(NEW YORK) — Researchers are announcing that a 53-year-old man in Germany has been cured of HIV.
Referred to as “the Dusseldorf patient” to protect his privacy, researchers said he is the fifth confirmed case of an HIV cure. Although the details of his successful treatment were first announced at a conference in 2019, researchers could not confirm he had been officially cured at that time.
Today, researchers announced the Dusseldorf patient still has no detectable virus in his body, even after stopping his HIV medication four years ago.
“It’s really cure, and not just, you know, long term remission,” said Dr. Bjorn-Erik Ole Jensen, who presented details of the case in a new publication in “Nature Medicine.”
“This obviously positive symbol makes hope, but there’s a lot of work to do,” Jensen said
For most people, HIV is a lifelong infection, and the virus is never fully eradicated. Thanks to modern medication, people with HIV can live long and healthy lives.
The Dusseldorf patient joins a small group of people who have been cured under extreme circumstances after a stem cell transplant, typically only performed in cancer patients who don’t have any other options. A stem cell transplant is a high-risk procedure that effectively replaces a person’s immune system. The primary goal is to cure someone’s cancer, but the procedure has also led to an HIV cure in a handful of cases.
HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, enters and destroys the cells of the immune system. Without treatment, the continued damage can lead to AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, where a person cannot fight even a small infection.
With about 38.4 million people globally living with HIV, treatments have come a long way. Modern medication can keep the virus at bay, and studies looking into preventing HIV infection with a vaccine are also underway.
The first person with HIV cure was Timothy Ray Brown. Researchers published his case as the Berlin patient in 2009. That was followed by the London patient published in 2019. Most recently, The City of Hope and New York patients were published in 2022.
“I think we can get a lot of insights from this patient and from these similar cases of HIV cure,” Jensen said. “These insights give us some hints where we could go to make the strategy safer.”
All four of these patients had undergone stem cell transplants for their blood cancer treatment. Their donors also had the same HIV-resistant mutation that deletes a protein called CCR5, which HIV normally uses to enter the cell. Only 1% of the total population carries this genetic mutation that makes them resistant to HIV.
“When you hear about these HIV cure, it’s obviously, you know, incredible, given how challenging it’s been. But, it still remains the exception to the rule,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious disease at South Shore Health.
The stem cell transplantation is a complicated procedure that comes with many risks, and it is too risky to offer it as a cure for everyone with HIV.
However, scientists are hopeful. Each time they cure a new patient, they gain valuable research insights that help them understand what it would take to find a cure for everyone.
“It is obviously a step forward in advancing the science and having us sort of understanding, in some ways, what it takes to cure HIV,” Ellerin said.
Kaviya Sathyakumar, M.D., M.B.A., is a family medicine resident physician at Ocala Regional Medical Center in Florida and member of ABC News Medical Unit.
(NEW YORK) — Alika Jones was one of hundreds of Southeastern Louisiana University students who signed up for the Be The Match bone marrow registry during a homecoming drive in 2013.
Four years later, Jones got a call. She was someone’s match.
“There was a 14-year-old boy who was recently diagnosed with leukemia, and he needed a donor,” Jones told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “I just wanted to help someone, if I could, not have to worry about their child.”
Jones’ healthy cells soon became a lifeline for Josiah Knight, who underwent a successful bone marrow transplant in 2017.
Keesha Wilson, Knight’s mother, said she is beyond grateful for Jones’ life-saving donation and that her son, who lives with Down syndrome, is living his life to the fullest.
“It was a perfect match. His body was healed,” Wilson told GMA. “And he may not have to say his own words, but if you see his smile, you know, he’s very thankful and grateful.”
Jones said that choosing to donate to Be The Match was “one of the greatest” decisions of her life.
“Next to being a mother, I feel like it’s one of the greatest things that I’ve ever done in my life, to be able to help someone,” said Jones.
The Be The Match drive at Southeastern Louisiana University that led to Josiah’s transplant was done in honor of a familiar alum: GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts, who underwent a successful bone marrow transplant herself in 2012, after being diagnosed with bone marrow myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder that affects bone marrow.
