Category: Health

(NEW YORK) — People who were diagnosed with severe COVID-19 infections from the first wave of the pandemic could face double the risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study has found.

The study, published this week in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology and supported by the National Institutes of Health, found the elevated risk could last for up to three years

Researchers focused on the long-term cardiovascular risks for unvaccinated people who were sick with the virus during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and 2020.

Compared to someone who never had COVID-19, the likelihood of heart attack, stroke and death doubled for anyone who was ever ill with the virus, and was four times higher for people who required hospitalization, the study found.

The elevated danger persisted for more than three years after the initial infection, which, according to the study, posed a serious cardiovascular threat comparable to that of type 2 diabetes.

“Findings suggest severe COVID-19 infection as a catastrophic component,” Dr. Hooman Allayee, the study’s principal investigator, told ABC News. “Cardiovascular mortality trends from 2010 to 2019 were steadily going down. Then, all of a sudden, between 2020 and 2022, ten years of work [was] completely wiped out because of COVID-19.”

People with blood types A, B and AB were especially vulnerable to increased cardiovascular risk from COVID-19, while people with type O blood had a reduced chance of facing such issues, according to the study.

“Blood type is known to be associated with heart attack and stroke risk,” said Allayee, who is a professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. “If your blood type is A, B or AB, the virus is more likely to infect you and makes these blood cells open to viral entry.”

The study analyzed individuals from the UK Biobank, a large medical database consisting primarily of data taken from older, wealthier and predominantly white participants. However, similar studies looking at other populations came to nearly identical conclusions, according to Allayee.

The study emphasized the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations, Allayee said.

“No matter what vaccine you got, just six months after the vaccination or the booster, the chance of heart attack and stroke went down,” he said. “But immunity wanes over time, which is why you need the boosters. If not, you could be susceptible to getting severe COVID again.”

Anyone who has ever had a severe COVID-19 infection, especially if they required a hospital stay, should discuss the potentially increased health hazards caused by the virus with their health care provider, Allayee stressed.

“Talk to your doctor and start the discussion with your physician,” he said. “It’s not going away, so we have to start talking about it. Stay on top of your vaccinations and boosters and get regular check-ups.”

Mahir Qureshi, M.D. is an internal medicine physician resident at Cooper University Hospital and a member of the ABC Medical Unit.

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(ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.) — Residents of St. Petersburg — on Florida’s central-west coast — were temporarily left without clean drinking water after a water main break occurred during Hurricane Milton.

City officials said the break caused them to shut off potable water services at 12 a.m. ET on Thursday until repairs could be made.

“Residents and businesses should prepare for this temporary shutdown, which is expected to last until the necessary repairs can be completed,” the city said in a release.

“Repairs to the water line will begin once it is safe for crews to be outside. Affected areas may already be experiencing low water pressure or service interruptions,” the release continued.

By Thursday afternoon, officials said potable water service was back but that pressure may be low.

Additionally, officials said a helicopter from the Sheriff’s Office in Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg is located, was assisting in searching for water main leaks.

Typically, water distribution systems are kept under enough pressure that, even when there are cracks, dirty water and contaminants are unable to get in. However, when a water main breaks, system pressure drops and pathogens are allowed to seep in.

“When water main breaks, we can see the obvious water coming out, and we think, ‘Oh, we’re losing water.’ But what’s happening in other areas of the system is the pressure is going down,” Dr. Sandra McLellan, a distinguished professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences, told ABC News.

“What is in the soils can seep into the pipes. … If there’s a water main break and there’s a lot of flooding or a lot of rainwater, then all of that sewage that’s kind of sitting around these pipes and in the soil can seep into our drinking water systems,” she continued.

Some of the contaminants may be visible to the naked eye and just lead to discoloration or cloudy water. Other containments may not visible and lead to serious illnesses including E. coli or norovirus.

McLellan said people may not realize their drinking water is contaminated until they experience symptoms of illness.

