Taco Bell recalled two million pounds of meat due to the possibility of contamination by metal shavings.

Explanation: Is Taco Bell Meat Contaminated with Metal Shavings?

On October 15 2019, an Imgur user shared the following screenshot of a purported Newsweek article, which appeared to be reporting on a Taco Bell recall involving meat contaminated with metal shavings:Its submitter’s title joked that “their secret sauce is melted lead,” and further down the page linked to a separate article dated October 15 2019. The Newsweek article that was in the screenshot reported:In a statement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it would be recalling the seasoned beef used in Taco Bell’s burritos and tacos.On Saturday, October 12 [2018], Taco Bell informed FSIS that three customers had complained about finding metal shavings in their food. The USDA said nobody has been reported to have had an adverse reaction, but anyone concerned should contact a health care provider.The beef, produced by Kenosha Beef International, was manufactured in Columbus, Ohio, and sent to five distribution centers in Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Virginia before being delivered to Taco Bell restaurants nationwide.On October 12 2019, various Taco Bell locations stopped serving seasoned beef, leading to confusion about its sudden absence from menus:Hey @tacobell can you guys be real about what’s going on with your beef. I love eating there and the secrecy of what’s going on makes me afraid to ever eat at your restaurant again— ICUrn (@jeff_serenks) October 14, 2019Still stuck on how Taco Bell out of beef😒— Liyah🖤 (@liyaah_lovve) October 12, 2019The recalled beef was produced between September 20 and October 4 2019, potentially affecting product in 21 states and 2.3 million pounds of beef in total. An October 15 2019 statement issued by Taco Bell explained that a single customer reported finding “a metal shaving” in their “menu item,” which led to a shutdown of the entire supply chain:On Friday, October 11, Taco Bell took immediate action and voluntarily recalled approximately 2.3 million pounds of seasoned beef from its restaurants and distribution centers. As of 9 a.m. PDT, Monday, October 14, 2019, 100 percent of the affected restaurants in 21 states across the eastern Midwest, northern Southeast and Northeast regions impacted have confirmed product has been removed and discarded.The states include: CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WV and Washington, D.C.[…]The problem was discovered when a customer reported they found a metal shaving in their menu item. To ensure the safety of our guests, the company immediately partnered with the supplier to shut down the supply chain, remove the product from restaurants and distribution centers and notify the USDA.The product was produced at one plant location on only one of the two lines used to make seasoned beef. This product was sent to distribution centers in the following states: Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Virginia.According to Newsweek‘s report the same day, three customers reported finding metal shavings in their food but said no adverse reactions had been reported. The recall was deemed a “Class I” by the USDA, constituting “a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”In an October 14 2019 USDA/FSIS press release, the agency deemed the health risk to be “high.” FSIS referenced an “undetermined” amount of seasoned beef recalled, and indicated that there was a possibility some affected meat remained in refrigerated storage at Taco Bell locations:Kenosha Beef International, a Columbus, Ohio establishment, is recalling an undetermined amount of seasoned beef products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal shavings, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today … The problem was discovered when the firm notified FSIS on Oct. 12, 2019, that it received three customer complaints.There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider.FSIS is concerned that some product may be in restaurant refrigerators. Restaurants who have purchased these products are urged not to serve them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.Although Imgur screeenshots are not optimal ways to convey food safety notices, a screenshot of a headline about a Taco Bell recall was accurate and current when it was posted on October 15 2019. On October 12, Taco Bell locations in some areas stopped serving seasoned beef, and the company notified FSIS that same day. Taco Bell recalled, by its count, 2.3 million pounds of beef after up to three customers discovered metal shavings in their food. Before the recall, potentially affected meat was delivered to 21 states, meaning residents of 29 states were likely unaffected by it. While the risk posed was classed as “high,” no reports of illness or injury were immediately reported.


U.S. eclipse watchers howl at Blood Wolf Moon but bitter cold cancels other festivities.

Explanation: Skywatchers howled at the moon at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles when the full lunar eclipse appeared shortly after 9 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday and our celestial neighbor was bathed reddish-orange during a Super Blood Wolf Moon.

“Amazing. As you can see, it’s a party atmosphere and everyone is just enjoying the spectacle,” said Rosalind Von Wendt from Los Angeles. More than 1,500 people gathered at the observatory near the city’s famous Hollywood sign to watch the eclipse. However, not everyone got to watch the cosmic show, with lunar eclipse parties canceled elsewhere due to a flash freeze across the central and northeastern United States. Icy roadways rather than cloudy skies were blamed by astronomers for spoiling the festivities. In Los Angeles, where the weather was markedly warmer and skies cleared just in time, skywatchers were treated to a full spectacle of the Earth casting its shadow over the moon’s face. “Oh it was fantastic, it was great,” said Brad Mortensen, from Philadelphia, Pa. “This was a great location. The observatory is always fun to visit so tonight when we heard about this we decided to come up.”  The moon did not vanish entirely during the total eclipse but, at its height, the entire lunar surface was bathed in a reddish-orange glow that gives rise to the “blood moon” description. The reddish color is due to rays of sunlight passing through Earth’s dusty, polluted atmosphere as the moon falls into our planet’s shadow. The shorter, more pliable blue wavelengths of light are scattered outside the Earth’s shadow and the longer, less bendable red wavelengths are refracted toward the moon. Adding to the visual effect is the fact that the eclipse occurred at a time when the moon reached a point in its orbit putting it close to Earth, an alignment called a supermoon. It has also earned the name “wolf moon” because it appears in January, when wolves would howl in hunger outside villages early in U.S. history, according to The Farmers Almanac. Sunday’s eclipse reached its maximum effect over Los Angeles shortly after 9 p.m. Pacific time (0500 GMT Monday), but not everyone on the West Coast had a clear view. It rained in San Francisco and San Diego had cloudy skies. Astronomy buffs were urged to watch the eclipse livestreamed online at sites such as AstronomersWithoutBorders.org. It seemed days earlier that cloudy skies would be the biggest threat to the cosmic fun, but it turned out a wet, wide-ranging snowstorm followed by a deep freeze on Sunday made driving and outdoor activities too hazardous. Eclipse parties were canceled from Indiana’s Lemon Lake County Park to New Jersey’s Rowan University. “It’s not the snow or cloudy skies but, rather, the extreme cold and what we fear may be hazardous travel conditions,” said Pennsylvania’s Carbon County Environmental Center, which scrapped its party in Summit Hill, Pennsylvania, 54 miles (86 km) northwest of Allentown. The eclipse was otherwise visible to the naked eye by anyone in the United States where skies were clear. That included Atlanta, Ga., where only the determined went outside in freezing temperatures to watch. Unlike a solar eclipse, which requires eye protection to enjoy the view safely, no extra measures need to be taken for hazard-free lunar eclipse watching. The next chance for Americans to see a total lunar eclipse is 2022. The best viewing of the one-hour total eclipse was from North and South America, with as many as 2.8 billion people able to see it from the Western Hemisphere, Europe, West Africa and northernmost Russia.


Ohio hospital faces lawsuits over Legionnaires’ outbreak.

Explanation: Two people who say they contracted Legionnaires’ disease at newly opened Ohio hospital have sued the facility and its health system.

Columbus, Health, Lawsuits, Legionnaires disease, Ohio

Martin and Rebecca Brown, from Orient, sued Mount Carmel Grove City in Franklin County on Tuesday. Anna Hillis, of Grove City, filed suit Friday. Sixteen people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’, a severe form of pneumonia, since the outbreak was made public two weeks ago. A 75-year-old woman has died after being diagnosed. A spokeswoman says the hospital is committed to “doing what is right and fair” for families. The Browns’ lawsuit says Martin Brown was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ after undergoing heart surgery at Mount Carmel. Anna Hillis says she contracted the disease while visiting there in mid-May. The outbreak has been traced to the hospital’s hot water system.


WHO says 4 new Saudi cases of MERS virus, one fatal.

Explanation: Four more people in Saudi Arabia have been infected with the SARS-like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus and one of them - an elderly man - has died, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.

The new infections, including in two health workers from Riyadh who have not reported any adverse symptoms, bring the worldwide total of confirmed cases of the respiratory disease to 170 with 72 deaths, the United Nations health agency said. MERS first emerged in the Middle East in September 2012 and is from the same family as the SARS virus, can cause coughing, fever and pneumonia. Cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Tunisia as well as in several countries in Europe, and scientists are increasingly focused on a link between the human infections and camels as a possible “animal reservoir” of the virus. In Friday’s update, the WHO said the latest MERS death - a 73 year-old man from Riyadh - had reported having contact with animals but had no travel history outside the Riyadh region. The fourth case, in a 53-year-old man from Riyadh, was after contact with a previously confirmed MERS case. He was hospitalized on November 26 and is currently receiving treatment in an intensive care unit, it said. Dutch and Qatari scientists published research earlier this month that proved for the first time that MERS can also infect camels - strengthening suspicions that these animals, often used in the region for meat, milk, transport and racing, may be a source of the human outbreak. The WHO said people at high risk of severe disease due to MERS should “avoid close contact with animals when visiting farms or barn areas where the virus is known to be potentially circulating”. For the general public it advised normal hygiene steps such as hand washing before and after touching animals, avoiding contact with sick animals and good food hygiene practices.