While Roberts’ sister Sally-Ann was luckily her perfect match, about 70% of patients on bone marrow registry lists do not have a family match and rely on anonymous donors for a cure, according to the Be The Match registry, a nonprofit organization operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, which manages the world’s largest bone marrow donor registry.
Even then, a patient’s chance of having a matched, available donor on the Be The Match registry ranges from 29% to 79%, depending on the patient’s ethnic background.
When Roberts returned to her GMA family on Feb. 20, 2013, she was empowered to make her message. Over the past decade, Roberts and GMA have continued to report extensively about blood stem cell transplants, which can cure or treat more than 75 different diseases, such as leukemias and lymphomas, and spread awareness of the importance of the Be The Match registry.
Now more than ever the need is urgent.
Be The Match reports regional and national recruitment efforts decreased 36% during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and that only 50% of people on the registry will go on to make a donation when they’re a match for a patient in need.
Be The Match has put a call out in particular for younger donors under the age of 40, as research has shown younger donors help improve overall outcomes for patients, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Southeastern Louisiana University continues to support the Be The Match campaign and, just this month, hosted an on-campus drive where over 230 students signed up for the bone marrow registry in just a few hours.
One decade after the first registry drive at the university, Knight is thriving and 20 years old, thanks to Jones’ donation.
Knight’s family recently traveled from California to Louisiana to meet Jones for the first time face-to-face. Wilson said she wanted to meet Jones because, “Without her, my son wouldn’t be here.”
“Thank you so much … you’re such a blessing,” Wilson told Jones when they finally met. “I really appreciate you. I really do.”
(NEW YORK) — Abbott is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as the Federal Trade Commission, in relation to their infant formula business, the company disclosed in a new SEC filing.
Abbott said in a filing Friday that they received a subpoena from the SEC’s Enforcement Division in December 2022 requesting “information about its powder infant-formula business and related public disclosures.”
In January, Abbott “received a civil investigative demand” from the FTC seeking information in connection with the agency’s investigation of companies that bid for infant formula contracts with the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program through USDA.
Abbott’s disclosure of these inquiries come after the Justice Department had already launched a criminal investigation into Abbott’s infant formula manufacturing conduct, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News, after contamination concerns triggered a massive recall and shutdown at their Sturgis, Michigan, plant last year.
An Abbott spokesperson told ABC News they are “cooperating with the government investigations.”
An FTC spokesperson declined to comment to ABC News on Saturday.
ABC News has also reached out to the SEC for comment and have not yet heard back.
The discovery of Cronobacter sakazakii bacteria inside Abbott’s Sturgis plant prompted a massive voluntary formula recall last February, after four babies who had consumed Abbott’s formula contracted a Cronobacter infection. Two of the infants subsequently died, although Abbott maintains there has not been conclusive evidence that its formula caused the infant illnesses, since none of the Cronobacter strains found at their plant matched the two samples genetically sequenced from the sickened infants.
Ultimately, it was the combined findings of Cronobacter inside Abbott’s plant — along with operational deficiencies identified by federal investigators and consumer complaints — which led to the plant’s closure.
After inspecting Abbott’s Sturgis facility last year, FDA chief Dr. Robert Califf described the “shocking” and “egregiously unsanitary conditions” investigators had found.
“Standing water; cracks in the key equipment that present the potential for bacterial contamination to persist, particularly in the presence of moisture; leaks on the roof; a previous citation for inadequate hand washing,” Califf testified before Congress in May. “Many signs of a disappointing lack of attention to the culture of safety, in this product that is so essential to the lives of our most precious people.”
Abbott’s recall ricocheted across American groceries and families’ pantries, exacerbating an already mounting supply issue, and forcing families to scramble for what their babies needed for months.
During the height of the severe shortage last May, the FTC had already launched an inquiry into the formula crisis, probing potential unfair and illicit enterprises which may be exploiting parents’ desperation amid the crisis.
The news of these latest inquiries into Abbott also follows the recent health expert analysis which called out major formula companies, Abbott included, for “exploitative” marketing and aggressive lobbying practices.