“There’s no real way to easily test for pathogens in the water because they’re kind of at low levels,” she said. “So it isn’t that everybody’s going to get sick, but, if 100 people drink the water, chances are one or two people may be drinking a part of the water that contains those pathogens.”

Dr. Norman Beatty, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine and an infectious disease physician, told ABC News that ingesting bacteria found in storm surge waters can lead to diarrheal illnesses, but can progress to sepsis in some and lead to hospitalization.”

The city issued a boil water notice for water used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth and said it will remain in place as repairs continue.

Beatty recommends using bottled water until the water is drinkable or boiling water.

“When boiling water, start the timer once you reach a rolling boil and after one minute, let the water cool naturally. If water is cloudy, let is settle and then filter through a clean coffee filter paper or clean cloth,” he said.

McLellan said after a main break, crews will dig up the street, fix the pipes and restore pressure. She added that after pressure is restored, one flushing of the pipes should restore clean drinking water.

If people are worried about their water supply, she recommended they use a pitcher with a home water filter before drinking tap water.

“I think people think, ‘Oh, if my water’s off, of course there’s a problem. But if my water’s on, the water will be safe,'” she said. “But we really have to remember, in areas where there’s hurricanes, there’s certainly damage that could happen, so it’s better to be on the safe side.”

On Wednesday evening, St. Petersburg officials also turned off power to two sewer treatment plants in the northeast and southwest part of the to protect employees and the facilities from potential storm surges.

As of Thursday morning, sewer services were back online, and city crews were out inspecting and re-energizing both plants.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday night.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday morning that the hurricane “thankfully” spared the state from “the worst-case scenario” but that flooding Is expected to continue over the next several days.

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(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first over-the-counter combination COVID-19 and flu test outside of emergency use on Monday evening.

This means the Healgen Rapid Check COVID-19/Flu A&B Antigen Test is available without a prescription. The FDA said the test is for those who are experiencing respiratory symptoms.

While there are other over-the-counter combination tests currently available, this is the first to be marketed to consumers using the traditional approval pathway outside of a public health emergency.

The new combination test uses a nasal swab sample to deliver at-home results for COVID-19 and influenza in approximately 15 minutes.

Healgen’s test detects proteins from both SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19, and influenza A and B, which are the viruses that cause flu.

“As we enter this year’s annual flu season with respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 on many of our minds, our ability to detect these pathogens effectively and efficiently can be impactful on our daily lives,” said Dr. Michelle Tarver, acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, in a statement. “Today’s authorization expands the options for individuals with respiratory symptoms to receive information about their health from the comfort of their home.”

“The FDA continues to take actions that support the development and availability of at-home tests for a variety of medical conditions,” the statement continued.

The test is for use by people 14 and older who can take their own sample, or those 2 and older, who have a sample taken by an adult, according to the federal health agency.

Data reviewed by the FDA found the test correctly identified 99% of negative and 92% of positive COVID samples. Additionally, the test correctly identified 99.9% of negative flu samples, and 92.5% and 90.5% of positive flu samples, respectively.

Like other over-the-counter COVID-19 antigen tests, the FDA says a positive test result likely means a patient is positive while a negative rest result may require a confirmation test.

However, people who test negative and continue to experience symptoms including cough, fever and shortness of breath should follow up with their health care provider, the FDA says. Similarity, the FDA says those who test positive should take appropriate precautions to avoid spreading either virus and should also follow up with their health care provider.

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(ATLANTA) — The Georgia state Supreme Court reinstated the state’s six-week abortion ban on Monday after a lower court allowed abortions to resume in the state.

The ruling goes into effect at 5 p.m. ET and will remain in place while the court hears the state’s appeal, which was filed by Christopher Carr, the state’s Republican attorney general.

Justice John J. Ellington dissented in part, arguing against the ban being reinstated before the state’s appeal is heard.

