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Mystery as to why new COVID variants have stalled in growth

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Throughout much of the pandemic, there has been a constant shifting in terms of which COVID-19 variants are most dominant, at a given time, in the U.S.

However, for the last five weeks, federal data shows that there has been little to no growth in the different proportions of COVID-19 variants in the country.

For more than nine months, the omicron variant, and its subvariants, have been dominant in the U.S. But now, health experts say it is unclear why the growth of the omicron strains appears to have stagnated, or why it is that no other significant variants have emerged to challenge its dominance.

“Unlike previous variants, BA.5 appears to have more staying power. A mix of higher transmissibility, waning immunity and relaxed restrictions likely contribute to the ability of this variant to find more hosts to infect,” said John Brownstein, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.

BA.5 is currently estimated to account for about 88.6% of new COVID-19 infections — a share that has plateaued over the last five weeks, according to updated data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

BA.4 currently accounts for an estimated 2.8% of new cases in the U.S., and a recently identified subvariant, BA.4.6, is estimated to account for 8.4% of new cases — up slightly from last week when the subvariant accounted for 7.6% of new cases.

Combined, the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants account for nearly 100% of new cases in the U.S., according to the CDC data.

The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants appear to have a transmission advantage over the original omicron strain, according to the World Health Organization, and thus, scientists have been closely monitoring the increase in reported cases. At this time, it does not appear as though BA.5 has an increase in severity.

The slowing of the omicron strain’s growth pattern leaves many questions unanswered as to whether there will be viral resurgence in the fall and winter.

“We still have open questions as to what this means for a fall surge and the opportunities for a new variant to displace it,” Brownstein said.

The stagnation of growth with the omicron variants comes as the U.S. appears to experience a parallel plateauing of new COVID-19 infections. The nation had been reporting consistent declines throughout the late summer, but in recent weeks, that number has been hovering around 84,000 new cases each day, according to the CDC.

As previously reported, dozens of states have moved to shutter public testing sites, with more at-home COVID-19 tests now available. Most Americans are not reporting their results to officials, and thus, experts suggest that infection totals are likely significantly undercounted.

Just over 400,000 tests are being reported each day, marking the lowest number of confirmed tests since the onset of the pandemic.

Although new case rates are still dropping in parts of the West, across areas of the Northeast, the Midwest and even parts of the South, case rates have plateaued at a high level or are showing signs of increasing again.

Hospital admission levels also appear to be plateauing nationally. About 5,100 virus-positive Americans are entering the hospital each day, down by about 3.7% in the last week, according to CDC data.

Death rates also remain persistently high, with hundreds of Americans still losing their lives to the virus each day. According to the CDC, the average number of daily COVID-19-related deaths remains more than 400 deaths reported each day.

Thousands are still losing their lives every week, and over the last seven days alone, the U.S. has reported more than 2,800 deaths — still one of the highest weekly totals in months.

Bay Area hit with record temperatures, officials ask Californians to conserve energy

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SAN FRANCISCO) — Temperatures in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area have hit record numbers as state officials warn of blackouts throughout the state as Californians deals with intense heat.

The temperature in Livermore, located in the eastern part of the Bay Area, reached 116 degrees on Monday, the highest temperature recorded in the Bay area, according to the National Weather Service.

Santa Rosa, California, hit 112 degrees on Monday, breaking its previous record of 110 degrees; Gilroy, California, also reached 112 degrees, tying the record set in 2017 and 2020, according to NWS.

California is going through a record-breaking heat wave that may be the hottest and longest in the state for September, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video posted Tuesday on Twitter.

The state’s power grid is also being pushed to the brink and runs the risk of outages, according to California Independent System Operators (CAISO), which runs the state’s electrical grid.

CAISO has thanked state residents for helping conserve as much energy as possible to lower the power load. “Forecasts showed that electrical demand could reach over 51,000 megawatts on Tuesday — the highest demand ever on the state’s energy grid, exceeding the previous high of 50,270 megawatts in 2006, CAISO said.”

The organization urged residents to set their thermostats to 78 degrees, turn off lights when not being used, unplug unused electronics and to pre-cool their homes earlier in the day.

“We’re heading to the worst part of this heat wave and the risk for outages is real and it’s immediate,” Newsom said. “These triple-digit temperatures throughout much of our state are leading, nor surprisingly, to record demand on the energy grid.”