(NEW YORK) — Emily Dickt, a mom of two from Indiana, said she was “hit hard” after learning that a mother in Massachusetts had been charged with killing her three kids.
“It really got me thinking about my own mental health and things that I had struggled with since having kids,” Dickt told ABC News. “From what I’ve seen, it scared a lot of us [mothers].'”
The Massachusetts mom, Lindsay Clancy, appeared in court last week via Zoom from her hospital bed to face charges that she strangled her three young children to death. In addition to two counts of murder, Clancy is also charged with three counts of strangulation and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, court documents show.
On the day of the incident, Jan. 24, police received a 911 call just after 6 p.m. ET from a man who said his wife had attempted suicide by jumping out of a window at their house.
First responders subsequently found three young children, a 5-year-old girl, a 3-year-old boy and a 7-month-old boy, inside the home “unconscious with obvious signs of severe trauma,” Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said last month.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty to the charges. In court on Feb. 7, a judge ordered her to remain hospitalized until medically cleared to move to a rehabilitation facility.
Clancy is scheduled to appear in court next on May 2, for a probable cause hearing.
Dickt, whose daughters are ages 4 and 2, said that while all the details of Clancy’s case are not publicly known, she felt compelled to share a video on TikTok about Clancy to let other moms know they are not alone if they are struggling postpartum.
Dickt’s video said, in part, “We live in a society that is so quick to judge. When in reality it could be any of us.”
“When I shared that post, it like came flooding in with just so many other people sharing their stories and what they struggled with,” she told ABC News. “People just feel alone, like they’re the only ones that are dealing with it, and that’s a scary feeling.”
Dickt was not alone in taking to social media to talk about Clancy’s case and share her own mental health struggles as a mom.
“I am lucky to be alive today thanks to daily medication but its an uphill battle every day,” another mom, Bex Spencer, shared on TikTok. “My heart is broken for this family.”
Erica Moreno, a mom of two, shared on TikTok that reading about Clancy brought her back to the time she was six months postpartum and struggling with postpartum depression, anxiety and rage.
“Scared. Out of my mind. Thinking my daughter would be better if I weren’t there,” she wrote, later adding, “I somehow survived.”
Putting a spotlight on different types of postpartum struggles
In Clancy’s first court appearance on Feb. 7, prosecutors alleged that she planned the killings, saying she showed no signs of “distress or trouble” earlier in the day and that she searched the time it would take to drive to and from a restaurant in an adjacent town and called the restaurant to place a pick-up order before asking her husband, Patrick, to drive to get the meal.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague said Clancy, a 32-year-old nurse, was evaluated by a psychiatrist in late December and was told she, “did not have postpartum depression and she had no symptoms of postpartum depression.” Sprague said Clancy wrote in her journal about having suicidal thoughts and, in one instance, thoughts of harming her children prior to checking herself into a mental health facility on Jan. 1, according to ABC affiliate WCVB-TV.
“She did not write or voice those thoughts after a stay at the hospital,” Sprague said of Clancy, whom she said was discharged from the facility on Jan. 5.
Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, argued that the killings “were not planned by any means” and were a product of mental illness.
Reddington also said in court that Clancy had been heavily medicated as she suffered from postpartum depression “as well as a possibility of postpartum psychosis that is pretty much ignored,” according to WCVB-TV.
Prosecutors said Clancy called her husband from her hospital bed and told him she killed their children “because she heard a voice and had ‘a moment of psychosis,'” though he told prosecutors his wife had never mentioned hearing voices.
The public spotlight on Clancy’s case has highlighted an important distinction between postpartum psychosis and the more common postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression — a depression that occurs after having a baby — affects as many as 1 in 8 women who give birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Postpartum psychosis is rare and causes delusions or hallucinations that can prompt suicidal or homicidal action, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Among the court documents submitted by Clancy’s lawyer so far are nearly 40 letters from friends and co-workers that describe Clancy as a caring and loving mom and nurse.