“Fundamentally, the State should not be in the business of enforcing laws that have been determined to violate fundamental rights guaranteed to millions of individuals under the Georgia Constitution,” he wrote. “The ‘status quo’ that should be maintained is the state of the law before the challenged laws took effect.”

On Sept. 30, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that the ban was unconstitutional, writing in his decision that the Georgia state constitution guaranteed the right to “liberty,” which includes a “woman’s right to control what happens to and within her body.” The state appealed the decision two days later.

The ban, which was signed into law in 2019 by Gov. Brian Kemp, prevents abortions from being performed once fetal cardiac activity can be defected, which typically occurs at about six weeks’ gestation — before many women know they’re pregnant — and redefines the word “person” in Georgia to include an embryo or fetus at any stage of development.

There are exceptions for rape or incest until 20 weeks of pregnancy as long as the victim has reported the crime to the police. Additionally, a patient can have an abortion up until 20 weeks if the fetus has defects and would not be able to survive or if the patient’s life is in danger.

The ban was blocked in court but was reinstated after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in 2022.

“Seeing state politicians show such little empathy or respect for Georgians’ health and lives only doubles our resolve to keep fighting until every person has the freedom to make personal medical decisions during pregnancy and the power to chart the course of their own lives,” Julia Kaye, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, a litigator on the case, said in a statement.

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(NEW YORK) — Dr. Lisa Newman, the chief of the section of breast surgery at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, sat down with ABC News to discuss breast cancer prevention, early screenings and diagnosis discrepancies.

A new American Cancer Society report, released in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, finds that breast cancer mortality rates overall have dropped by 44% since 1989, averting about 517,900 breast cancer deaths. However, not all women have benefited from this progress.

ABC News discussed the issue with Newman, who provided more context.

ABC NEWS: Dr. Lisa Newman, chief of the section of breast surgery at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Newman, thank you so much for joining us. So overall, are you encouraged or concerned by this report?

DR. LISA NEWMAN: Well, thank you for this attention to such a major problem of breast cancer. As you mentioned, it is rising in incidence in American women. So we are very gratified to see these continued declines in breast cancer mortality rates. This is a testimony to our successes with breast health awareness, early detection through screening mammography programs and wonderful advances that we’ve made in treatment.

But as you also noted, we are still seeing some rather appalling and disturbing trends in the breast cancer statistics. It’s very concerning to us that the rates of breast cancer are rising for young women, women younger than the age of 50. And this is for a variety of reasons. We are also seeing very concerning disparities in the burden of breast cancer and, in particular, breast cancer death rates continue to be significantly higher for African-American women and for Black women younger than the age of 50.

ABC NEWS: As far as the disparities with regard to ethnic groups, which we also discussed, why the increase there as well?

NEWMAN: Yeah. The disparities in breast cancer burden are also secondary to some complex factors with the disproportionate mortality rates that we see in Black women. We know that this is going to be explained heavily by socioeconomic disadvantages that are more prevalent in the African-American community, and African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced breast cancers because of delays in diagnosis.

Black women are more likely to have delays in initiation of treatment, and there are some tumor biology questions that we need to evaluate in research, as well. A lot of the research that I do actually looks at the breast cancer burden of women with African ancestry. And we do know that African ancestry in and of itself increases the likelihood of getting biologically aggressive forms of breast cancer and getting breast cancer at younger ages. So we need to address that, these socioeconomic disparities, but we also need more research to understand these biological differences.

ABC NEWS: And we saw that we’re just seeing that trend of an increase year after year. What can we do to, to try and bring these numbers down?

NEWMAN: Being aware of breast health is very important and making sure that you get screened regularly. For average risk women, The American Society of Breast Surgeons advocates in favor of getting yearly mammograms starting at age 40. If you have a strong family history, you should consider getting genetic testing, because if you do have inherited predisposition for breast cancer, you may need to start getting your mammograms at even younger ages.

