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Sept. 21, 2022 – President Joe Biden says the pandemic is over. The World Health Organization says the end is in sight. Many of us would rather talk about almost anything else, and even New York City has dropped most of its COVID protocols.

Biden’s claim (made to reporter Scott Pelley on Sunday on 60 Minutes) has caused the debate over COVID-19 to explode yet again, even though he’s twice now tried to soften it. It has roiled the already divided public, fueled extensive coverage on television news, and led pundits to take sides.

But to many, a pandemic can’t be declared “over” when the U.S. alone is averaging more than 71,000 new cases and more than 400 deaths a day, and there are 500,000 cases and nearly 2,000 deaths each day around the world.

Biden’s comment has split experts in medicine and public health. Some adamantly disagree that the pandemic is over, pointing out that COVID-19 remains a public health emergency in the United States, the World Health Organization still considers it a global pandemic, and most significantly, the virus is still killing over 400 people a day in the U.S.

Others point out that most of the country is protected by vaccination, infection, or a combination, at least for now. They say the time is right to declare the pandemic’s end and recognize what much of society has already decided. The sentiment is perhaps captured best in a controversial new COVID health slogan in New York: “You Do You.”

In fact, a new poll from media site Axios and its partner, Ipsos, released Sept. 13, found that 46% of Americans say they’ve returned to their pre-pandemic lives – the highest percentage since the pandemic began. Meanwhile 57% say they’re still at least somewhat concerned about the virus.

A Balancing Act

“How can one country say the pandemic is over?” asked Eric Topol, MD, executive vice president of Scripps Research and editor-in-chief of Medscape (WebMD’s sister site for medical professionals).

It’s far from over, in Topol’s view, and there has to be a balance between protecting public health and allowing individuals to decide how to run their lives based on risk tolerance.

“You can’t just abandon the public and say, ‘It’s all up to you.’” He sees that approach as giving up responsibility, potentially causing an already reluctant public to forget about getting the latest booster, the bivalent vaccine that became available earlier this month.

Topol coined the phrase “COVID capitulation” back in May when the U.S. was in the middle of a wave of infections from the BA.2 variant of the coronavirus. He used the phrase again this month after the White House said COVID-19 vaccines would soon become a once-a-year need, like the annual flu shot.

Topol now sees hope, tempered by recurring realities. “We are on the way down, in terms of circulating virus,” he says. “We are going to have a couple of quiet months, but then we are going to cycle back up again.” He and others are watching emerging variants, including the subvariant BA.2.75.2, which is more transmissible than BA.5.

The White House acknowledged as much back in May when it warned of up to 100 million infections this fall and the chance of a major increase in deaths. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington projects that about 760,000 people are now infected with COVID-19 in the U.S. That number will rise to more than 2.48 million by the end of the year, the group warns.

A New Phase?

“From a public health perspective, we are clearly still in a pandemic,” says Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, a health policy expert who publishes Your Local Epidemiologist, a newsletter on science for consumers. “The question is, ‘What phase of a pandemic are we in?’ It’s not an emergency, where the Navy is rolling in the ships [as it did to help hospitals cope with the volume of COVID patients in 2020.]”

“The biggest problem with that comment [by Biden] is, are we normalizing all those deaths? Are we comfortable leaving SARS-CoV-2 as the third leading cause of death? I was disappointed by that comment,” she says.

Even if people shift to an individual decision-making mode from a public health perspective, Jetelina says, most people still need to consider others when determining their COVID-19 precautions. In her personal life, she is constantly taking into account how her activities affect those around her. For instance, she says, “we are going to see my grandpa, and everyone is doing antigen testing before.”

While younger, healthier people may be able to safely loosen up their safeguards, they still should be aware of the people around them who have more risk, Jetelina says. “We cannot just put the onus entirely on the vulnerable. Our layers of protection are not perfect.”

Like Topol, Jetelina suggests taking circumstances into account. She recommends small steps to collectively reduce transmission and protect the vulnerable. “Grab the mask” before you enter a high-risk setting, and “get the antigen test before going to the nursing home.”

Worst Behind Us?