One former coworker of Clancy’s said in her letter that she had suffered from postpartum depression herself, writing, “I could of [sic] been Lindsay. Any one of us could have been.”
Another letter was signed by over 80 moms who identified themselves as the “mothers of Foxboro, Mansfield, North Attleboro, MA.”
“Lindsay will have to live with the aftermath of her postpartum depression and that is a sentence that we would not wish on any grieving mother. None of us can even begin to imagine what she is feeling, nor do we want to,” they wrote in the letter. “As mothers, we know Lindsay was not in a healthy space to carry out the acts she is accused of and we will stand by her in her darkest hour as we wish any other mother would do for us if we found ourselves struggling too.”
Alicia Murray, a licensed mental health therapist in Syracuse, New York, said she has no connection to Clancy or the case but felt compelled to speak about it on TikTok after hearing from her patients, many of whom are mothers.
“In the first week or so after [Clancy’s story] hit the news, women were coming to therapy saying, ‘It could have been me,'” Murray told ABC News. “I think women that have gone through their own postpartum experiences and have felt that like, intense, out-of-body, like really intense emotions and experiences, they sit down with me, and they’re like, ‘I get it. It totally could have been me.'”
Murray said that as both a mom and a mental health practitioner, she also chose to speak out in hopes of erasing the stigma that exists around postpartum struggles.
She noted that on her TikTok post, while many moms shared their own stories, other comments sought to negatively portray the mental health struggles of mothers.
“It breaks my heart that other moms are reading those comments,” Murray said. “It’s very uncomfortable to hear women talk about thoughts of hurting their baby and thoughts of something happening to their baby, and I get it, when we’re uncomfortable sometimes we act with anger or shame or try to deflect the conversation, but that’s not OK to do.”
She continued, “The moms who are sharing their stories, I think, are so incredible, and people should listen, because they’ve been through it firsthand.”
‘There’s a ton of stigma and misunderstanding’
Katayune Kaeni, a licensed psychologist board chair of Postpartum Support International, told ABC News the organization, a support network for postpartum moms, has seen a “big jump” in inquiries amid Clancy’s case.
“What ends up happening is that a lot of people who are dealing with postpartum depression get so worried that what has happened to Lindsay is going to happen to them because people don’t have adequate information to understand what is going on,” Kaeni told ABC News. “And so rightly so, it’s really upsetting and anxiety-provoking for people.”
Kaeni, who has no affiliation with Clancy or her case, said in addition to offering a helpline and support groups for new moms so they know they are not alone, much of the work Postpartum Support International does focuses on educating people about mental health, both during and after pregnancy.
“There’s a ton of stigma and misunderstanding around all perinatal mental issues,” she said. “When people don’t understand what it is, it’s much easier to make assumptions about the person who’s suffering, and that’s what happens oftentimes.”
Postpartum psychosis “is a true medical emergency,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News’ chief medical correspondent and a board-certified OBGYN, said earlier this month.
“This is mental illness,” she added.
Ashton noted that in her 22-year career as a practicing OB-GYN, she has not personally encountered a case of postpartum psychosis, which she said appears “more acutely” than postpartum depression, meaning symptoms can progress quickly and are more severe.
“It can present with signs and symptoms like confusion, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, obsessive thoughts and then of course, tragically, attempts to harm one’s self or baby,” Ashton said, referring to postpartum psychosis. “This is a completely different entity than postpartum depression.”
Symptoms of postpartum depression include withdrawing from loved ones, crying more than usual, feeling worried or overly anxious, feeling anger, doubting your ability to take care of your baby and thinking about harming yourself or your baby, according to the CDC. The symptoms may last for weeks or months after giving birth, and are more intense and longer lasting than the “baby blues” that women may experience after giving birth.
Treatment options for postpartum depression will differ based on severity and type of symptoms and may include medication options, psychotherapy or support groups. In 2019, a drug, called Zulresson, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first-ever medication made specifically for women suffering from postpartum depression.
Ashton noted that it is important to seek professional medical help in any case of a woman experiencing mental health struggles after giving birth. If a person is experiencing postpartum psychosis, he or she should seek help at an emergency room.