ABC NEWS: The good news that we see here in this report: The mortality rate has dropped in the last year compared to 35 years ago. What do you attribute that to?

NEWMAN: Yeah. Very exciting to see that the mortality rates are declining. This is secondary to women advocating more forcefully for themselves and getting screened regularly. Women also, we want to remind women that mammograms aren’t perfect. And so women do indeed need to be aware of the potential danger signs of breast cancer, such as a new lump in the breast, lump in the underarm, bloody nipple discharge, changes in the skin appearance of the breast like swelling, a rash.

ABC NEWS: And what are some basic things that all women can do to protect themselves? You mentioned diet, for example. What kinds of food or diet would be helpful with this?

NEWMAN: Well, a good way to look at it is in terms of the holistic picture and in general, the dietary patterns that are good for cardiovascular health are good for breast health. So a diet that has lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in it, minimizing fat intake, minimizing alcohol intake, alcohol has also been associated with breast cancer risk.

ABC NEWS: Such important and lifesaving information. Dr. Newman, thank you very much for coming on the show.

NEWMAN: Thank you.

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(DURHAM, N.C.) — As hospitals and health care facilities work to get back up and running after Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend, affecting several states, the medical supply chain could be at risk.

Baxter International, a health care and medical technology company, announced this week that it must close its largest plant in North Carolina due to flooding and destruction caused by the hurricane.

The plant, located in North Cove, 60 miles northeast of Asheville, primarily manufactures IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis solutions, according to Baxter. It is the largest manufacturer of such solutions in the U.S., employing more than 2,500 people, the company said.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Helene,” José Almeida, chair, president and CEO of Baxter, said in a statement. “The safety of our employees, their families, and the communities in which we operate remains our utmost concern, and we are committed to helping ensure a reliable supply of products to patients.”

“Remediation efforts are already underway, and we will spare no resource – human or financial – to resume production and help ensure patients and providers have the products they need,” the statement continued.

Baxter said it implemented a hurricane preparedness plan ahead of Helene, which included evacuation plans for staff and moving products to higher ground or to secure storage. However, heavy rainfall and storm surge “triggered a levee breach,” which led to flooding in the facility.

Among those impacted by the Baxter plant closing is Duke University Health System (DUHS), in Durham, North Carolina, according to William Trophi, DUHS interim president vice president of supply chain.

“[Baxter has] published their action items, and they have announced to us that they’re putting a hold on all distribution for 48 hours to understand what they have in their supply line, and then they’re going to be setting up pretty strict allocations based on prior usage to make sure that everyone is getting their fair share based on their volume and their needs,” he told ABC News.

Trophi said DUHS and Duke University have not seen major disruption to their supply chain following Helene’s landfall, but notes there may be delays in the future if the Baxter plant closure lasts for several weeks, if more plants close, and depending on how long the dockworkers’ strike on the East Coast and the Gulf Coast lasts.

“What we’re doing internally is we’re looking at conservation models, so similar with our IV solutions, we’re going to look at what can we be doing differently to treat our patients in a safe, effective manner to conserve IV solutions,” he said. “And we’ll start to look at other high, critical, sensitive items that could be impacted by this, and look at what can we be doing differently to conserve the way in which we treat our patients in a safe, effective manner.”

Paul Biddinger, chief preparedness and continuity officer for the Boston-based Mass General Brigham health care system, told ABC News that facilities typically begin stockpiling and taking inventory of supplies prior to a natural disaster. After the event has happened, health care centers will work to identify what products are affected by supply chain issues and which patients are using the products.

In the case of the Baxter plant, the products are primarily used by kidney patients, cardiac patients and urologic patients, Biddinger said, adding that hospitals and other health care facilities will typically try to conserve as much of the affected product as possible, and will also investigate any alternatives or substitutions for the product.

“If the shortage is so severe that we just can’t continue with normal usage, even with conservation, then we have to start a process of allocating across our clinical services, of course, prioritizing lifesaving care and emergency care, and then going down our list for more scheduled or more elective kinds of procedures,” Biddinger said.