Antarctica’s melting ‘Doomsday glacier’ could raise sea levels by 10 feet, scientists say

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — One of Antarctica’s most important glaciers is holding on “by its fingernails” as warming temperatures around the globe threaten to cause further deterioration, which could then destabilize the glaciers in the entire region.

The Thwaites glacier, located in the Amundsen Sea in western Antarctica, is among the fastest-changing glaciers in the region, according to scientists. Along with Pine Island, also located in the Amundsen Sea, the two structures are responsible for the largest contribution of sea level rise out of Antarctica.

Now, scientists are finding that the Thwaites glacier, also known as the “Doomsday glacier,” is melting faster than previously thought as warm and dense deep water delivers heat to the present-day ice-shelf cavity and melts its ice shelves from below, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience on Monday.

Thwaites, which is about the size of Florida, has been known to be on a fast retreat. But researchers from the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science and the British Antarctic Survey mapped a critical area of the seafloor in front of the glacier that could contribute to faster melting in the future.

Satellite imagery released in 2020 of Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers, which are located next to each other, showed highly crevassed areas and open fractures — both signs that the shear zones on both glaciers, where the ice shelf is thin, had weakened structurally over the past decade.

But scientists have now discovered that the retreat from the grounding zone of Thwaites glacier is closer to more than 2.1 kilometers per year — twice the rate observed by satellite imagery at the fastest-retreating part of the grounding between 2011 and 2019, according to the study.

The researchers documented more than 160 parallel ridges that have been created as a result of the glacier’s leading edge retreating and bobbing up and down with the daily tides. In addition, the scientists analyzed the rib-like formations submerged about a half of mile beneath the ocean, determining that each new rib was likely formed over a single day.

Large calving events, when a large piece breaks off, occurred on Thwaites in October 2018 and February 2020, when an unprecedented retreat of the ice shelf occurred. The feedback process, likely triggered by new damage to the ice shelf, resulted in ice shelves being preconditioned for further disintegration and large calving events.

This makes the ice shelves on Thwaites and Pine Island more sensitive to extreme climate change in the ocean, atmosphere and sea ice. If Thwaites and Pine Island were to destabilize, several of the neighboring areas would also fall apart, causing a widespread collapse, the scientists said. Thwaites alone could cause sea levels to rise about 10 feet, the scientists said.

In December, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder predicted that Thwaites will last only a few more years before it collapses.

“Thwaites is really holding on today by its fingernails, and we should expect to see big changes over small timescales in the future – even from one year to the next – once the glacier retreats beyond a shallow ridge in its bed,” said Robert Larter, a British Antarctic Survey marine geophysicist and a co-author of the study, in a statement.

Researchers from the U.S., the U.K. and Sweden used a state-of-the-art robotic vehicle loaded with imaging sensors, nicknamed “Ran,” to collect the imagery and supporting geophysical data, described by Anna Wahlin, a physical oceanographer from the University of Gothenburg, as “a pioneering study of the ocean floor.”

“The images Ran collected give us vital insights into the processes happening at the critical junction between the glacier and the ocean today,” Wahlin said.

5 Texas officers on-site at Uvalde school referred to inspector general; 2 so far suspended with pay: DPS

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(UVALDE, Texas) — The action or inaction of five Texas Department of Public Safety officers on-site at Robb Elementary School on May 24 has been referred to the Texas inspector general to determine what, if any, discipline is warranted and whether a criminal referral to the DA should be made, the DPS communications chief told ABC News Tuesday.

Two of the five officers have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the inspector general’s investigation, Texas DPS spokesman Travis Considine told ABC News.

DPS Director Steve McCraw ordered a top-to-bottom review of what his officers did and did not do during the deadly Uvalde elementary school shooting. The special state legislative investigation found that there were DPS personnel on-site among the federal, state and local law enforcement officers who did not take action to stop the massacre for more than an hour.

That internal review is now done, Considine said. The agency has referred the actions/inactions of five DPS officers to the state inspector general, who will now conduct an investigation to determine what — if any — discipline should be forthcoming. The inspector general can also refer its findings to the district attorney in Uvalde, who continues to conduct a criminal probe of the school shooting.

Even if the inspector general decides against taking action, McCraw has the authority to issue internal disciplinary measures to those officers. The five officers are not being identified and their ranks are not being released, Considine said.

Meanwhile, McCraw has issued two new orders that will radically change the way police procedure is handled in Texas in the wake of the school shooting, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed.