More than 30,000 cows froze to death during a winter storm because farmers could not be bothered to take care of their animals.

Explanation: What's true: More than 30,000 cows froze to death during Winter Storm Goliath in December 2015. What's false: This storm did not occur in 2017; farmers tried to protect their animals, but were unable to do so.

Critter Country, cows, snow, winter storm

In January 2017, a photograph purportedly showing a group of cows that had been apparently frozen solid was circulated on Facebook along with the claim that 30,000 animals had just died in a winter storm:  Weather.com reported that more than 15,000 cows died during Winter Storm Goliath in Texas, while another 20,000 froze to death in New Mexico: Dairy producers in Texas and New Mexico have estimated that the number of animals that died during the recent Winter Storm Goliath will climb to more than 30,000. The winds are believed to be the cause for many of the animals’ deaths. It created drifts as high as 14 feet and pushed animals into fenced corners where they suffocated, according to The Associated Press. “As Winter Storm Goliath wrapped up over the southern Plains, strong winds were associated with the storm’s tightening pressure gradient,” said weather.com meteorologist Quincy Vagell. “When combined with snow, the winds were strong enough to create dangerous blizzard conditions.” Executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen Darren Turley said that an estimated 15,000 mature dairy cows died between Lubbock, Muleshoe and Friona, the primary impact area of the storm, AP also reports. This region includes the home of half the state’s top 10 milk-producing counties, which provide 40 percent of Texas’ milk. According to an agent with New Mexico State University’s extension service, the state lost an estimated 20,000 cows. “Like all agriculture, dairy producers always operate at the mercy of Mother Nature,” said Turley. “With Goliath, she dealt a particularly harsh and costly blow to the area’s dairy producers, from the death of thousands of livestock they spend so much time caring for to a loss of milk production both over the weekend and in the future.” The photograph is also real, although we were not able to determine a definite source. An uncropped version of the image was published by Tri-State Livestock News shortly after the storm, which showed a group of frozen (or near-frozen) cattle on the side of the road:  More than one foot of snow on December 27 surprised ranchers and dairy farmers in a region accustomed to a few inches of precipitation each winter. Unlike their northern peers, Texas cattle raisers rarely own four-walled barns designed to keep cattle warn, often opting instead for open structures meant to keep Texas cattle cool during the long, hot summers. Forecast warnings of a “historic blizzard” came too late. Voinis said some cattle raisers had tried to build shelters with hay bales and machinery, to little avail. Some cattle were buried in snowdrifts formed by gale force winds. Others froze to death in the open, died of frostbite in later days or just disappeared. Initial loss estimates increased greatly in the days following the storm. A similar story unfolded in New Mexico, which was swept by the same storm:  Meteorologists sounded the first warnings about the storm some eight days before it hit on Dec. 26. Farmers prepared as best they could — putting down extra bedding behind wind breaks, placing extra bales of hay in front of calf bungalows and in places where snow typically accumulates. But as the blizzard raged on, cows that had sought shelter behind windbreakers were buried alive by drifting snow. Others froze to death on open fields. Calves that had been nestled inside hutches went hungry because no one could reach them. Farmers who tried to rescue their animals became disoriented and lost on their own land. “We did the best we could for our animals,” Ms. Beckerink said. But as the storm worsened, saving them meant risking the lives of her workers — “a horrifying decision to make.” The deaths of the cattle dramatically affected the livelihoods of farmers in both states. It is extremely unlikely that any farmer (dependent on their animals for money and food) would cavalierly leave their main source of income and food out in the snow to freeze to death, despite what this meme implies.


2019 coronavirus can live for "up to 3 hours in the air, up to 4 hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel.”

Explanation: Preliminary research indicates that COVID-19 can live for up to three hours in the air, four hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard and three days on plastic and stainless steel. Health officials advise people to wash their hands regularly, avoid touching their faces and disinfect their homes daily to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, Facebook posts,

The No. 1 thing Americans can do to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is wash their hands. That’s because you can contract the virus by touching surfaces that have the respiratory droplets of an infected person on them. But how long can coronavirus germs live on those surfaces? An infographic from KIRO-TV in Seattle offers some clarity. According to the graphic, which was published March 18 on Facebook, the coronavirus can live for "up to 3 hours in the air, up to 4 hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel." The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) But in this case, the latest research backs it up — so keep washing your hands and disinfecting your home. The graphic cites an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine on March 17. Researchers tested how long the coronavirus, formally called SARS-CoV-2, lived on five different surfaces: aerosols, plastic, stainless steel, copper and cardboard. "SARS-CoV-2 remained viable in aerosols throughout the duration of our experiment (3 hours)," the authors wrote. "SARS-CoV-2 was more stable on plastic and stainless steel than on copper and cardboard." Aside from air, the worst surface for the virus is copper; researchers could only detect viable virus particles there for up to four hours. On cardboard, they could not detect any after 24 hours. The coronavirus lives the longest on plastic and stainless steel — up to three days. It’s worth noting that the article is not a peer-reviewed study, and researchers tested the lifespan of SARS-CoV-2 in a lab setting. But their findings reflect what others have found about the potential longevity of the coronavirus outside the body. How Long Coronavirus Stays Active on Surfaces  A new unpublished, un-peer reviewed analysis has received some attention in recent days for its findings that the #COVID19 virus can remain viable in the air for up to 3 hours, on copper for up to 4 hours, on cardboard up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel up to 2 to 3 days.   To date, there have been no published studies specifically looking at the novel #Coronavirus but there was research published this past February in The Journal of Hospital Infection which analyzed several dozen previously published papers on human coronaviruses. While it did not include #COVID_19, it may provide a better idea of how long this pathogen can survive outside of the body.   The authors concluded that if this new coronavirus resembles other human coronaviruses, such as its "cousins" that cause #SARS and #MERS, it can stay on surfaces — such as metal, glass or plastic — for as long as nine days.   This is in comparison to flu viruses which can last on surfaces for only about 48 hours.  But there are some important caveats to consider. Some #coronavirus don't remain active for as long at temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).   The authors also found that coronaviruses can be effectively wiped away by common household disinfectants.   For now that is the best information we have.  To follow the continually updated coronavirus dashboard, tap the link in our bio and bookmark the page.     A post shared by  Medscape (@medscape) on Mar 17, 2020 at 2:29am PDT An article published in the Journal of Hospital Infection in March reviewed what other scientists have found about how long human coronaviruses can survive on different surfaces. The authors found that viruses like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which are both similar to COVID-19, could live for a couple of days on steel, plastic, wood, paper and glass surfaces. What about money, which many Americans handle every day? The World Health Organization advises people to wash their hands with soap and water after handling banknotes, coins and credit cards. The Journal of Hospital Infection article says human coronaviruses could live on paper for anywhere between one to five days. The U.S. Dollar is made up of 75% cotton and 25% linen, as opposed to wood pulp, which is the base for most paper. Still, you’re probably safer handling coins. The New England Journal of Medicine article found that COVID-19 can only survive for up to four hours on copper, which is what quarters, nickels and dimes are primarily made of. Ironically, pennies are made primarily of zinc, although they have a copper exterior. Based on the information available, KIRO-TV’s infographic is accurate. But we’ll issue a small note of caution because the study has not been peer-reviewed. .


Tesla plans to supply FDA-approved ventilators free of cost: Musk.

Explanation: Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Tuesday the company has extra FDA-approved ventilators that can be shipped free of cost to hospitals within regions where the electric carmaker delivers.

"Device & shipping cost are free. Only requirement is that the vents are needed immediately for patients, not stored in a warehouse. Please me or @Tesla know," Musk said in a tweet here  Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many ventilators it has to offer, or how the company will prioritize requests. Governments across the globe have appealed to automakers and aerospace companies help procure or make ventilators and other medical equipment amid a fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 777,000 people globally and killed over 37,500. In United States, states hard hit by the pandemic have pleaded with the Trump administration and manufacturers to speed up production of ventilators to cope with a surge in patients. Earlier this week, Ford Motor Co (F.N) said it will produce 50,000 ventilators over the next 100 days at a plant in Michigan in cooperation with General Electric’s healthcare unit, and can then build 30,000 per month as needed to treat patients afflicted with the coronavirus.


108 people died from Covid-19 in China on February 10th, one of the worst days so far.

Explanation: It is true that 108 people died in China from Covid-19 on 10 February, however, this death toll has since been surpassed.

26,383 people die of cancer each day. 24,641 die of heart disease every day. This is an underestimate for all cardiovascular disease deaths, but close to the daily figure of those who die from coronary heart disease specifically. 4,300 people die of diabetes every day. Suicide is the cause of death for around 3,000 people per day Suicide is the cause of death for around 2,000 people per day. Mosquitoes kill 2,740 people every day. This appears to be an overestimate. Mosquitoes are responsible for no more than around 700,000 deaths per year, or 1,900 a day. Humans kill 1,300 fellow humans every day. Snakes kill 137 people every day This is an underestimate. Snakes kill around 378 people per day. Claim 1 of 8


The legislation ... that Senator McCain supports would provide the authority for the federal government to surveille American citizens in their own country without any suspicion whatsoever that they're engaging in discussions with terrorists or about criminal activity.