“Absolutely, intervention is warranted for either,” Ashton said of both postpartum psychosis and postpartum depression. “Medication can be lifesaving.”
Postpartum Support International’s free and confidential helpline is available via call and text at 1-800-944-4PPD (4773). If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are not on your own.
(NEW YORK) — Your brain releases feel-good chemicals whenever you are giving, kind, or generous.
Engaging in selfless acts not only serves the people around you, but also gives your mind and body a healthy boost. There’s a term for that warm glow you feel when doing something kind for others: the “helper’s high.”
Kindness is chemical
“The helper’s high is a very real phenomenon,” said Dr. Neha Chaudhary, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and chief medical officer at BeMe Health.
Performing an act of kindness stimulates the reward center in our brain, leading to the release of dopamine- the brain’s “feel good” chemical messenger. Dopamine is the same neurochemical behind the euphoric rush produced by exercising, sex, and some recreational drugs.
Being kind also triggers the release of serotonin in the brain, which improves mood and promotes feelings of well-being. Kindness even helps us feel friendlier and more connected by increasing levels of oxytocin- also known as the “love hormone.”
“Scientists think that brains are wired to get a helper’s high as the human species’ way of trying to keep itself alive and thriving through mutual support and less stress for everyone,” said Chaudhary.
The helper’s high is good for your long-term health and well-being
Studies have consistently demonstrated links between the helper’s high and lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Research also shows that giving and kindness are associated with decreased blood pressure, improved self-esteem, less anxiety and depression, and even a longer life.
“Being kind is not only good for our health day-to-day, it might add years to our lives,” said Chaudhary.
The trick is to make kindness a habit
One act of kindness is undoubtedly beneficial, but the physiologic aftereffects are short-lived. To reap the most healthy rewards, repeated acts of kindness are best. Experts say that overtime, those small bursts of feel-good chemicals add up, leading to long-lasting health benefits.
“Think about it: if each and every one of us in the world did one small kind thing for someone else every day, the world would be a much happier, healthier place. Not just because you’d inevitably be a recipient of someone else’s kindness, but because you’d get that boost of feel-good and stress-busting chemicals each day from being kind toward someone else.”
Leah Croll, M.D., is an assistant professor of neurology at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and an alumnus of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Lindsay Arnold is busier than ever as she gets ready to welcome baby No. 2.
The former Dancing with the Stars pro-turned businesswoman founded her own workout program, “The Movement Club,” in 2020.
Below, Arnold shares details on her wellness routine and motherhood.
What does wellness mean to you?
To me, wellness means finding balance in my life and making sure I’m focusing just as much on my physical well-being as I am on my mental well-being.
How has your wellness routine changed since becoming a mom?
Naturally since becoming a mother, my wellness routine has changed drastically. There’s definitely a lot less time for yourself when you are a mom. But that’s where I feel like my wellness routine has been a lot more intentional.
I am so intentional about the time that I do have for myself, and making sure that I give myself at least five minutes every day to do something just for me.
We’re not doing our long skin care routines anymore, but we do what we can. And I think the biggest thing that my routine has changed is just really being able to focus on having that work and home life balance.
Why did you create The Movement Club?
I created The Movement Club because I wanted to create a workout program that meets women where they’re at.
I wanted a program that literally is for everyone and anyone, whether you’re at the top of your fitness game, you’ve never worked out a day in your life, you’re pregnant or postnatal.
I just wanted you to feel like you had a place where there was something for you. And that is exactly what this program is all about: meeting people where they’re at in their journey.
Really, the mentality was just to give every woman something that they could feel that they can be a part of.
How do you juggle work and being a mom?
Juggling work life and mom life can be very tough. And I would say most days, I definitely don’t nail it. But I feel like the biggest thing for me and the biggest tidbit of advice that I can give is making sure that when you’re working, you give it your all, and when you come home, let yourself be home.
What advice do you have for other parents?