Uvalde:365 is a continuing ABC News series reported from Uvalde and focused on the Texas community and how it forges on in the shadow of tragedy.

Under one, once an “active shooter” is declared at a school, the situation cannot be treated as anything else by Texas DPS personnel — troopers and Rangers — until the shooter or shooters are neutralized.

Under the other order, all DPS personnel are ordered from now on to override any other law enforcement officers who are standing in the way of taking active measures to neutralize a school shooter.

The police response took nearly 77 minutes to confront and kill the 18-year-old gunman and was plagued with failures, a state report issued by a special committee in the Texas Legislature found. Among them, the report found that school district police chief Pete Arredondo “failed to perform or to transfer to another person the role of incident commander.”

Arredondo was fired last month as the community has continued to call for accountability following the deadly school shooting. The former chief pushed back that he was “forced into the role of the ‘fall guy'” despite taking “all reasonable actions.”

Texas says it spent over $12 million to bus migrants to sanctuary cities

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Texas says it spent over million to bus migrants to sanctuary cities

(AUSTIN, Texas) — Texas has spent over $12 million as of mid-August in busing migrants to New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, a spokesperson for the Texas Division of Emergency Management told ABC News.

The state agency utilizes a contract to charter the buses, which include private security, the spokesperson said.

Abbott has sparred with the Democratic mayors of the three cities, who have accused him of using immigrants as pawns in his political agenda. The governor began the busing program after the Biden administration overturned a pandemic-era order restricting migrant entry numbers to the U.S.

Chicago became the latest city to unknowingly receive migrants as of last Wednesday. Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for unity in the situation and slammed the busings as “inhumane” and “not the Christianity and the teachings of the Bible that I know.”

“My frustration comes from the actions of the governor of Texas,” Lightfoot said at a press conference held Sunday following the arrival of another bus of migrants. “There could be a level of coordination and cooperation but he chooses to do none of those things and instead tries to send human beings…not cargo, not freight, but human beings across the country,” she added.

A spokesperson for Abbott said Chicago has received over 150 migrants on 3 buses so far from Texas. Abbott has no plans to stop anytime soon, the spokesperson said, calling on Mayor Lightfoot to take it up with President Joe Biden.

“Attacking the Governor’s commitment to his faith is a pathetic political ploy to change the conversation away from Mayor Lightfoot’s unwillingness to uphold her city’s self-declared sanctuary status,” Abbott’s press secretary Renae Eze said in a statement provided to ABC News. “Where was Mayor Lightfoot’s outrage and condemnation of President Biden as he flew plane loads of migrants across the country and dropped them in communities in the cover of night?”

The statement added, “Instead of lowly personal attacks on the Governor and complaining about a few dozen migrants being bused into her sanctuary city, Mayor Lightfoot should call on President Biden to take immediate action to secure the border—something the President continues failing to do.”

A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

Then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki in April told reporters the migrants on the buses are processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and “are free to travel.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called Abbott’s actions “the worst type of politics” in an interview with “Nightline” last month.

“It’s hateful politics to raise his national profile and, you know what, you should not be doing it by taking away the respect and dignity of people who are in need,” Adams said.

Abbott responded by calling Adams a “hypocrite” because “New York City is a self-declared ‘sanctuary city.'”

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser was denied a request last month from the Pentagon for help from the National Guard in dealing with the crisis.

Black and Hispanic Americans are less likely to receive monkeypox vaccines: CDC

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Black and Hispanic Americans make up the majority of monkeypox cases in the United States but are underrepresented when it comes to vaccine distribution.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Aug. 31, people of color make up more than two-thirds of reported cases in the nation with 29% of cases reported among Hispanics and 37.8% reported among Black people.

However, the share of monkeypox vaccines that minorities have received tells a different story. Only 22.1% of first doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine have been administered to Hispanic Americans and 10.4% have been given to Black Americans, data from the CDC shows.

Comparatively, white and Asian Americans make up 27.4% and 2.9% of cases, respectively, and have received 44.2% and 7.6%, respectively, of monkeypox vaccine first doses.

“Unfortunately, it’s not that surprising,” said Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, an ABC News contributor and an associate professor of dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania — who has treated monkeypox patients. “History kind of repeats itself. We see heath disparities across so many aspects of medicine and to think that this wouldn’t be one of them is a little naïve.”