Explanation: Carmakers and policymakers in Europe are staking their futures on a race to electric vehicles. But the vast charging network needed to sustain their vision is patchy, and it’s not clear who’ll pay for it.

National, Civil Rights, Terrorism, Bob Barr,

The central German city of Ruesselsheim, home to carmaker Opel, wants to build 1,300 electric car charging points by 2020, plans that would make it a frontrunner on the continent. It has advantages enjoyed by few in Europe, including a powerful local car industry player and wealthy national economy. In Germany itself the city has an edge, having won a government grant of 12.8 million euros ($14.4 million) to fund the rollout. Yet, even here, red tape, shortages of qualified staff and the requisite hardware are likely to delay the installation by around two years, local officials told Reuters. The project will also need more money, said the officials who are running up against the complexity of civil engineering, potential power grid overloads and unwieldy payment processes, illustrating some of the difficulties facing cities and nations across Europe. “We are not doing this for profit,” said Marianne Floersheimer, Ruesselsheim council’s mobility chief. “But we cannot afford to top up the government money.”  The number of electric cars on German roads grew fivefold between 2015 and 2018, and have risen strongly across Europe. However the growth in electric cars is outpacing the charging infrastructure. The ratio of electric cars to each charging point in Europe deteriorated to 7.0 from 6.1 in the same period, consultants AlixPartners found, although Europe is still better equipped than the United States at 19.7 per car, and China’s 7.6. Some analysts say a lag in infrastructure could drag on sales as customers hold off until electric becomes a convenient option. Any logjam could prove a problem for carmakers which, faced with emissions penalties, are pumping tens of billions of euros into electric technology in an industry-wide charge. German champion Volkswagen, for example, aims for electric vehicles to account for about a quarter of its sales by 2025. Obstacles to electrification could also strain the European Union’s plan to become “carbon neutral” by 2050 to combat climate change. A quarter of climate-harming emissions come from transport and, within that, most from passenger cars. However some campaigners, including Transport & Environment, a group that promotes clean transport, say good progress is being made in rolling out charging points in many countries of western and northern Europe, although central and eastern Europe are further behind. They say limited infrastructure is not having a significant effect on Europe’s electric car sales, which still represent a fraction of the vehicle market, and the ratio of cars to points is within the EU recommendation of 10. Given most charging will be done at home, they add, a lack of off-street parking in some areas could deter drivers from switching to electric. Like other German cities, Ruesselsheim is under pressure to roll out charging stations as environmental activists have started suing those municipalities that fail to comply with EU-wide rules for nitrogen dioxide emissions. With just 67,000 people, it has only a few charging points at the moment, some way behind the likes of wealthy and populous Hamburg on about 880 and Berlin with some 780. It is however aiming to provide one charging point per 72 people, the highest level in Europe, with the help of carmaker Opel, which will build around half of the points, plus the technical know-how of the local RheinMain University. Opel is owned by France’s PSA Group. Ruesselsheim’s electric plan won one of the highest grants under the German transport ministry’s clean air program. But local officials described some of the complications in implementation. The installation of every charging point needs to be agreed with authorities such as those in charge of water, monument protection and civil engineering, for example. Charging equipment makers, meanwhile, have long lead times. “We are chasing the same charging points, employees and supply technology as all the other cities,” said city spokesman Asswin Zabel. Hooking up inner-city charging points on low voltage lines will be relatively easy although some local people may object, said Matthias Schweitzer, head of technology at the local utility, Stadtwerke Ruesselsheim. But laying 2 km of medium voltage lines and ordering new transformer substations could take up to nine months, he said. The university aims to accompany the rollout with storage facilities to absorb green power and offer supply on demand. But it must measure whether inverters, which turn alternating current power from the grid into direct current used by car batteries, cause too much stress on the network. “We must ensure there is no overload,” Schweitzer added. Yet more snags await: There is still a hodge-podge of charging and paying processes across the country as vendors are not in sync with each other, meaning Ruesselsheimers may encounter payment difficulties on longer journeys. “There is no obligation to provide free roaming. People have to carry around far too many different customer cards,” said Hanns Koenig of research firm Aurora, which has studied commercial car charging opportunities. Germany is doing relatively well in Europe in terms of public charging points, with 17,400 countrywide, according to data from energy industry association BDEW. That would roughly equate to a point for every five of its 83,000 electric cars, about 1 percent of the vehicles on its roads. To keep up with sales, BDEW says thousands more public charging points are needed in coming years, as well as hundreds of thousands of private points at homes and workplaces. However funding could be a central problem in Germany, as well as in Europe and beyond, particularly along motorways which do not fall under any particular municipality. Carmakers are largely pouring much of their money into the development of electric vehicles, while energy providers hesitate to take on responsibility for the rollout as long as car sales remain too low to provide a profitable customer base. In Germany, many of the roughly 1,500 local utility players simply cannot shoulder huge infrastructure costs, especially while commercial success is not assured. The situation could become a vicious circle, some industry experts say, since without a large number of charging stations, customers may be reluctant to make the leap to electric. “Today it is still largely unclear who will make the necessary investment in the charging infrastructure in cities, housing and along the motorways in the short term, and how these can refinance themselves in the medium and long term,” said Jens Haas, managing director automotive at AlixPartners. “This results in lasting scepticism among German car customers and, in turn, hesitant buying.”


NY officials warn of rising flu cases, hospitalizations.

Explanation: New York state says it’s seeing more reported cases of influenza so far this season than in recent years.

Health, Andrew Cuomo, General News, Flu, New York

The state’s online flu tracker shows the state has seen over 10,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza as of Jan. 4. That’s up from roughly 3,000 in 2017. The state’s data do not represent all influenza illnesses, but officials consider it a useful indicator of influenza trends. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, ordered state health officials this month to work with hospitals to make sure they’re equipped to meet a rising number of hospitalizations. Nearly 2,000 New Yorkers were hospitalized with lab-confirmed influenza in the first week of January, up 34% from the previous week. Meanwhile, the state is encouraging providers to promote the flu vaccine, which officials say is likely to be effective this season. The state declared influenza “prevalent” in December. Now, healthcare workers who are not vaccinated against influenza are required to wear surgical or procedure masks in areas where patients are typically present.


Scientists reconstruct skeleton of elusive, pre-historic human.

Explanation: Researchers in Israel say they have reconstructed the skeleton of a pre-historic human from a long-extinct and elusive species using DNA found in the pinky bone of a 13-year-old girl who died 70,000 years ago.

Little is known about the Denisovans, who were ancient relatives of the more familiar Neanderthals and our own species. Their existence was only recently discovered and has fascinated scientists worldwide. Evidence was first uncovered in 2008 in a cave in Siberia, and today it includes only three teeth, a pinky bone and a lower jaw, said Hebrew University genetics professor Liran Carmel. It sounds like science fiction, but Carmel said that was enough to create a depiction of a full Denisovan skeleton. “This is the first time that we provide a detailed anatomical reconstruction showing us what these humans looked like,” he said. It turns out, Carmel said, “we are all very similar.”   His team developed a technology to decipher the ancient DNA and, more importantly, its gene activity. Gene activity, for example, differentiates between a frog and tadpole, even though their DNA is identical, Carmel said. DNA could indicate the Denisovan’s dark skin, eyes and hair, Carmel said, but by mapping gene activity patterns, they could infer how the species stood out anatomically from modern humans or Neanderthals. They identified 56 traits, most in the skull, that differed. This helped them produce a rendering - claiming 85% accuracy - of a Denisovan skeleton that at first glance looks like it could be from a modern human, though differences are obvious on closer inspection. There were similarities to Neanderthals - a sloping forehead, long face and large pelvis - but the Denisovans were also unique in their very wide skull and large dental arch. The skeletal reconstruction, along with an artist’s rendering of the 13-year-old girl’s head and face, were published in the journal Cell. The team repeated the process as a test with Neanderthals and chimpanzees, whose anatomies are known, and found the reconstruction to be 85% accurate. The discovery of more Denisovan DNA would further improve the rendering. Some far-flung modern Asian populations possess small but significant amounts of DNA derived from Denisovans, suggesting they had a broad geographical presence. Research suggests that Denisovan DNA may have contributed to modern Tibetans’ ability to live in high altitudes and the Inuits’ ability to withstand freezing temperatures.


Anti-gravity treadmills get patients running again after knee surgery

Explanation: Researchers in the UK presented a single case study of a 39-year-old runner who had surgery on her knee followed by physical therapy using a special treadmill. The release claimed the “anti-gravity” treadmill, which reduces the pressure of weight on the knee, helped this patient reduce fears about re-injury and increase their confidence in their ability to run again. The release did not provide any data to support that claim. The release would have been stronger had it included a mention of the cost and availability of anti-gravity treadmills. They’re very expensive pieces of equipment but are becoming more widely available through rehabilitation clinics. Knee pain is a very common condition and often keeps people from activities, including exercise, that are known to promote overall health. This news release about a single patient’s recovery from surgery overstates the benefit of the “anti-gravity” treadmill by implying that because this patient recovered better after using the machine, that others might, too. Studying a single patient, without comparison to a control group, cannot prove this treadmill improves outcomes. As we’ve said in a recent blog post, case studies should not be used as proof of health outcomes.