“It’s not mission accomplished yet,” says William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease expert and professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. If he could rewrite Biden’s comments, he says, “He could have said something like ‘The worst is behind us,’” while mentioning the new vaccine to increase enthusiasm for that and pledging to continue to make progress.

Schaffner, too, concedes that much of society has at some level decided the pandemic over. “The vast majority of people have taken off their masks, are going to concerts and restaurants again, and they want to function in society,” he says.

He understands that, but suggests one public health message should be to remind those people who are especially vulnerable, such as adults over age 65 and those with certain illness, to continue to take the extra steps, masking and distancing, especially as flu season gears up.

And public health messages should remind others of the vulnerable members of the population, Schaffner says, so those who continue to wear masks won’t be given a hard time by those who have given them up.

A Focus on the Most Vulnerable

Biden’s statement “could have been phrased better,” says Paul Offit, MD, an infectious disease expert and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. But, he says, things are different now than in early 2020.

“We are in a different place. Now most of the population is protected against severe disease [either by vaccination, infection, or a combination].”

The effect of that protection is already playing out in requirements, or the lack of them, Offit says. At the pandemic’s start, “we mandated the COVID vaccine at our hospital [for employees]” Now, the hospital won’t mandate the new bivalent vaccine.

The focus moving forward, he agrees, should be on the most vulnerable. Beyond that, he says people should be making their own decisions based on individual circumstances and their risk tolerance.

One important and looming question, Offit says, is for scientists to find out how long people are protected by vaccination and/or previous infection. Protection against hospitalization and severe disease is the goal of vaccination, he says, and is the only reasonable goal, in his view, not elimination of the virus.

Biden ‘Is Right’

Taking the oppositive view is Leana Wen, MD, an emergency medicine doctor, health policy professor at George Washington University, and frequent media commentator, who says Biden should not be walking back his comment that the pandemic is over. “He is right.”

She says the U.S. has entered an endemic phase, as evidenced by social measures – many people are back to school, work, and travel – as well as policy measures, with many locations relaxing or eliminating mandates and other requirements.

There is disagreement, she says, on the scientific measures. Some say that over 400 deaths a day is still too high to call a pandemic endemic. “We are not going to eradicate the coronavirus; we need to live with it, just like HIV, hepatitis, and influenza. Just because it’s not pandemic [in her view] doesn’t mean the level of disease is acceptable or that COVID is no longer with us.”

Wen doesn’t see taking a public health perspective versus a personal one as an either-or health choice. “Just because something is no longer a pandemic doesn’t mean we stop caring about it,” she says. But “I think [many] people live in the real world. They are seeing family and friends have returned to play dates, going to restaurants, not wearing a mask. COVID has become a risk just like many other risks they encounter in their lives.”

The tension between public health and individual health is ongoing and won’t go away, Wen says. And it applies to all health issues. The shift from the broad public health concern to individual decisions “is what we expect to happen and should happen.”

She noted, too, the cost of measures to fight COVID, including closed schools and businesses and their effect on mental health and economics, plus another less-discussed cost: The effect on trust in public health

Continuing to demand measures against COVID-19 when cases are declining, she says, may weaken trust in public health authorities even further. With New York state recently declaring a public health emergency after finding the polio virus in sewage samples, Wen wondered: “What happens when we say, ‘Get your kid immunized against polio?’”

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 21, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Your children’s school clothes may look neat, but are they safe to wear?

Maybe not.

Researchers found high levels of dangerous chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in school uniforms sold across North America. These chemicals — which can build up in people and the environment over time — can be harmful to health. They are widely used in consumer and industrial products, and textiles.

Examining a variety of children’s textiles, the researchers found fluorine in 65% of samples tested. Concentrations were highest in school uniforms, especially those labeled 100% cotton.

“What was surprising about this group of samples was the high detection frequency of PFAS in the garments required for children to wear,” said study co-author Graham Peaslee, a professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame. “Children are a vulnerable population when it comes to chemicals of concern, and nobody knows these textiles are being treated with PFAS and other toxic chemicals.

Textile manufacturers use PFAS to make fabrics more stain-resistant and durable.

