fall Edition
october 2022 • Volume II
What's New from Dr. Chou
Because Australia is seasonally ahead of the U.S., its current infection rates can serve as a preview of what lies ahead for the States in the coming months. It’s winter in Australia, and along with flu season, the Land Down Under is also experiencing another surge of COVID-19. Like much of the U.S., the people of Australia seem to want to forget about the pandemic and are tiring of vaccines. Vaccination rates are falling, fewer people are masking, and more people seem to be willing to gather in close quarters, such as restaurants. As of July 2022, Australia’s flu cases have exceeded pre-pandemic levels (187,413 infections with 113 deaths so far); and the surge in COVID-19 increased by 62% since February 2022 (47,000 new cases reported each day). This is anticipated to happen in the U.S. as well. We urge everyone to get their flu and COVID-19 vaccines this season. Horizon provides the flu vaccine to all staff. The COVID-19 vaccine is available to all staff at the Apache Junction clinic and the Yuma clinic.
Updated COVID Booster
On September 1, 2022, the CDC endorsed the new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster, available from Pfizer-BioNTech (for ages 12+) and Moderna (for ages 18+). This booster has been updated to offer broader defense against omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, in addition to restoring protection from the original strain.
FAQ/Answers about the bivalent booster: https://hub.jhu.edu/2022/09/01/bivalent-covid-boosters-q-and-a/
Visit https://www.vaccines.gov/ to find vaccines available near you.
Keeping Children Safe from Monkeypox
Though Monkeypox is rare in children, it can be spread in situations where kids are in close contact with others who may be infected, such as at schools or daycares. Monkeypox is spread through direct contact with an infected person’s rash, through expelled respiratory droplets during face-to-face contact, or by touching objects that have been in direct contact with lesions and have not been sanitized. Many of the precautions parents have already been taking to help protect their children from COVID-19 will also help protect them from Monkeypox. Frequent handwashing, masking, sanitizing high-touch surfaces, and not sharing personal items are effective preventative measures. Parents can also teach their children to recognize and steer clear of people exhibiting symptoms. Find out more.
As of September 16, 2022, there have been 399 cases of Monkeypox in Arizona. See current numbers.
Health Fact of the Month:
Sleep deprived driving is drunk driving
Did you know the risk of crashing while driving on only four hours of sleep is about the same as having a blood alcohol content of 0.12-0.15? The legal limit for driving is 0.08.
It has been shown that “springing forward” for daylight savings time is associated with a spike in car accidents. Even on five or six hours of sleep, the risk of having a car accident is doubled compared to those driving on a full seven or eight hours.
For more fascinating new research on sleep, read Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Matthew Walker, PhD. This book made a significant impact on the way I understand and view sleep.
Let’s all stay safe by making sure to get at least seven or eight hours of sleep every night.
Spotting Misinformation