Anti-gravity treadmills,knee surgery,University of Kent

The release makes no mention of costs of the “space age” treadmill device. We found at least one anti-gravity treadmill has been around since 2005. The machines sell for between $24,500 and $70,000. Most people who would want to use them would be referred to a rehabilitation clinic where it may cost about $80 to run on one for 55 minutes. The release does not offer any units of measurement to describe the benefits. The descriptions of benefits also lean pretty heavily on abstractions that are tricky to measure. In the following example, the benefits are “a great environment for healing” and “belief” that a patient can make a successful return. “Not only does the tailored anti-gravity treadmill programme provide a great environment for healing, it also helps the person restore their belief that they can make a successful return to the sport they love.” In another example, the researcher is paraphrased as saying the machine could be helping to “reduce fears about re-injury and increase self-belief.” Basically they are saying that the runner re-gained some confidence in running. This cannot be extended to generalizations about health outcomes. The release does not mention any potential harms. As we outlined in benefits above, this release is written about a single case study of a single patient. The reader does not have enough information about the evidence to judge the quality. The release does not explain how the study measured the patient’s attitude or knee recovery. We’re only told that the therapy last 8 weeks. We did look at the published study which explained the measurements. But they aren’t included in the release. There was no disease mongering. The release doesn’t say if the author received funding to complete the case study. It also doesn’t give readers any information about potential conflicts of interest, or the absence of any, between the study authors and anti-gravity treadmill manufacturers. The release doesn’t mention any alternatives to the treadmill for people needing rehabilitation after knee surgery. The release is about a study of a single patient who pursued a single rehab journey following surgery. Besides that limitation, the news release also missed an opportunity to mention that there are non-surgical approaches to treating cartilage damage in the knee. The release does not tell us whether the device is available anywhere outside of the specific physical therapy facility profiled in the case study. The release doesn’t tell us how this case study yields anything new beyond the previous research completed on anti-gravity treadmills used in rehabilitation. We did not find unjustifiable language — just exaggeration.


Avastin Largely Safe for Patients With Type of Advanced Lung Cancer

Explanation: This is a story reporting on a study which reported on the potential harms associated with the addition of the drug Avastin in patients with an advanced form of a specific type of lung cancer. What the study showed and was reported in this story was that there were several individuals who experienced bleeding complications with Avastin added to their treatment. The piece fails to indicate what benefit patients might hope to expect from the addition of this drug to their other treatment regimens. Although the story was clear about the potential harms associated with this drug, it seems a little odd not to more fully explain that it is not yet known whether the drug will be helpful to patients with metastatic non-squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer – especially since the FDA announced this week that this drug does not demonstrate benefit when used to treat breast cancer. In the absence of information about the benefits, it is not possible to weigh the risk of harm against the potential for benefit. This is an issue that should have been addressed in this story. The timing of this story is curious but probably coincidental – to a degree. The big news about the drug Avastin is that the FDA has decided not to approve it for use in treating breast cancer because it does not improve survival or delay disease progression. While this did receive one line in the story, instead of hyping the potential for use of this particular in lung cancer, the space might have better used to examine what are the expectations for a drug used to treat a metastatic cancer. Drugs need to be not only safe, but also affective in order to add value to a treatment regimen. So while we know the story was based on a journal article released this week, it is the editorial decision to report on this rather mixed bag finding that is curious. And while we applaud news coverage of Phase 4 trials, are all Phase 4 trials (or the relative paucity of same?) going to be reported consistently?

There was no discussion about the cost estimates for adding Avastin to treatment, nor any mention of the route of administration. The story failed to report that the study reported on examined whether the use of this drug in this clinical situation was safe but did not look at the question of whether it was of benefit to the patients. The story mentioned that a previous study has indicated that this drug has benefit but did not provide information about the type of benefit that was observed. The story reported on the potential harms associated with the addition of this drug to a treatment regimen. Without information about what a patient might gain – it is hard to know whether the risk of these harms is worth the potential benefit. And the story could have provided more details about the severity and impact of the harms. Nonetheless, we give it a satisfactory on this criterion. The story leads with a line that the drug is "is safe and can effectively treat…"  But it then delivers no data on effective treatment. The story did not engage in disease mongering though it did include an estimate for the number of people who die from advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer per year. The story should have been clear from the beginning that the study reported on the use of Avastin as a potential addition to treatment for metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. Several sources were quoted who did not have a direct connection to the study reported on or to the company. The story indicated clearly that the study reported on was funded by the maker of the drug studied. There was no discussion about whether there are other drugs that may be used in conjunction with the standard treatment for metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer to improve patient outcomes. And since the story did not discuss how the use of Avastin changes outcomes, it failed to report on how this new approach compared with existing treatment. This piece correctly indicated that this drug is currently available for use. The story used the trade-name Avastin (as opposed to its generic name bevacizumab) nearly exclusively throughout and, at the end, mentioned that this drug has already received FDA approval for use in the treatment of other types of cancer. The story could have clarified that the use of Avastin in the treatment of metastic non-squamous cell lung cancer is still an off-label indication for this drug, which is more common in cancer treatment than in other diseases. The story was clear to indicate that Avastin is used to treat several other types of cancer and to mention in passing that at least for one type, breast cancer, the drug has failed to demonstrate that it has any benefit to patients. However – the story included no insight about any novel mechanism for this drug or why this drug is being examined for use in combination with standard chemotherapy. Does not appear to rely on a news release.


Nursing home sues state over banned in-house beauty salon.

Explanation: A Minot assisted living facility is suing North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and the state Health Department over an executive order that prohibits the use of an in-house beauty salon for its residents.

Health, General News, Assisted living, North Dakota, Minot, Virus Outbreak, Lawsuits

Somerset Court LLC said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday the executive order issued last month in response to the coronavirus is “without sufficient justification or rationale.” The North Dakota-owned facility is asking a state judge to stop the state from enforcing the executive order at the nursing home and to award attorney fees. It’s the first such lawsuit filed against the state related to COVID-19 executive orders. Burgum said at his daily briefing he expects others but wouldn’t comment specifically on any pending litigation. “We are deeply empathetic but we also understand the rate of where we could have the highest and fastest rate of outbreak that could be fatal would be inside a long-term care facility,” Burgum said. The state is working “to reopen personal care businesses and protect our elderly and this is at the intersection of that difficult spot,” he said. Burgum said he would unveil a plan on Friday for “widespread rapid testing” aimed at helping the state move toward reopening businesses. The North Dakota Department of Health on Thursday said 32 additional people tested positive for COVID-19 since Wednesday, bringing the state total to 709. They also reported one new death, a woman in her 80s from Cass County with underlying medical conditions, bringing the state’s total to 15. Burgum last month ordered all bars, restaurants, barber shops, beauty salons. health clubs, movie theaters and other large-scale venues to close to patrons at least until April 30, while still allowing offsite food and beverage service. Shelly Peterson, president of the North Dakota Long Term Care Association, said her group has been asking for an amendment to the order to allow in-house salons at nursing homes since the order was established. She said protocols are in place at all facilities in response to the coronavirus. “It’s just common sense with all the other personal care we do for residents,” Peterson said. Residents “depend on us. We feed them, clothe them and we change them.” There are 128 long-term care facilities in North Dakota and “about 70% of them have licensed beauty shops,” she said. State officials said 13 of 218 long-term care facilities in North Dakota have a confirmed COVID-19 case in a resident or staff member. Lynn Boughey, an attorney for Somerset Court, said the facility’s beautician was cited by Minot police recently for continuing to work. The contract worker was cited for an infraction that may carry a $1,000 fine, he said. “We should have never have had to bring this action and we’ve been trying to resolve this for over a month,” Boughey said. “It was clear for us that they only way to get this fixed is to sue.” Dave Caldwell, Somerset Court’s director, said there are 120 residents and about 80 staff members at the facility. He said there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus there. “I think spirit of the executive order was to keep hair salons closed for the general public,” he said. “This is not different than other activity of daily living that our staff performs here.” For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.


Cold, wet weather may help spread deadly pig virus: USDA.

Explanation: Frigid temperatures across a large swath of the United States this week followed by warmer conditions could aid the spread of a fatal pig disease now in 22 states, affecting hundreds of thousands of pigs, a swine veterinarian said on Thursday.

