orange County to provide more coronavirus testing sites and take more active steps to educate skilled nursing facilities and communities with high case rates on infection control practices and the proper use of protective equipment. Marc Meulman, chief of operations of the Health Care Agency’s Public Health Services, said the agency worked with the state in drafting the action steps. However, no state resources will be dedicated to implementing them.

Bernadette Boden-Albala, dean of UC Irvine’s public health program and an expert in social epidemiology, stated early in the pandemic Orange County residents did an excellent job heeding public health slowing the virus’s spread. Boden-Albala added the urgent issue now is coronavirus-related hospitalizations are increasing while patients with other conditions are starting to return to hospitals. On Wednesday, June 24, Orange County’s hospitals were 65% full, according to an Orange County Emergency Medical Services report

Sources: 

  1. https://www.ocregister.com/2020/06/29/state-puts-orange-county-on-coronavirus-watch-list/
  2. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/CountyMonitoringDataStep2.aspx
  3. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID19CountyDataTable.aspx
  4. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/03/21/coronavirus-update-california-issued-statewide-stay-at-home-order/
  5. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/06/20/gov-newsom-issues-new-face-mask-order-for-californians/
  6. https://www.ochealthinfo.com/about/admin/contacts
  7. https://directory.uci.edu/people/bbodenal
  8. https://www.healthdisasteroc.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=116352

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Covid-19

Breathalyzer Can Detect COVID-19 in Seconds

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Diagnostic tests used to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 usually involve a deep nasal swab to obtain enough fluid samples. After the sample is collected, it is then transferred to a laboratory machine for processing with the results usually available hours or even days after. There are five-minute tests on the market, but those still require an expensive machine at each testing site.

Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a breathalyzer that can detect metabolites related to a COVID-19 infection within fifteen seconds. This technology could be utilized for mass screenings of travelers at airports, those attending large public events, and any facility taking precautions in preventing infections

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Perena Gouma, the lead developer of the new device, announced that breath analysis is not a technique widely used in the medical field yet, so it’s considered early-stage work. She stated the team has a sensor device that can detect oxide and VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in breath and can be used to tell you about the onset of an infectious disease

The new breathalyzer can screen two other metabolites along with nitric oxide that are related to COVID-19. Since the device indicated the metabolite concentrations, it may also help with disease monitoring to assess progression. The new device relies on new nanomaterials that can trap and measure the relevant gases being analyzed.

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The technology required for the device is inexpensive to manufacture, and anyone can perform a test using the breathalyzer. After the test is complete, the results are displayed on the device within fifteen seconds and do not need any interpretation. 

Gouma stated that researchers are working on making these devices hand-held monitors that will be widely distributed and inexpensive. She added that the technology evolved from the sensors used for monitoring gases in an automotive exhaust

Link to Source

Sources:

  1. https://wordofhealth.com/2020/05/07/new-crispr-test-for-covid-19-could-be-a-simple-at-home-diagnostic-test-according-to-scientists/
  2. https://www.medgadget.com/2020/06/breathalyzer-to-detect-covid-19-in-seconds.html
  3. https://news.osu.edu/ohio-state-researchers-testing-breathalyzer-to-detect-covid-19/
  4. https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/volatile-organic-compounds

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