Samantha Penta, an associate professor of emergency management and homeland security at the University at Albany in New York, said one really important factor to consider when understanding the implications of Hurricane Helene is just how large the affected area is.

“We’re not just talking about a couple of counties. We’re not even just talking about one state. This has affected multiple states very significantly,” she told ABC News. “One of the things that organizations, in general, including hospitals, long-term care facilities and like – really, anything in the health care sector – does, is you can rely on neighboring facilities.”

Penta said if health care facilities need to send patients to a neighboring facility because they’re running low on supplies or space, or if their facility is damaged, they typically can do so. The same holds true if one facility is running low on supplies; another facility might send them some of their reserves as part of a mutual aid agreement.

But in the case of Helene, “effectively, the people who need help, their neighbors are also being affected. So, any given hospital, the closest hospitals to them, are likely dealing with the same issues,” Penta said. “That further complicates it, because things have to come from even farther away, whether that’s working within a network or ordering from different vendors.”

Over the weekend, North Carolina became the latest state to have a public health emergency declared by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) in response to Hurricane Helene.

The HHS’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response deployed about 200 personnel to the state, including Health Care Situational Assessment teams to evaluate the storm’s impact on health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis centers, and Disaster Medical Assistance teams to help state and local health workers provide care.

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(NEW YORK) — Breast cancer deaths have fallen by 44% compared to 35 years ago, saving nearly 520,000 lives, according to a new report by the American Cancer Society.

The dramatic decrease is a major milestone in the fight against breast cancer, according to Dr. Lisa Newman, a co-author of the report, released on Tuesday, the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“This decline is evidence of our success in better treatments for breast cancer, especially with targeted treatments,” Newman, chief of the section of breast surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, told ABC News.

Beyond advances in care, Newman noted that mammography has also played a crucial role in detecting cancer earlier.

In April, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated their guidelines, recommending that women at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years starting at age 40.

However, screening isn’t perfect, Newman stressed.

Women should watch for new lumps, skin changes, and nipple changes, including unusual discharge, pain, and redness.

Even if the last mammogram is clear, women should discuss any changes with a healthcare provider.

Steepest rise in new cases among women under 50

Though breast cancer deaths have dropped, new cases continue to rise.

From 2012 to 2021, breast cancer diagnoses increased by 1% each year, with the steepest rise among women under 50.

The reasons for the increase in diagnoses at a younger age remain unclear, Newman said.

“We speculate that it is related to differences in lifestyle and environment given the obesity epidemic and more women delaying their childbearing years and having fewer pregnancies over their lifetime,” she said.

Racial disparities in breast cancer persist

Yet despite lower overall death rates, racial disparities in breast cancer persist.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women have seen no improvement in death rates, while Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) women face the fastest uptick in new cases, with a nearly 3% annual increase.

And despite having 10% fewer cases than white women, AIAN women are 6% more likely to die from the disease and receive fewer regular mammograms.

Black women face a 38% higher chance of dying from breast cancer and have worse outcomes at every stage and subtype, except for localized cancers, compared to white women.

“Studies show that Black women are more likely to receive mammograms at lower-quality facilities, face delays in diagnosing abnormalities, and experience delays in starting and completing treatment,” Newman explained.

Because African American women are more prone to triple negative breast cancer, a particularly deadly form of the disease, Newman said there is a strong push to improve the diversity in clinical trials.

In May of 2024, the ACS launched the VOICES of Black Women Study which will enroll 100,000 Black women aged 25 to 55 and follow them for 30 years.

Newman also pointed out that breast cancer can affect men, especially African American men, who have double the risk compared to White men.

While the report revealed many promising trends in breast cancer, the disease remains the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. after skin cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths for Black and Hispanic women. In 2024, experts predict over 300,000 new invasive (stage I and above) breast cancer cases with more than 40,000 deaths.