Known as “forever chemicals,” they have been linked to an increased risk of health problems, including a weakened immune system, asthma, obesity and problems with brain development and behavior. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention routinely detects PFAS in blood samples from children between the ages of 3 and 11.

The researchers estimated that 20% of public schools in the United States require students to wear uniforms, putting millions of children at greater risk of exposure to toxic chemicals. They can be exposed through skin contact with PFAS-treated clothing, inhalation or ingestion.

This study looked at 72 samples of products bought online in North America in 2020 and 2021. The investigators looked at products whose labels said they were resistant to water, stains, wind or wrinkles.

Besides uniforms, the products tested included outerwear like rainsuits, snowsuits and mittens; accessories like bibs, hats and baby shoes; as well as sweatshirts, swimwear and stroller covers.

The study authors added that more study is needed to learn how chemical concentrations change over a lifetime of use and laundering.

“There is no consumer option to purchase clothing that can be washed instead of clothing that comes coated with chemicals to reduce stains,” Peaslee said. “We hope one of the outcomes of this work would be increased labeling of textiles to fully inform the purchaser of the chemicals used to treat the fabric prior to sale so consumers have the ability to pick garments that were not treated with chemicals for their children.”

The items were screened for fluorine using particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy, according to a university news release. Peaslee’s lab has previously used the method to detect PFAS in cosmetics, fast food packaging, face masks and firefighting gear.

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken steps to have forever chemicals officially declared as hazardous, they are almost impossible to avoid. The study is a reminder that PFAS are still used in consumer and industrial products and that they stay in the environment.

Scientists from Notre Dame, Indiana University, the University of Toronto and the Green Science Policy Institute collaborated on the study. They published their findings Sept. 21 in Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

More information

IPEN offers more information on harmful chemicals such as PFAS.

SOURCE: University of Notre Dame, news release, Sept. 21, 2022

Sept. 20, 2022 – On Monday nights, while millions of viewers are marveling at the whirlwind romance of “Bachelor” couples and their extravagant dates, glamorous dresses, and fitted suits, one mental health expert will beking notes on the relationship behavior the contestants .

Diane Strachowski, EdD, a licensed cognitive behavioral psychologist and couples therapist, uses media psychology to share dating and relationship takeaways from “Bachelor” episodes via her Instagram platform.

Fans of the franchise — also known as “Bachelor Nation” — become invested in the relationship journeys of “Bachelor” couples, which can present valuable opportunities for self-reflection, according to Strachowski.

“I’m using the show as a catalyst to start conversations about ‘What is good coupling? What is a good relationship? What are good determinations on what makes for a viable relationship?’” says Strachowski, who has dubbed herself the “Bachelor psychologist.”

Even after two decades, the “Bachelor” franchise garners a minimum of 3 million viewers on any given episode. This summer, fans are reacting to two bachelorettes — Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia — in one season for the first time ever.

The success rate of couples from the franchise is about 30% — out of the 75 “Bachelor” couples, 24 are still together. The emotional and physiological implications of the competition component of the show can play a major role in successful, and unsuccessful, matchmaking.

“It’s cortisol and endorphins and dopamine and serotonin. It’s all those neurotransmitters, chemicals that we see in all relationships when falling in love,” says Strachowski, who lives in Menlo Park, CA, in the Bay Area. The show, however, amplifies these effects vs. “real-life,” where couples often move at a slower pace.

“The dates themselves are filled with adrenaline: bungee jumping, helicopter rides. All of these experiences bond couples together because your heart is racing and because that feels like excitement, that feels like love.”

“Bachelor” stars often pledge to “follow their heart” in their decision-making. But, it’s much more complex than that, says Strachowski.

“’It’s got to be a head, heart, gut decision, not just to who you’re attracted to,’” Strachowski says. “That’s why we see some of these couples breaking up. They haven’t had enough time to really go through a profound decision-making process.”

Boosting “Bachelor” Couples Success Rate

It’s critical that “Bachelor” leads and contestants understand the difference between chemistry and compatibility, says Kelle Carver, a marriage and family therapist and owner of The Honored Place Therapy in Kansas.