He added, “I mean we saw it with COVID. It speaks to the fact that we have a lot of work to do to meet people where they are.”

Similar trends in racial/ethnic disparities can be seen on a city level.

In Philadelphia, Black or African American residents make up 55% of all monkeypox cases but just 24% of vaccinations, city data shows. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 16% of all cases but 12% of vaccinations.

Meanwhile, white Philadelphians make up 24% of cases but have received 56% of first doses.

Similarly, in New York City, as of Sep.1, Hispanics account for 32.7% of monkeypox infections and Black people account for 26.3% of infections. However, Hispanic residents have only received 23.3% of vaccine doses and Black residents have received 12.0%. according to data from the city’s Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.

By comparison, 24.2% of monkeypox infections in the Big Apple are among white residents but this population has received 45.5% of available first vaccine doses.

“The problem with infectious diseases is they often get a head start on attacking our communities before even a lot of people are aware,” Abdelmalek said. “So, these viruses already have a head start and then when you put into the equation, the fact that there might be certain populations like Black and Hispanic that have less access to medicine, the gap becomes even wider.”

Abdelmalek said a few ways to narrow these gaps include the medical community partnering with local businesses to get the word out about populations at-risk and vaccines and making sure social media platforms have messages that are targeted at traditionally underserved communities.

He also recommends people reach out and ask their doctor if they are eligible for the monkeypox vaccine and, if so, how they can receive.

“We should encourage [people] that you’re not bothering your doctor by calling them and asking them about could you get the vaccine,” Abdelmalek said. “Especially if you’re part of an underserved population. You can be empowered to call your doctor and advocate for yourself.”

Primary day in Massachusetts sees key GOP race, while Dem candidate could make history

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Tuesday is primary day in Massachusetts, where attention turns to the GOP gubernatorial race between a Donald Trump-backed hopeful and a more “pragmatic” politician as Republicans aim to keep control of the executive office. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

With state Attorney General Maura Healey now the presumptive Democratic nominee after clearing the field in her primary, all eyes are on who will face her. Former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, who has the support of Trump, is going up against businessman and political newcomer Chris Doughty for the Republican nomination.

Diehl won the state party’s endorsement earlier this year and has positioned himself as the more conservative choice as well as focusing on issues like infrastructure, expanding housing options and supporting law enforcement. He also cast doubts on the 2020 presidential election, opposed COVID-19 mandates and supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Diehl previously ran against Elizabeth Warren in the 2018 Senate race but lost by 24%.

Meanwhile, Doughty has focused on three main areas throughout the primary season: lowering taxes, keeping the statehouse balanced and making Massachusetts more affordable for people to live in. He has described himself as both a “moderate” and as “pragmatic, common sense [and] … fiscally conservative.”

Even though Massachusetts is considered a Democratic stronghold in many ways — it hasn’t voted for a Republican president in nearly 30 years — the state has a long history of electing GOP governors, including an unbroken 16-year stretch from 1991-2007.

The incumbent, Charlie Baker, is widely popular in the state but decided not to seek a third term and has not endorsed either candidate in Tuesday’s primary.

After primaries in Illinois and Maryland, the race is the latest example of Republican voters in blue states having to choose between two different types of conservatives as they hope to either retain control of the governorship or retake it after the last election.

Whoever wins the GOP primary, history could be made in Massachusetts if Healey is victorious in November. If she wins, Healey would be Massachusetts’ first elected female governor and first openly gay governor.

Teen curfew being enforced in DC-area county in response to ‘troubling’ rise in arrests

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md.) — Officials in one Maryland county said they are going to temporarily enforce a state curfew for teens amid a “troubling” increase in juvenile arrests.

Prince George’s County police officers have arrested an “eye-popping” 430 juveniles so far this year — more than double the number from this time last year, county executive Angela Alsobrooks told reporters during a press briefing Monday.

Carjacking is one area of particular concern, officials said. Eighty-four juveniles have been arrested for carjackings this year, half of whom were under the age of 15, she said. Among the 84 arrested, 34 had prior arrests for a violent crime or gun offense, she said.

“At this point, these kids don’t just need a hug, they also need to be held accountable,” Alsobrooks said. “I know this isn’t the popular thing to say, but the truth of the matter is, it’s a fair question: Where are their parents? Where are the aunties? Where are the uncles and other family members who are responsible for them?”

Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz called the number of juvenile arrests “shocking” and a “significant” jump from last year.