The report’s findings are based on data from the national cancer tracking programs that includes information from the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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(NEW YORK) — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state is suing a hospital in Eureka for allegedly refusing emergency abortion care to women whose lives are in danger.

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Humboldt County Superior Court, alleges Providence St. Joseph Hospital violated multiple California laws due to its refusal to provide urgent abortion care to people experiencing obstetric emergencies.

Providence St. Joseph’s is a Catholic hospital and the primary hospital services provider in Eureka, the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Oregon in northern California.

The lawsuit names one particular patient, Anna Nusslock, who had her water break when she was 15 weeks pregnant with twins in Feb. 2024.

Nusslock, a 35-year-old healthcare professional, claimed in the lawsuit that doctors at Providence St. Joseph’s told her the only option was abortion, but they could not provide her the service, based on hospital policy.

“Without abortion care, I risked infection or hemorrhage, both of which are so dangerous to my health and my life, and increased with every minute that passed,” Nusslock said during a press conference Monday.

Nusslock said she was told by doctors that they were prohibited from offering an emergency abortion if her twins still had any signs of heart tones, despite her own life being at risk and the pregnancy no longer being viable.

“I was told I could not receive emergency abortion care while at Providence because of hospital policy,” Nusslock said.

Instead, Nusslock alleges Providence staff gave her a bucket and towels “in case something happens in the car” and told her to drive 12 miles to a small community hospital where doctors were allowed to perform the procedure.

Once at that smaller hospital, Nusslock said she was actively hemorrhaging when she was placed on an operating table and the pregnancy was aborted.

In the state’s lawsuit, Attorney General Rob Bonta argues Providence has been violating multiple California laws by refusing emergency abortion care to women in need.

California is requesting a court order to force the hospital to perform prompt emergency care including abortions.

“Pregnant patients have the same rights to health care, including emergency care, that any other patient has,” said Bonta.

Bonta claims Providence is barring doctors from providing lifesaving or life-stabilizing emergency abortion treatment even when a pregnancy is not viable and when doctors have determined that immediate abortion care is necessary to save the life of the mother.

The lawsuit alleges that Providence only allows the procedure if the mother’s life is in immediate danger of death by which time intervention can be too late.

“This policy, let’s make no mistake, is draconian,” Bonta said. “It has no place in institutions that are charged with delivering accessible and equitable healthcare.”

While Bonta argues Providence must provide the care under California law, federal law on the topic is less clear.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requires every hospital in the United States that operates an emergency department and participates in Medicare to provide life-stabilizing treatment to all patients, but in a recent case, the U.S. Supreme Court did not confirm that the act includes abortion care.

In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for Providence St. Joseph Hospital said, “Providence is deeply committed to the health and wellness of women and pregnant patients and provides emergency services to all who walk through our doors in accordance with state and federal law. We are heartbroken over Dr. Nusslock’s experience earlier this year.”

“This morning was the first Providence had heard of the California attorney general’s lawsuit, and we are currently reviewing the filings to understand what is being alleged. Because this case is in active litigation and due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on the matter,” the spokesperson added.

“As part of our pledge to delivering safe, high-quality care, we review every event that may not have met our patient needs or expectations to understand what happened and take appropriate steps to meet those needs and expectations for every patient we encounter,” the spokesperson said.

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(NEW YORK) — North Carolina became the latest state to have a public health emergency declared by U.S. health officials in response to Hurricane Helene.

In a press release on Sunday evening, the Department of Health and Human Services said its Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) was moving equipment and personnel to North Carolina to help address the “potential health impacts” of Hurricane Helene.

It comes after PHEs were previously declared for Florida and Georgia. On Thursday, major disaster declarations were approved by President Joe Biden, which unlocked federal funds for disaster assistance and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.