“They feel similar when you’re in the beginning stages. Chemistry feels like this person meets every one of my needs and that they’re perfect for me. Chemistry can also be when you get out of that honeymoon phase, mystery, right? The dynamics that you came from and your family system or from generations past,” says Carver.

Compatibility is something much deeper, says Noreen Dupriest, owner of Simply Be Marriage and Family Psychotherapy, also in Kansas. True compatibility allows each partner to be secure in who they are, so fixating on similarities can also be a dating pitfall.

Sometimes, differences can actually work in a couple’s favor. The therapists give the example of attachment styles, or how someone makes emotional bonds with others. While there are four styles, they highlight anxious vs. avoidant attachment.

Avoidant attachment: Person appears confident, yet they struggle to display or accept emotional

Anxious attachment: Person is more emotionally needy, fears that others don’t want to be with them.

“Anxious attachment is, ‘I’m not enough or will they see me?’ They typically look for, and are very compatible with, a person with avoidant attachment. That avoidant attachment fears abandonment so much that they can rescue that anxious attachment,” says Dupriest.

Bachelor Stars Reflect on True Love Post-Show

“Bachelor” franchise stars also shared their experiences in exclusive interviews with WebMD. Season 20 Bachelor Ben Higgins says compatibility questions came to a head post-show, and he soon realized what he truly needed in a partner.

“It changed for me where I wanted somebody who had a heart for people, was genuine, was caring. Someone who would stand beside the people who feel like the least of these, no matter what. I knew if they felt that way towards other people, they would feel that way towards me,” he says.

Ashley Iaconetti-Haibon, who hosts the “Almost Famous Podcast” alongside Higgins, says romantic sparks in her relationship with fellow “Bachelor in Paradise” cast member-turned-husband Jared Haibon came to a head after the two had gotten to know each other a little better.

“I think a lot of people think that chemistry is something that you feel right off the bat. In my relationship with my husband in “Bachelor in Paradise,” it was interesting because I knew there was compatibility. But my nerves got in the way of chemistry,” says Iaconetti-Haibon, who also owns Audrey’s Coffee House and Lounge in Rhode Island.

Life post-show can become challenging, and couples often need more time before saying “I do,” Higgins says.

“I think it’s [the show] a great way to meet somebody who can potentially become your lifelong partner. I don’t know anybody that’s gotten right off the show — even if they’re so confident in that moment that this is the person for them — and says ‘Hey, let’s get married next week,’” says Higgins, author of Alone in Plain Sight: Searching for Connection When You’re Seen but Not Known.

Things have changed greatly since the franchise began and “Bachelor” stars often gain a social media following from the show. While this can raise eyebrows about a person’s motives for applying, season six Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky-Manno says the answer isn’t black and white – nor does it have to be.

“At the end of the day, if someone’s on the show and they’re not really into you, you’re going to be able to sniff that out. If somebody’s on the show for fame and they actually fall in love with you, you’ll feel that too,” she says.

The fact that there have been a number of successful “Bachelor” franchise couples is notable within itself, according to Fedotowsky-Manno, who is also co-owner of 1to3 Life Hydration Accelerator, a low-calorie electrolyte drink mix.

“If you look at the statistic a little bit differently and think about, out of all the men you’ve met in your life, that you randomly met at a bar, how many did you end up dating and how many did you end up engaged to?” she says.

Higgins says that although his “Bachelor” journey didn’t end in true love, his experience ultimately led him to his wife, Jessica.

“How I found my wife was, post-show, looking at, OK, this is what I thought during the show when I had 30 people to get to know and work alongside to see if we could work. This is what I looked for then. That didn’t work for me. What can I look for now? And I found it.”

Be Unapologetically Yourself

Being authentic and presenting the truest version of yourself can save “Bachelor” relationships, and “real-life” couples, from turmoil down the line, says Strachowski.

“If I pretend that I’m the cool chick that doesn’t need anything, eventually I will blindside my partner. I can only sustain that ‘pretend me’ for so long. Ask for what you want and need. No apologies.”