“The virus likes cold, wet and cloudy days,” said Rodney Baker, a swine veterinarian at Iowa State University at Ames, Iowa, the top pork producing state in the United States. At this time of year the virus gets frozen on clothes and shoes, making it easy to track around and spread, Baker added. Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), which causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration in hogs, has spread quickly across the U.S. hog belt since its discovery in the United States in April 2013. California and Wyoming are the latest states to report confirmed cases of the deadly pig virus, bringing the number of states affected to 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday. The number of new cases increased by 134 for the week of December 29, bringing total reported cases to 2,084, according to the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). Earlier this week several hog producing states experienced double digit sub zero temperatures, and forecasters now are calling for warmer temperatures as highs climb toward 30 degrees Fahrenheit by the weekend. Baker told Reuters the virus can remain viable after a single, maybe even a couple of freeze-thaw cycles. Cold weather and cloudy conditions protect the virus, but heat and sunlight will deactivate it, Baker said. The spread of the disease has heightened scrutiny of the U.S. trucking industry as livestock transport trailers are seen as a means of transmission. Trucks need to be washed, disinfected and heated to deactivate PEDv, hog industry health officials have said. However, if a sprayed disinfectant is not given ample time to activate before the truck is driven in freezing temperatures, the virus will not be killed and can infect the next load of pigs hauled in the trailer, Baker said. Heating trucks after washing and using disinfectant is the best way to rid them of the virus, but they are not washed frequently due to time and expense constraints, U.S. hog industry veterinarians have said. It can take at least two hours and costs of upwards of $500 to wash, disinfect and dry a truck properly, Baker said. Studies done at Iowa State University found temperatures as high as 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes will kill, or deactivate PEDv, Baker said. The virus, which is transmitted orally and through pig feces, has left the hog industry scrambling to curb its spread and has fueled concerns that hog supplies will fall in the spring and summer. There are no official figures for pigs lost to the disease but U.S. hog industry analysts estimate one million to four million have died.


Congress approved a bill in November 2017 that makes it a federal crime to play Christmas music before Thanksgiving.

Explanation: Playing Christmas Music Before Thanksgiving Is a Federal Crime?

Christmas, Fact Checks, Holidays, Viral Content

It’s not a federal crime to play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. A tongue-and-cheek report published by a website that describes its content as “Christian news satire” is behind the rumor.The fabricated report appeared at The Babylon Bee just as the 2017 Christmas season began to ramp up in early November.According to the story, anyone who breaks the law would be subject to an “immediate search” by federal agents under the fictitious law. And violators could be transferred to a secret CIA detention center where they’d be subject to questioning and up to 20 months imprisonment.Of course, none of that is true. The Babylon Bee describes itself as “your trusted source for Christian new satire.” Its stories shouldn’t be mistaken for factual news. But that’s lost on social media users who don’t click-through to read the entire article on the website.Many shoppers complain that retailers seem to start playing Christmas music earlier every year, and they might have a point. In 2017, Best Buy added Christmas music to its repertoire on October 22nd. By November 11th, Office Depot, Belk, H&M, Ulta, Sears, Michaels and Mauricie’s had all joined the fray, the Tampa Bay Times reported.So, what’s the big deal? Well, for those who wish it were illegal to play Christmas songs early, there’s a least some scientific proof. Clinical psychologists warned it could be detrimental to your mental health to listen to the same Christmas songs on repeat:In the end, it’s not a federal crime to play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Even if some people think it should be.Update 12/10/2019, 11:06am: This article has been revamped and updated. You can review the original here.


At least seven missing in Alabama after deadly weekend tornadoes.

Explanation: Alabama search and rescue teams on Tuesday were combing through the wreckage of houses flatted by weekend tornadoes, looking for seven or eight people still unaccounted for in the wake of the deadliest U.S. twister outbreak since 2013.

The tiny community of Beauregard, near the Alabama-Georgia border, was beginning to mourn the 23 people confirmed killed by the storms, which included four children and seven people from one family, officials said on Tuesday. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 93 years old, Bill Harris, coroner for storm-ravaged Lee County, told a morning news conference. “Just keep these families in your prayers,” Harris said. Most of the deceased were found in close proximity to their homes. The four children were age 6, 8, 9 and 10, officials said. County Sheriff Jay Jones said on Tuesday that search crews had narrowed their scope down to “the most affected areas” after scouring much of the county on Monday. He said he hoped the search and rescue effort would become a recovery effort by the end of the day. U.S. President Donald Trump said he will visit the areas of Alabama that were devastated by the tornadoes on Friday. “It’s been a tragic situation,” Trump said at the White House before a ceremony on military veteran suicides. “But a lot of good work is being done. I’m in constant touch with the governor and also the governor of Georgia.”  The tornadoes, stirred up by a late-winter “supercell” thunderstorm, toppled mobile homes and uprooted massive trees on Sunday with 170 mile-per-hour (274 km-per hour) winds. Forecasters ranked the worst of the outbreak at step four of the six-step Enhanced Fujita scale of tornado strength. The Beauregard community in the twister’s path might have had as few as eight or nine minutes to seek shelter from the time the warning was issued, National Weather Service chief meteorologist Chris Darden said. In addition to 23 confirmed deaths, more than 50 people were reported injured, authorities said, making this the deadliest tornado outbreak since a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, in May 2013, killing 24 people and injuring 375 others.


New York City Council votes to add e-cigarettes to smoking ban.

Explanation: The New York City Council voted to add electronic cigarettes to the city’s strict smoking ban on Thursday, in what could be the latest of many anti-tobacco measures put in place by outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Bloomberg’s detractors have derided him for trying to impose a “nanny state” in America’s largest city, pointing to his bans on smoking, trans fats and the attempt to limit the sale of large sugary drinks. Public health advocates have applauded those same efforts. Only weeks after New York became the first major city to raise the legal age for buying tobacco to 21, the City Council voted 43-8 to add electronic cigarettes to the city’s Smoke-Free Air Act. If the mayor signs the bill, which he is expected to do, smoking e-cigarettes - or “vaping” - would be prohibited at public and private venues such as beaches, parks, restaurants and office buildings after 120 days. City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, who sponsored the bill, said at a press conference on Thursday that the public use of e-cigarettes threatens to undermine enforcement of anti-smoking laws because their appearance is similar to traditional cigarettes and could “re-normalize smoking in public places.”  E-cigarettes are slim, reusable metal tubes that contain nicotine-laced liquid in a variety of exotic flavors such as bubble gum and bacon. As a “smoker” puffs on the device, the nicotine is heated and releases a vapor that, unlike cigarette smoke, contains no tar, which is known to cause cancer and other diseases. Critics of the law contend that such a ban would do more harm than good. Richard Carmona, a former U.S. Surgeon General and a current board member at NJOY, one of America’s largest electronic cigarette manufacturers, sent a letter to the council recently to urge rejection of the bill. “I’m extremely concerned that a well-intentioned but scientifically unsupported effort like the current proposal to include electronic cigarettes in New York’s current smoking ban, could constitute a giant step backward in the effort to defeat tobacco smoking,” Carmona wrote. The debate over risks versus benefits of e-cigarettes is far from settled, but a study published recently in the British medical journal, The Lancet, said they are as effective as nicotine patches for smokers trying to kick the habit. Three states - Utah, North Dakota and New Jersey - have already passed legislation banning e-cigarettes wherever smoking is prohibited.


Officials: New California measles cases involve travelers.

Explanation: Two people who returned to Southern California from overseas were infected with measles, health officials said Tuesday, emphasizing the travelers were not connected to other cases that prompted quarantines involving hundreds of people at two Los Angeles universities.

Los Angeles, University of California, Health, Measles, California, California State University, Public health

The latest case in Los Angeles County involves someone who arrived April 23 at Los Angeles International Airport, according to the county Department of Public Health. The person, who was not identified, is the sixth LA County resident to contract measles so far this year and one of more than 700 nationwide. Meanwhile, authorities said Orange County’s first measles case of 2019 involve a woman in her 20s who recently returned from overseas. Word of the latest cases came as California State University, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Los Angeles, announced that nearly all of the nearly 800 total students and staff members who recently came in contact with infected students had been released from quarantine. No quarantines were announced in the latest cases, but officials warned that people who were in the Los Angeles airport’s international terminal or a nearby parking area may have come in contact with the infected person. Contact also might have occurred at a Home Depot store in suburban Lancaster. Measles symptoms include runny nose, fever and a red-spotted rash. Most people recover, but measles can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and even death in some cases. Vaccinations administered in two doses are 97 percent effective, say health officials, who blame the increasing spread of the disease in recent years on people who are not vaccinated. Seventy people were still quarantined at Cal State-LA on Tuesday and 27 at UCLA. The UCLA quarantine was set to expire at the end of the day and at Cal State-LA on Thursday. Those already released had been vaccinated or were immune because they previously had the disease.


A photograph shows an STD-related infection known as 'blue waffle disease.'

Explanation: One common variation on the blue waffle myth is that it is an STI that passes exclusively from females to males and can be caused by improper hygiene. Perhaps this seems somewhat indicative of our society’s tendency to blame, objectify, and vilify women.