If there’s anything I’ve learned in my parenting journey so far it’s to enjoy every little moment, even the ones that are tough and you’re like, “Geez, I don’t know how we’re ever gonna get out of this stage.”
Just enjoy it as you go. Because there will be a day you’ll miss those sleepless nights and long for your baby to be that cuddly, needy baby. So I would just say enjoy it.
(ATLANTA) — Nearly half of kids ages 1 to 5 are not eating a daily vegetable and nearly one-third are not eating a daily fruit, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At the same time, the majority of kids — 57% — in that age range reported drinking at least one added-sugar beverage per week, according to the CDC, which analyzed data from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, which included more than 18,000 children.
Current dietary guidelines for kids ages 1 to 5 recommend 1/2 to 2 cups each of vegetables and fruits per day depending on age and caloric needs.
The CDC recommends that children younger than 2 not consume any added sugars.
For children older than 2, the recommendation is that added sugars contribute less than 10% of total calories consumed.
“When kids are limiting or reducing beverages with added sugar, that can have some significant health impacts,” Heather Hamner, lead study author and senior health scientist in the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, told ABC News. “Those are linked to cavities and can be linked to later obesity.”
The new CDC data on what kids are consuming comes as obesity remains on the rise in the U.S., including among children.
One in 5 U.S. children and teens are living with obesity, according to the CDC. Obesity is a serious condition that, if left untreated, can lead to long-term health problems.
Children with obesity are at a higher risk for diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and depression.
The study found that southern states such as Louisiana and Mississippi had higher proportions of children who did not eat a daily vegetable but drank a sugary drink weekly compared to northern states such as Vermont and Maine.
The statistics also varied by race, age and income, according to the study.
The percentage of children who did not eat a daily fruit or vegetable was higher among Black children as well as those living in homes with “limited food sufficiency,” and in kids ages 2 to 5.
“This is an opportunity for states to think about the programs and the policies that they have and how they can improve those or continue those supports for … early childhood nutrition,” Hamner said, adding, “Really thinking about where children live, learn, and play.”
Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines on treating childhood obesity.
The guidelines recommend children be proactively evaluated and treated for obesity, noting that treatments, including medications and weight loss surgery, can be effective and can help reduce the risk of developing other health conditions.
The AAP also said childhood obesity is a disease with genetic, social and environmental factors — not something caused by individual choices — and that it shouldn’t be stigmatized by health care providers.
Pediatricians should screen children with obesity for conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression at routine checkups, the AAP said in the new guidelines.
What parents can do to help kids
In its new guidelines, the AAP called for policy changes that could help reduce racial disparities in childhood obesity, including improving access to healthy foods and treatments for groups at greatest risk.
The organization said parents should talk to their child’s pediatrician to make any additional health and lifestyle changes, and can model and encourage healthy eating and physical activity for their children.
Cooking with children can make them excited about healthy eating. Preparing meals with vegetables, fruits, and grains can provide a balanced diet. Children should be encouraged to stay active daily or get involved in sports.
Hamner, the author of the CDC study, said she recommends that parents offer a fruit and a vegetable at every meal and snack, starting from an early age.
Parents should also feel encouraged to continue offering fruits and vegetables, even if kids don’t like them initially.
“A lot of times we hear that there’s picky eating,” she said. “But we also have research that suggests that kids can take up to 10 or more times to try a food before they really learn to accept it.”
Hamner said parents should also keep in mind that fresh is not the only option to offer kids, explaining, “Frozen and canned vegetables are a good source of nutrients and vitamins.”
Describing the importance of giving kids fruits and vegetables, Hamner added, “We know that nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables can help support their growth and development and lay the foundation for later dietary behaviors.”
Mallory Rowley is a fourth-year medical student and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Karra Maniér, MD, and Nicole McLean MD, MPH, both members of the ABC News Medical Unit, also contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — More than a week after hazardous waste was burned by officials from a train derailment in Ohio, the health and environmental impact on the community remains uncertain.
A few of the cars contained vinyl chloride which breaks down into two main byproducts when burned: hydrogen chloride and phosgene.