“We will do all we can to help North Carolina officials respond to the health impacts of Hurricane Helene,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as with our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”

Communities in western North Carolina, including the city of Asheville, were hit with “catastrophic” and “historic” flooding and landslides from Helene. Gov. Roy Cooper said between 10 and 29 inches of rain fell across the state’s western mountains.

Water systems have been impacted and some roads have washed away, hampering the ability for officials to set up food and water distribution sites.

The PHE declaration gives the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services greater flexibility in meeting the needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and allows the ASPR to deploy teams to support local health requests, according to the HHS.

ASPR has deployed about 200 personnel including Health Care Situational Assessment Teams to evaluate the impact on health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis centers, and Disaster Medical Assistance Teams to help state and local health workers provide care.

While the immediate impacts of natural disasters — such as hurricanes — include injuries and deaths, there are longer-term health issues that PHEs can help address.

Natural disasters can disrupt vital health services, including dialysis and breathing machines, and affect survivors’ emotional health and well-being, according to FEMA.

Flooding from hurricanes can damage sewage systems. If untreated sewage enters the drinking water supply, it could lead to widespread gastrointestinal illness. Additionally, flooding can cause mold to form, which can lead to respiratory illnesses if not removed.

HHS said it is identifying the number of Medicare beneficiaries in affected zip codes that rely on electricity-dependent medical equipment and devices, including dialysis and oxygen tanks “to help anticipate, plan for, and respond to the needs of at-risk citizens in potentially impacted areas.”

This is especially important for older Americans, who are at the highest risk of health issues. Research has shown that natural disasters can worsen mortality caused by heart disease and strokes among senior citizens.

For those experiencing emotional distress related to the hurricane, the HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has free crisis counseling through the Disaster Distress Helpline, which is toll-free and available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories.

Counselors are available in more than 100 languages via third-party interpretation services when callers indicate their preferred language to the responding counselor, according to the HHS.

A PHE declaration lasts for the duration of the emergency or 90 days but can be extended by Secretary Becerra if needed.

Earlier this year, HHS issued PHEs in Texas in response to Hurricane Beryl; in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in response to Hurricane Debby; and in Louisiana in response to Hurricane Francine.

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(NEW YORK) — The number of kids dying from influenza in the 2023-2024 season has set a new record for a regular flu season, after one new death was reported last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There were 200 pediatric flu-related deaths in the 2023-2024 season, compared to the previous high of 199 during the 2019-2022 season.

About 80% of the kids that died from flu this season were not fully vaccinated against influenza, CDC data shows. Nearly half of the children had at least one pre-existing medical condition.

Everyone over the age of six months is recommended to get their annual flu vaccine before the end of October, according to the CDC.

Children up to 8 years old receiving their first flu shot should receive two doses if they previously have not, the CDC notes.

Older adults over the age of 65, who are at higher risk of severe illness including hospitalization and death, may opt for a higher dose flu shot for further protection. 

“Vaccination remains our most effective tool to prevent illness and reduce the risk of serious complications in children,” said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News medical contributor.

Vaccination rates among children for flu have been declining in recent years. About 53.9% of children were vaccinated against influenza this season, about 2.2% points lower than last season and 8.5% points lower than pre-pandemic.

“The decline in flu vaccination rates among children is deeply concerning and is at least partly linked to the rise in pediatric cases we’re witnessing,” Brownstein said.

Estimates show that flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu medical visits by about two-thirds and halved the risk of hospitalization among kids, according to the CDC.

“We must address this drop in vaccinations to prevent further unnecessary and preventable loss of young lives,” Brownstein added.

The influenza virus spreads year-round, but flu activity typically picks up in the fall and winter, peaking between the months of December and February.

While the impact of flu varies from season to season, estimates from the CDC show the virus has resulted in up to 41 million illnesses, 710,000 hospitalizations and 51,000 deaths annually in the past decade, according to the CDC.

“The record number of pediatric flu deaths this season is a stark indicator of how severe influenza can be,” Brownstein said.

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