Risqué Business, blue waffle disease, Medical Myths, sexually transmitted disease

In April 2013, New Jersey city councilperson Kathy McBride became the object of some derision when, according to the Trentonian, she reported at a city council meeting that she had received an “alarming call” from a constituent who wanted to know “what was the City of Trenton doing about an epidemic that’s called the Blue Waffle Disease?” McBride was mocked for taking the issue seriously and not recognizing that she had apparently been taken in by an April Fool’s prank. References to “Blue Waffle Disease” hit the Internet around March 2010 when an image (disturbing image warning) of scabbed, blue-tinted labia was circulated along with the claim that the image pictured a type of vaginal infection resulting from a sexually transmitted disease (a condition which was supposedly common enough that it had been identified and given the slang name “blue waffle disease”): There is a rumor going around about a new STD called “Blue Waffle.” “A ‘waffle’ is a slang term for a vagina. A ‘blue waffle’ is a slang term for a severe vaginal infection. It’s basically a slang term for an extremely nasty or severe vaginal infection/STD on the vagina. The infection could cause lesions on the outside of the vagina, as well as bruising, which causes it to look blue in color.” Much discussion ensured about whether the photograph was real or a digital manipulation, and, if the former, whether it really pictured an infection (rather than, say, bruising resulting from rape or some other form of trauma). Whatever the origins of the photo, “blue waffle disease” is a bit of fiction and not a known symptom or result of any type of STD-related infection. As reported in the Women’s Health Foundation blog, Dr. Amy Whitaker, an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology at the University of Chicago Hospital, said of the widely circulated “blue waffles” image that: There is no disease known as “blue waffle disease,” in the medical world. There is no disease that causes a blue appearance on the external genitalia. I had never heard of this until you wrote to our section and asked about it. The common belief among medical professionals with whom I have spoken or e-mailed about this is that it is a hoax; the picture and “fake” disease used to lure people into some web site. The picture itself is disturbing. It is possible that a bluish appearance to external genitalia could be from bruising, which could result from force, most likely from a sexual assault. I can’t say, obviously, if that is the case here, but bruising certainly wouldn’t be bright blue. No STDS cause external bruising. Additionally, there appears to be one or two lesions, which could be an STD of some sort (for example, a herpes lesion), although it is certainly not clear from the picture. It even appears that there might be some sort of laceration on her right labia, a “cut” of sorts, but again it’s unclear. That could also be from force, or it could be an STD that presents with a lesion on the vulva. On the other hand, the entire thing could be ‘photoshopped,’ and nothing in it represents anything ‘real.’ In any case, this is not the typical appearance of any STD or any condition of the vagina or vulva. Columbia University’s Go Ask Alice! Health column also notes that “blue waffle disease” is a hoax: “Blue waffle,” or “blue waffle disease,” is many things, but real is not one of them. It is an urban legend, a myth, a tall tale, a rumor, a hoax, etc. about a fictional sexually transmitted infection (STI). If you do an image search, you’ll find (fake) pictures of blue waffle on the Internet. The blue refers to one of the alleged symptoms, and waffle is slang for vagina. Other supposed symptoms of blue waffle vary depending on the source and so does how it’s spread, all of the details changing over time like a giant game of telephone. One reason the blue waffle myth may have spread so quickly is because of the fear and confusion surrounding STIs and sexual health. Symptoms associated with the imaginary blue waffle are reminiscent to symptoms of existing conditions or STIs. For example, a red or irritated vagina or vulva, smelly discharge, and itching or burning could all be signs of bacterial vaginosis (or vaginitis). Sores and lesions? Now it sounds more like herpes. Why blue? Perhaps this can be explained by the darker color of the clitoris and inner lips when increased blood flow due to arousal occurs in some women. Or perhaps a darker bluish color could be caused by a yeast infection or chronic irritation of the vulva, known as Lichen simplex.


Surgeon fined $3K for removing kidney he thought was tumor.

Explanation: The Florida Board of Medicine says a West Palm Beach surgeon has agreed to pay a $3,000 fine for removing a woman’s healthy kidney that he thought was a tumor.

Health, Tumors, Florida, West Palm Beach

The Palm Beach Post reports Ramon Vazquez was responsible for cutting Maureen Pacheco open in 2016 so two other surgeons could perform a back operation. Pacheco had a kidney that never ascended into her abdomen, and Vazquez believed it was a cancerous tumor near her pelvis and removed it without her consent. Vazquez has said that he didn’t review her medical records before the surgery. Pacheco later sued the two primary doctors, who each settled for $250,000. Vazquez was also sued for malpractice and settled the case for a nominal amount. Vazquez must also attend training on preoperative patient evaluation. ___ Information from: The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, http://www.pbpost.com


Allergan Reports Topline Phase II Data Supporting Advancement of BOTOX® (onabotulinumtoxinA) for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Explanation: This news release from Allergan reports results of a phase II clinical trial of botox (onabotulinumtoxinA) as a treatment for major depressive disorder. The study compared effectiveness of two different dosages of botox with placebo in women for up to 24 weeks of treatment. The release states that the 30-unit dose was superior to the placebo at three and nine weeks, but not at six weeks. The 50-unit dose was not superior to placebo. The heading claims that the results support advancement of botox into larger phase lll trials, but further into the release we learn there was no statistically significant difference between treatment and placebo at the predetermined goal of six weeks. Additionally, the lower dose arm of the study outperformed the higher dose. As written, the heading and some introductory material are misleading. With mental health concerns more and more in the spotlight of health policy in the United States, an effective treatment for depression would be important news. Current treatments for depression help about two-thirds of those with significant depression symptoms. A treatment with a different mechanism of action such as botox to help some treatment resistant patients would be a welcome addition to the therapeutic toolbox. However, this news release obscures the study results. Botox has already been promoted for “off label” use to treat depression for some time. HealthNewsReview.org has previously explored the marketing of botox for depression and other conditions.

No mention is made of the cost of botox. GoodRx lists one 100-unit vial of botox selling for around $615 on average in the United States. We really don’t have a good idea from the release of the degree of benefit. Some numbers provided trend towards statistical significance, but there is a big difference between statistical significance and clinical significance. How much of a change in these rating scales makes a difference to the way a patient is really feeling such that it makes a difference in their lives? Also the fact that one dose of the drug seemed to provide effects and the other higher dose didn’t calls into question the whole idea of why botox may work for depression. The theory is that by paralyzing certain muscles in the face, botox affects emotions often reflected in those muscles. So shouldn’t some benefit be present or comparable at the higher doses? No mention is made of possible negative side effects. According to MayoClinic.com, possible side effects include “pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site, headache or flu-like symptoms, droopy eyelid or cockeyed eyebrows, crooked smile or drooling, eye dryness or excessive tearing.” In rare cases, the effect of botulinum toxin can spread to other parts of the body and cause botulism-like signs and symptoms. Information is provided about the study design (a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single treatment study), the number of study volunteers (258 adult women), the proportion of people in each arm of the study, and the length of the trial. But the release seems to go to pretty significant lengths to conceal the fact that the primary outcome was negative. It introduces the results with the sentence: “The BOTOX® 30 U dose demonstrated numerically superior efficacy in MADRS total score compared to placebo.” However, the release itself indicates that is not true. At the predetermined endpoint of six weeks, there was no statistically significant difference between either dose of botox and the placebo groups. We also have concerns about the headline which announces that the results support advancement of botox for treatment of major depressive disorder. That’s a stretch. Other outside experts have called these results mixed at best, unimpressive at worst. The release does not engage in disease mongering, but nor does it provide us with any context about major depressive disorder or describe how botox works to reduce depression symptoms. It is clearly stated that the study was funded by Allergan, the same company that produces botox. The article makes no comparison between botox and current treatments for depression so we’re left wondering: what does botox bring to the table? How does its benefits compare with medication? Does botox have fewer side effects? Does it cost less than other therapies? Readers are given no context within which to interpret the news. No statement is made about the availability of botox, but readers can reasonably assume that it will continue to be widely available. Allergan is not the first to test the effectiveness of single doses of botox to treat depression. Other researchers have conducted small, placebo-controlled studies with encouraging results, and a mention of the previous research should have been included in the release. The release doesn’t rely on sensational language.