“Vinyl chloride is classified as a known carcinogen to humans … it has been associated with a rare form of liver cancer called hepatic angiosarcoma. So that’s the main concern with the vinyl chloride,” said Dr. Stephanie Widmer, an emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist in New York.
Breathing high levels of vinyl chloride can cause dizziness or sleepiness. With even higher levels, passing out or death can occur, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts say determining potential risk after exposure is tricky.
“Usually these things happen with industrial workers. That’s where you’re seeing these types of cancers, for the most part — people who are exposed to levels of the vinyl chloride for a long period of time,” Widmer said.
Hydrogen chloride and phosgene can cause symptoms like eye or throat irritation or even respiratory issues like difficulty breathing.
“It’s always challenging to evaluate the human health risks from a chemical spill and it increases exponentially when those chemicals burn,” said Stephen Roberts, Ph.D., professor emeritus and former director of the Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology at the University of Florida.
In addition to hazardous chemicals, burning any kind of material can create particle pollution — tiny pieces of solid like dust, dirt, soot, or smoke. Breathing in these particles can be harmful to your health, according to the CDC.
Particle pollution has been linked to eye, lung and throat irritation, trouble breathing and associated with lung cancer and problems with babies at birth.
Those with heart disease are especially at risk, as breathing in particle pollution can cause serious problems like a heart attack.
“I would think the worst of it would have been immediately around when the fire occurred and the release occurred and I’d be surprised at new symptoms that would appear at this point,” Roberts said.
Air monitoring has not detected any levels of health concern in the community since the fire went out on Feb. 8, according to a statement from the Environmental Protection Agency.
“People should be concerned when things like these do happen, but there’s no need to be hysterically concerned. The EPA is keeping everybody up to date with the information that we need to stay safe,” Widmer said.
Water testing results also showed no detection of contaminants in the wells within the city’s water system, according to a statement released by the Ohio governor’s office.
When asked if he would drink the water on ABC News Live, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine replied, “Absolutely, if I was there right now, I would drink it.”
He then went on to say that residents with private wells should have their water tested.
(NEW YORK) — When photographer Shannon Morton shared a baby photo to her business’s Facebook page, she had no idea that it would go viral.
“It was amazing,” Morton told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “I shared it, I think on Thursday. By Friday morning, I looked at it and I saw, ‘Oh my gosh. 5,000. Wow, that’s amazing.’ I looked at it an hour later and it had doubled. It was already at 10,000 likes and loves and shares … and then the comments started happening.”
The photo post, which included a picture of baby Sutton — who was born with a cleft lip and palate and is now 9 weeks old — has since garnered more than 728,000 likes and nearly 7,000 comments. It features the newborn with her eyes closed in what Morton calls an “angel pose.”
“So. Many. Smiley babies in the studio recently! This is sweet Sutton, the cutest little redhead! 👶🏻♥️” Morton wrote in the accompanying photo caption.
Sutton’s photo struck a chord and soon, other parents began to comment with photos and stories of their own children born with a cleft lip, palate or both.
“My little princess was born with a bilateral cleft thankfully her palet was intact. Me and dad assure her everyday that she is the most beautiful girl in the world and her personality is amazing,” one parent wrote alongside a photo of a young girl smiling for the camera.
Another Facebook user shared four sweet photos and added, “Such a beautiful baby 💕 our sweets is a cleft/palate baby also.”
“She’s beautiful,” one mother commented, adding, “as a cleft mama seeing her beautiful face just warms my heart!”
Neither Morton nor Sutton’s parents, Courtney and Gavin Gardner, expected such a big response from people online.
“It was a huge difference compared to what [Morton] normally posted and it was shocking, because I, up until that point, had been keeping my children off of my own personal social media accounts just for their protection. So I never anticipated it getting any attention at all, let alone the amount that it did or the kindness of the comments that it did,” Courtney Gardner told GMA.
Gavin Gardner, Sutton’s dad, added that all of it “was very surprising.”
“We didn’t expect that and of course, reading the comments, everyone had really wonderful things to say. Very encouraging. And I think the nicest thing to do is when people would share about their own stories if they had a child with cleft lip or cleft palate,” he said.