“The vast number of juveniles are out doing the right thing and living a meaningful and positive life in Prince George’s County,” he said during Monday’s press briefing, calling those who are committing crimes “outliers.”

“We can’t arrest our way out of this,” he added.

The curfew was last strongly enforced in 1995, though Alsobrooks said they “feel that the facts and circumstances warrant doing so again.”

The state law requires teens under 17 to be off the streets between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between 11:59 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, unless accompanied by an adult or if an exception applies, Alsobrooks said.

The county, which is located in the greater Washington, D.C., area, will begin stricter enforcement of the law starting this weekend for at least 30 days, Alsobrooks said. Parents will receive a warning for the first offense, though repeated offenses could see fines up to $250 and children could be released to the Department of Social Services if parents fail to respond, she said.

“Simply put, the enforcement of this law is to protect our children,” Alsobrooks said. “Children 17 years old and younger are not legally responsible for themselves. Neither are police. Their parents are responsible and their families are responsible for keeping them safe. We need everyone working to protect our children.”

Alsobrooks said she sees the curfew as one part of a “toolbox” to keep the community safe, alongside mental health services at schools and a summer youth enrichment program.

The county executive said she is seeking an emergency meeting with the Department of Juvenile Services and will continue to work with the court system to understand “how these kids are being held accountable.”

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, who was not present at the briefing, defended her office’s record on convictions at a later news conference.

“We absolutely hold people accountable for serious crimes,” Braveboy said Monday, calling the number of juveniles committing carjackings “outrageous,” according to Washington, D.C., radio station WTOP.

Officials in Philadelphia have also implemented a modified curfew for minors in recent weeks in an attempt to keep young people off the streets and safe during a high-crime season. Through Sept. 29, those between the ages of 14 and 17 are required to be home by 10 p.m. Previously, the latest some teenagers were able to be out was midnight. Those under 13 are required to be home by 9:30 p.m.

For those found violating the curfew, Philadelphia police will attempt to reunite them with their families at home or a precinct or bring them to one of several community centers that have been established during the curfew.

3 hikers die in incidents in Utah, Arizona over holiday weekend

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) — Three hikers died and several were injured over the holiday weekend in Arizona and Utah. Several hikers in Arizona suffered heat exhaustion as excessive heat gripped the West Coast.

A hiker in their 20s died and five others suffered heat emergencies while hiking a trail in Cave Creek, Arizona, Wednesday after running out of water and getting lost on the trails, according to the Scottsdale Fire Department.

The hikers, who were all locals, were removed from the trails by helicopter after emergency responders discovered they were about 4.5 miles from the trailhead, a representative from the fire department told ABC News.

The hiker who died was taken to a local hospital where he died due to heat stroke. The five injured hikers were given fluids and treated on the scene for about an hour before being cleared, according to the fire department.

Also in Arizona, a backpacker was reported dead in Grand Canyon National Park Sunday at around 7:30 p.m. local time. The backpacker has been identified as 59-year-old Delphine Martinez, who was on a multi-day trip, according to the National Park Service.

Martinez was hiking down the Thunder River Trail on Sunday when she became disoriented and later unconscious. Trip members tried to resuscitate Martinez, but were unsuccessful, according to NPS. NPS and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating Martinez’s death and have not released any additional information.

According to the National Park Service, temperatures in the inner canyon were over 100 degrees, with the high temperature at Phantom Ranch around 115 degrees. Park rangers at Grand Canyon National Park advised visitors against hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., saying the heat can cause “serious health risks including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyponatremia and death,” according to the National Park Service.

Separately, a 45-year-old hiker in Utah fell to their death Saturday after going missing while climbing near the mouth of the American Fork Canyon, the Utah County Sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The man, identified as Thomas James Rawe, texted a friend asking him to pick him up near the canyon in 45 minutes. Rawe was hiking or climbing in the area and was on his way down. He sent a picture showing the the steep terrain and the fee booth where the two were supposed to meet up.

At the agreed upon time, the friend arrived and Rawe did not. Rawe had said his phone battery was at 1%, so the friend was not initially surprised to not hear from Rawe, according to the sheriff’s office.

At around 9 p.m. local time, deputies with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a man missing while climbing near the canyon. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team responded and searched for a couple of hours, but because the terrain is dangerous, they called off the operation for the night. They returned early Sunday morning and called for assistance from the Utah Department of Public Safety and one of their helicopters, according to the sheriff’s office.