Eating more vegetable protein may protect against early menopause

Explanation: Australian officials took advantage of better weather on Monday to reopen roads blocked by wildfires and move some people to safety although thick smoke stalled rescue efforts and hundreds of people remained stranded.

menopause,University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Fires have ravaged more than 8 million hectares (19.8 million acres) of land across the country, an area nearly the size of Austria, killing 25 people, destroying thousands of building and leaving some towns without electricity and mobile coverage. Police on Monday confirmed the death of a 71-year-old man on the south coast of New South Wales (NSW) state who was reported missing on Dec. 31. A second day of light rain and cool winds brought some relief from heat-fueled blazes that consumed parts of two states over the weekend, but officials warned the dangerous weather was expected to return this week. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said about 400 people were airlifted on Sunday out of Mallacoota, a small, coastal holiday town. “We had a plan to airlift another 300 out today. Sadly smoke means that is not possible,” he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has come under criticism for what opponents call his government’s failure to tackle climate change, announced A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) over two years for a newly formed National Bushfire Recovery Agency. “What we are focusing on here is the human cost and the rebuilding cost for people’s lives,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra. He said nearly 4,000 cattle and sheep have been killed in the fires. Countless wild animals have been killed. Dean Linton, a resident of Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains, used the break in the immediate threat to his town to visit his wife and four children who had fled to Sydney. He also picked up a fire-fighting pump and generator to help him protect the family home. “There’s a lot of fuel in that national park; it would only take one lightning strike,” Linton told Reuters. The bushfire season started earlier than normal this year following a three-year drought that has left much of the country’s bushland tinder-dry. GRAPHIC: A devastated east coast - here  Following are some highlights of what is happening:  * New Zealand Defence Force said the first of three air force helicopters being sent to help departed on Monday while the other two were expected over the next two days. * There were no emergency warnings in fire-ravaged states on Monday following the weather change. Two people were missing as 146 fires burned in New South Wales (NSW) but all were back at the “advice” level, the lowest alert rating. * Victoria state had 39 fires with 13 “watch and act” alerts. All missing people had been accounted for, authorities said. * About 67,000 people have left or been evacuated from fire-ravaged areas in Victoria, state Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said. * Victoria set up a Bushfire Recovery Agency, with initial funding of A$50 million. The recovery is expected to cost “a lot more” than A$500 million, state premier Andrews said. * Fire officials said light rain that has brought some relief posed problems for back-burning efforts to starve fires of fuel. * NSW state power distributor Essential Energy said its network had suffered “significant damage”, with almost 24,000 customers without power. It might take a while to restore power to some areas because of the extent of damage and difficulty in gaining safe access, it said. Affected areas include Batemans Bay on the New South Wales south coast. * As conditions eased, the NSW fire service said residents of Bega, Tathra, Merimbula, Eden, Pambula, Bermagui and villages to the north and south can now return though they need to monitor conditions. * Insurers have received 5,850 bushfire-related claims in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland since the Insurance Council declared a bushfire catastrophe on Nov. 8. * Losses are estimated at A$375 million since November, with a further A$56 million in insured property losses in September and October, the Insurance Council said. Figures do not include properties lost over the past 24 to 36 hours in areas such as the NSW Southern Highlands and south coast. * Accommodation provider Aspen Group (APZ.AX) said it expects a A$500,000 hit to both revenue and net operating income from the fires. * Canberra was running short of masks as smoke blanketed the capital, ACT emergency services said. The National Gallery of Australia said it was closed to protect visitors and art works. The government department responsible for coordinating disaster response also closed due to poor air quality. * Pictures on social media showed the city of Melbourne cloaked in thick smoke. * Actor Russell Crowe skipped Hollywood’s Golden Globes ceremony, where he won an award for playing former Fox News Chief Executive Roger Ailes in the TV series “The Loudest Voice in the Room”. Presenter Jennifer Aniston said Crowe stayed in Australia to protect his family from the fires and read remarks he had prepared in which he said the fires were “climate change based”. * Prime Minister Morrison faced more criticism of his handling of the crisis. “Poor political judgment is one thing. Competency is another thing altogether. This is the political danger zone Scott Morrison wants to avoid,” Rupert Murdoch’s the Australian newspaper, a supporter of the government, said in an article by the newspaper’s national affairs editor. * Forty-one U.S. firefighters are in Victoria with a further 70 from Canada and the United States expected to join on Jan. 8, the Victoria Country Fire Authority said on Twitter.


Reverend urges Lee to act during Nashville MLK Day event.

Explanation: A civil rights leader gave an impassioned speech in front of thousands as he urged Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee and others in attendance to not just love Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy but act.

Nashville, Universal health care, Tennessee, Medicaid, Martin Luther King Jr.

The Tennessean reports the Rev. William Barber II delivered a fiery and sometimes adversarial speech Monday in Nashville at an event honoring King. Barber is the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. Turning to directly address Lee and other elected officials, he said “it is time to put down the partisanship and do what is right.” Among other issues, Barber called for universal health care and a living wage for the poor. Lee is against expanding Medicaid in Tennessee and raising the minimum wage. A Lee spokesman says, “Freedom allows for different opinions, and that is what makes this country the special place it is.”


Black cats in Vietnam are being killed and consumed as a COVID-19 cure.

Explanation: Cats are eaten in Vietnam, but there is no evidence of widespread killing and consuming of black cats as a treatment for COVID-19. The news service that first published a story on the claim withdrew its story after questions were raised about how widespread any such practice is.

Animals, Public Health, Facebook Fact-checks, Coronavirus, South West News Service,

Cats and dogs have long been a controversial part of the cuisine for some in Vietnam. But a new claim circulating online says that people there are eating black cats as a treatment for COVID-19. Tabloid news sites including the Toronto Sun, the New York Post, the U.S. Sun and Vietnam Insider published stories saying black cats are being "collected, killed and their bodies ground up as a supposed coronavirus treatment." Each of the stories in some way attributed its information to the South West News Service, which describes itself as a "UK- and US-based news and media content agency with a proud 40-year history." These stories and other posts with the same claim were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat  news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) With fewer than 300 reported cases and zero deaths, Vietnam has been highlighted for its response to COVID-19, which included strict quarantining and intensive testing. Much of the country has reopened, with children returning to school May 4. While Vietnam has grappled with real issues related to animal welfare, experts we spoke to say they haven’t found widespread evidence that black cats are being killed and turned into a paste to treat COVID-19. The news service that generated the story said it has removed the article from circulation amid concerns about its credibility. Here’s what we know. On April 17, The Sun, a tabloid in the United Kingdom and Ireland, published a story that reported on an investigation by an animal rights group called Four Paws. According to the story, the group said it examined dining app data and found that dog and cat meat sales were surging through dining app delivery services in Cambodia and Vietnam. The story surmised that "doctors in the region are encouraging many to eat dog and cat meat, claiming its properties help fight off viruses." A week later, on April 23 and 24, stories credited to the South West News Service were published elsewhere that had a similar storyline, but took the claim further to suggest black cats are being singled out, turned into paste and consumed as medicine. Pictures credited to South West News Service accompanied some versions of the online stories. But the captions were vague and the images hard to verify. They included, for example, a photo of a baby drinking from a bottle that appears to contain a black substance. "This distressing image shows a baby reportedly being fed the black cat concoction," the caption said. The stories’ only source appeared to be the head of another charity, No to Dog Meat, based in London. We reached out to that group for evidence. They sent us to their YouTube account which includes four videos uploaded in April and May that claim in captions or titles to show cat mistreatment in Vietnam but which included no verifiable information about exactly where or when they were taken. Asked about the black cat claim, Cat Besch, founder and director of Hanoi-based Vietnam Animal Aid & Rescue, told PolitiFact she has seen "zero evidence in Vietnam so far that this is true." Nam Nguyen, an editor in Vietnam with the government-run Vietnam News Agency, told PolitiFact "the rumor has been around these weeks and originated from one post in Thailand social media, but as far as I know, Vietnamese are not so superstitious like other nations in southeast Asia to practice those ancient rites." He said the post has been deleted. Phuong Tham, director of Human Society International in Vietnam, told PolitiFact that black cats are being killed there "by people with lack of knowledge, believing that black cats' bones can treat asthma in children, while others kill them for superstitious beliefs," but "we have seen no evidence that black cats in Vietnam are being killed for COVID-19 treatment." Tham and Dr. Todd Pollack, Harvard University medical professor and country director in Hanoi of the Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam, said it is significant that they had not seen the claim reported by news organizations in Vietnam. VN Express, a newspaper in Vietnam, reported that on May 6, police in Nghe An province seized 630 kilograms of dog, cat carcasses and entrails of other animals from a passenger bus. The driver said the meat was being taken to Hanoi for consumption, according to the report. But the report contains no suggestion the meat was being used for treatment of coronavirus. When we reached out to South West News Service about the source of the information, the agency told PolitiFact that "shortly after publication, we identified a number of issues with this story and pulled it from our service. We received new information which led us to doubt the widespread nature of the claims the charity had made on this issue." We rate this claim .


Stanford catcher Handley’s backup plan is career in medicine.

Explanation: Last summer in the Cape Cod League, when most everybody else focused on baseball and nothing more, Maverick Handley carved out extra time to work toward his pre-med path and future after sports.