The Gardners told GMA Sutton was diagnosed at their 20-week ultrasound with right-sided unilateral cleft lip and palate. Cleft lip and palate are both birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or palate does not develop properly during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In most cases, doctors don’t know why clefts form but approximately 1 out of 1,600 babies in the U.S. is born with both a cleft lip and palate each year, and 1 out of every 1,700 babies is born with a cleft palate. Additionally, 1 in every 2,800 babies is born with a cleft lip but not a cleft palate.
There are various treatments available for cleft lip and palate, including surgery, dental care and speech therapy.
Courtney Gardner told GMA Sutton is expected to receive her first surgery in March and then at least one more surgery after she turns 1. She will also get speech therapy.
The Gardners also said they’re grateful for the care their daughter has received so far at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, and said finding a community online has helped them through a journey they never imagined they would be on.
“During the pregnancy, I did join a support group on Facebook for cleft moms, which has been instrumental in helping those feelings and I’ve made a lot of really great friends from that and even met up with them and their babies in person. But to connect with people outside of that, from all around the world, was just nothing that we expected but was absolutely just lovely to have happen,” Courtney Gardner said.
Today, the Gardners are also sharing their daughter’s story through their own Facebook page called My Cleft Cutie.
“We started a Facebook page just to show others her journey, what it’s like and stuff like that and words of encouragement or cleft awareness,” Gavin Gardner explained.
The Gardners said they hope sharing will help shine a light on and offer support and encouragement to other expecting parents who may be going through what they had when they first heard Sutton had a cleft lip and palate.
“When you first get that diagnosis and you have six months to just stew on it and wonder what if, seeing other people and what their experiences were just helped my mind process things and and realize that this is something that we could absolutely handle, rather than let my worst fears take hold,” Courtney Gardner said.
(NEW YORK) — Moderna will keep its COVID vaccine on the market at no cost to consumers, even after the federal government stops paying for it, the company announced Wednesday.
“Everyone in the United States will have access to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine regardless of their ability to pay,” the company said in a statement.
Last month, the vaccine maker was slammed for reportedly considering a dramatic price increase for the shot, which it had developed with the help of the federal government.
The proposal was also bad timing: The Biden administration was moving toward ending its designation of a public health emergencyon May 11, which meant that federal funding for vaccines would soon dry up and uninsured Americans would have to pay out of pocket for their boosters.
Among the critics of Moderna’s reported consideration of a price increase — from about $26 a shot to as much as $130 — was Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has long advocated for government-funded health care and alleged the move would result in deaths.
“How many of these Americans will die from COVID 19 as a result of limited access to these lifesaving vaccines?” Sanders, I-Vt., wrote in a January letter to Moderna.
“While nobody can predict the exact figure, the number could well be in the thousands. In the midst of a deadly pandemic, restricting access to this much needed vaccine is unconscionable,” he added.
Now, Moderna will be the sole manufacturer of COVID vaccines offering its shot for free to the uninsured. Under federal regulation, insurance companies are already required to foot the bill for COVID vaccines.
“Moderna remains committed to ensuring that people in the United States will have access to our COVID-19 vaccines regardless of ability to pay,” the company wrote in its statement.
“Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be available at no cost for insured people whether they receive them at their doctors’ offices or local pharmacies. For uninsured or underinsured people, Moderna’s patient assistance program will provide COVID-19 vaccines at no cost” after the public health emergency expires.
To date, the federal government paid for all COVID vaccines for Americans, whether they were insured or not using emergency money passed by Congress. But President Joe Biden says he plans to let the nationwide public health emergency expire May 11.
Once that happens, federal support ends for many of the programs put in place to help uninsured Americans, including expanded Medicaid, testing and treatments.
Last month, the World Health Organization said COVID-19 remains a public health emergency worldwide, but that the pandemic was at a “transition point.”
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the “global response remains hobbled because in too many countries, these powerful, life-saving tools are still not getting to the populations that need them most – especially older people and health workers.”