A helicopter crew member found what they suspected was the body of Rawe on a very steep, rocky slope, shortly after arriving. A Search and Rescue team member was then flown to the area to confirm the body was Rawe and that he was dead. Another volunteer was then flown to the area to secure the body from falling further down the mountain before it was prepared and hoisted to a nearby parking lot by the DPS helicopter crew, according to officials.

While officials are unsure what caused the fall, they said it is likely he “lost his footing or stumbled, then fell and tumbled several hundred feet down the steep slope.”

News anchor’s medical scare on live TV raises awareness of women’s risk of stroke

September 6, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(TULSA, Okla.) — An Oklahoma news anchor and a TV actress are raising awareness about women’s stroke risk at any age by sharing their own experiences.

Julie Chin, an anchor for Tulsa, Oklahoma, NBC affiliate KJRH, was anchoring a live broadcast on Sept. 3, when she began to experience difficulty speaking.

“I’m sorry,” Chin said, interrupting the broadcast to throw it to the station’s meteorologist. “Something is going on with me this morning and I apologize to everybody.”

Chin later shared an update on Facebook, writing that her doctors believe she suffered the “beginnings of a stroke” while on the air.

“The episode seemed to have come out of nowhere. I felt great before our show. However, over the course of several minutes during our newscast, things started to happen,” she wrote. “First, I lost partial vision in one eye. A little bit later my hand and arm went numb. Then, I knew I was in big trouble when my mouth would not speak the words that were right in front of me on the teleprompter. If you were watching Saturday morning, you know how desperately I tried to steer the show forward, but the words just wouldn’t come.”

Chin wrote that her coworkers called 911, and she was hospitalized for several days while undergoing multiple medical tests.

“There are still lots of questions, and lots to follow up on, but the bottom line is I should be just fine,” she wrote, adding, *Most importantly* I’ve learned that it’s not always obvious when someone has a stroke, and action is critical. This acronym helps identify the symptoms to look for: BE FAST and then if needed, be fast and call 911.”

“BE FAST” is a version of the acronym “FAST,” which is intended to help people remember the different signs of a stroke and what to look for, according to the American Stroke Association. It stands for “face drooping” or numbness of the face; “arm weakness” or numbness of the arms or legs on one side of the body; “speech difficulty” or slurred speech; and “time to call 911,” which reminds people to act quickly if you — or someone else — are experiencing any of the aforementioned symptoms.

“NCIS” star Pauley Perrette also revealed recently that she nearly died from a “massive stroke” a year ago at the age of 52.

Perrette, now 53, took to Twitter on Sept. 2 to share an update on her recovery.

“I feel good. Been through a lot in the last two years, things that are harder than having a stroke … but I am still here,” said Perrette, who suffered the stroke not long after she lost her father to COVID-19.

The actress told ABC News she had one of the major warning signs of stroke — numbness in half of her body — but that she was not aware that it was a warning sign.

In addition to sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, other warning signs of a stroke include facial drooping, vision changes, dizziness or loss of balance and difficulty speaking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death for women in the United States. One in 5 women between the ages of 55 and 75 will have a stroke, according to the CDC.

“Women need to be aware of this. Women of all ages need to be aware of this,” ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton said Tuesday on “Good Morning America.” “This isn’t just something that happens to men and older men.”

Ashton said that for both men and women, common risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and diabetes. Women have other risk factors, including hormones.

“Any hormonal state — being pregnant, taking birth control pills, taking hormone replacement therapy, we call it a class effect. It increases the risk of clotting,” said Ashton. “That doesn’t mean we don’t use those medications. That doesn’t mean women avoid pregnancy to avoid stroke, in most cases, but you need to know.”

The highest rates for stroke remain among older populations, and women generally live longer than men, but over the past several decades the stroke rates for younger adults have increased by more than 40%, according to the American Heart Association.

Signs of a stroke can develop quickly over hours and even days, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Symptoms can also depend on the type of stroke and the area of the brain that’s affected, the institute also reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 4 in 5 strokes are preventable in women. Ashton said that women can prevent strokes or lower risk factors by creating healthy habits.

“If you smoke, do everything in your power to quit,” said Ashton. “You want to control your blood pressure, know what both of your numbers are and control it in a safe range and then [maintain a] healthy lifestyle — moderate or no use of alcohol, exercise and eating well, they are massively important.”

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