Baseball, General News, Medical schools, Sports

Observe a surgery in his spare time? Absolutely. Handley is a junior catcher at Stanford eligible for next week’s amateur draft. His fallback plan is to attend medical school and become an orthopedic surgeon. At home in Colorado, Handley shadows doctors at every chance. He did the same while playing for Falmouth on the Cape. “No internships that were too serious where I was really getting my hands dirty and putting in some serious hours, but enough to where I’m still getting exposure and making sure I’m still interested,” Handley says. “Ideally I go out and play baseball forever, and when I’m 40 I can be like, ‘All right, what do I want to do with my life?’ It’s definitely stuff that interests me.” All of the doctors he encounters encourage Handley to chase his baseball dream first, telling him, “You can always go back to medical school, you can’t always play baseball.” “It’s just kind of stuck with me,” he says. For now, his focus is on a deep postseason run with the Cardinal. Handley is hitting .291 with two home runs, 13 doubles, three triples and 19 RBIs for 11th-seeded Stanford going into this weekend’s NCAA Regional at home in Sunken Diamond. On Wednesday, he was named Pac-12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and to the all-conference team after leading the Pac-12 with seven pickoffs. Handley threw out 10 baserunners attempting steals. Somehow, with all the demands of being a Stanford student-athlete majoring in bioengineering, Handley has created an impressive balance. His 3.78 GPA is tied for the highest on the Pac-12 All-Academic team announced Thursday. A three-hour lab each Wednesday last season meant Handley couldn’t practice with the rest of his Stanford teammates those nights. He showed up in the mornings to get in all his work — hitting, throwing, conditioning. “Part of what makes, I don’t want to say our program, but Stanford athletics great is we are willing to adjust to the kid as much as we can. We understand what an unbelievable opportunity it is for these kids to go to school,” says Cardinal assistant coach Jack Marder, who guides the catchers. “If he’s trying to be an orthopedic surgeon and we’re going to get in the way of that so he can make baseball practice, to me that’s ridiculous, so we’re going to find a way, any way we can, to still develop him as a player with allowing him to do what he needs to do from the academic side of it. My obligation is just to be available to him.” Everyone who knows Handley figures if it were possible he would probably pack even more into his busy schedule. That includes mentoring at Palo Alto High School near Stanford’s campus. “I think he probably wishes there were more hours in the day,” Stanford pitching coach Thomas Eager says. “He likes to stay busy and I think he’s one of those guys who wishes he could do more stuff. He’s quite a remarkable young man how he goes about his business and how mature he is. He’s always thinking about the next thing. I know he wants to be a big leaguer and that’s what he wants to do, but I think it’s really cool to hear him say, ‘When baseball’s over, I can still be a doctor and I’m ready to be a doctor.’” The coaches challenged Handley to become a more consistent hitter this season, and he has emerged as one of the steady bats in Stanford’s lineup to complement his strong defense. Eager has never had a catcher he let call pitches, something Handley gets to do sometimes. “I’ve never seen Maverick Handley ever be overwhelmed,” Eager says. “He’s never been overwhelmed with anything he’s done. I think it’s just part of his DNA. A lot of that is due to how his parents probably raised him, his work ethic. I’ve never seen him complain and quite frankly you wouldn’t know how much is on his plate because he doesn’t really tell you. He doesn’t make excuses, it’s never like he’s tired and he’s never asking for shortcuts. Unless you ask him or people tell you, you really don’t know how much stuff that kid is doing off the field. It’s quite amazing.” Handley’s mother, Jill, is a certified nursing assistant who cares for his 7-year-old brother with autism. Knox is a first-grader in an inclusive classroom. “He’s grown so much, which is awesome,” Handley says. Handley came to Stanford with a plan and made sure to get his academic adviser on board from Day 1. “Honestly, it hasn’t been that difficult, which is great,” he says of doing it all. “Just some amount of mass hours of just putting in the work.” A broken ankle suffered during his sophomore year of high school helped spark his interest in medicine. He has observed a half-dozen or so surgeries. “If you’ve never been in a hospital or in a surgery you don’t have any exposure to it and you’re not going to really know what it’s like or why you’d be interested in it besides people saying ‘doctors make a lot of money,’” he says. “It was a pretty cool experience.” Handley intends to use offseason breaks to focus on his next career, with plans to return to Stanford in the fall to finish his degree. “Once he knows what he wants to do, he just makes it so that it’s impossible for him not to do it,” Marder says. “I think the reason why he’s interested in surgery or the medical field, I think he looks at it and goes ‘I can make a huge impact on this and it’s exciting for me, it’s fun and it challenges me, so why not see if I can do it?’ For the backup plan of it, I think that he’s always thinking, ‘How can I maximize myself as a person first?’ versus it being, ‘I have this pressure on me to maximize what other people want from me.’” ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


John and Carole Paladino were slated to testify before a grand jury as part of an investigation against HIllary Clinton before they died in an explosion in July 2018.

Explanation: Given that John Paladino worked at a funeral home and Carole Paladino was a retired school nurse, it’s unlikely that either of them would have been testifying before a grand jury about the operations of a large pharmaceutical company. Moreover, prosecutors in Gloucester County have told news outlets (and reiterated to us) that foul play is not suspected in the Paladinos’ deaths, so any “news” story attempting to link their demise to a deliberate and furtive criminal plot to keep the couple from testifying against Hillary Clinton is merely another iteration of the “Clinton body bag” rumor that has been disseminated online since Clinton’s husband, Bill, was president back in the 1990s.

Within 24 hours of the deaths of a New Jersey couple, dubious web sites seized on the tragedy as fodder for their latest round of conspiracy theory-driven content. On 7 July 2018, 72-year-old Carole Paladino and her 73-year-old husband Jon Paladino were killed when their Newfield, New Jersey, home exploded. The next day conspiracy-minded sites, citing “4Chan and 8Chan users,” published stories promoting the claim that Carole Paladino, a retired school nurse, was “due to testify” in a grand jury investigation against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:  The dubious alleged connection here is a two-year old controversy over Mylan Pharmaceuticals (who donated somewhere between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation) having increased the price of EpiPens by more than 400% over the course of several years — something Hillary Clinton herself criticized the company over: “Over the last several years, Mylan Pharmaceuticals has increased the price of EpiPens by more than 400%. They’re now charging up to $600 for a two-EpiPen set that must be replaced every 12-18 months. This both increases out-of-pocket costs for families and first responders, and contributes to higher premiums for all Americans and their employers,” Clinton said in a statement released to reporters by her campaign. “That’s outrageous — and it’s just the latest troubling example of a company taking advantage of its consumers … [I]t’s wrong when drug companies put profits ahead of patients, raising prices without justifying the value behind them


Next year, "you will be mandated by federal law to get rid of your existing light bulbs.

Explanation: Conservative group claims new law would require people to throw away existing light bulbs and replace with more efficient ones

National, Energy, Regulation, Chain email,

A fundraising letter making the rounds from a conservative political action committee draws a political line in the sand over light bulbs. The letter, circulated by AmeriPAC, a political action committee that largely supports conservative Republican candidates, claims President Barack Obama is "banning" incandescent light bulbs in favor of compact fluorescent lighting. It includes a lengthy letter purported to be written by Ron Arnold of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise Action Fund. "A silly little light bulb is merely a small piece of the larger puzzle of global socialism that he feels is his agenda to enslave the American people -- and to choke Americans from a free enterprise system!" the letter states. The letter seeks contributions and support for S.B. 395, the Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., which seeks to repeal the light bulb efficiency standards included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. We're writing about several claims in the letter, but here, we wanted to set the record straight on one of its worst inaccuracies. "Next year your light bulbs will be obsolete," the letter reads. "You will be mandated by federal law to get rid of your existing light bulbs." A few paragraphs later, the letter hits on the same idea, stating, "Next year you will be required to trade in -- whoops...throw away...your trusty incandescent light bulbs so you will supposedly be 'environmentally-safe' with much more expensive Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)." Sec. 321 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 spells out the new standards for light bulbs, essentially requiring them to be 25 percent more efficient. The idea is that, over time, more efficient light bulbs will replace older, less efficient ones. But there is nothing in the bill that requires you to get rid of the light bulbs you've got. Rather, the bill sets standards for new light bulbs "manufactured or imported" to the United States. Just to be sure, we asked Jen Stutsman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Energy, who said, "The standards apply to bulbs being imported or manufactured after the standards go into effect." Not only can people keep using their existing bulbs, she said, stores can continue to sell the old ones -- even after the new standards are in place -- until they are sold out. "There are no energy police coming to your home to make you remove your light bulbs," scoffed Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. We asked Arnold of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise Action Fund, who is purported to have penned the letter, about the claim. Initially, Arnold told us "that's probably not a very good way to put that. I could have been more careful with that." Then he said he didn't recall including such a phrase in his letter at all. When we sent him a copy of the letter we received, he said it was "an earlier version that was sent out by AmeriPAC, which had no reason to believe it was wrong in any part." Arnold attached another version of the letter, the one he said CDFE sent out, and it words the claim a little more carefully: "Democrats in Congress have mandated that you must give up using traditional light bulbs all because environmentalists believed that traditional light bulbs caused global warming." But we're fact-checking the earlier version from AmeriPAC because it was widely circulated and spread even further via chain e-mail. The claim that next year, "you will be mandated by federal law to get rid of your existing light bulbs," has no basis in fact. It amounts to a manufactured, baseless charge.


UMass: More than 5,000 vaccinated after meningitis outbreak.

Explanation: The University of Massachusetts has vaccinated more than 5,000 students during a mass meningitis vaccination program at its Amherst campus.

Health, University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Meningitis

A UMass spokesman tells The Republican the number of people vaccinated during the four-day clinic that ended Tuesday brings the total amount of students vaccinated this fall to about 7,040. The school scheduled the program after federal health officials determined that two recent cases of the disease at the school should be considered an outbreak. One student was diagnosed with a variant of the disease on Oct. 24, and a second was diagnosed last month. The first student remains hospitalized. The second has been released. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that because the two cases originated from a single strain of genetically identical organisms it should be considered an outbreak.