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You could say swimming pools in Alaska in the time of COVID are doing swimmingly. Keeping healthy with a safe workout through water aerobics or lap swimming does more than build muscles, it keeps many older adults connected during the dark winter months. This year there will be many swimming options all across the state. "Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise that an older adult can participate in," said Larry Parker, chief executive officer at YMCA of Alaska. "Aquatic activity works...
Vaccination is more than 90% effective at preventing deaths from the Delta variant of COVID-19, according to the first country-level data on mortality. Researchers found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 90% effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine 91% effective in preventing deaths in individuals who have been double vaccinated, but who have tested positive for coronavirus. The study, using data from the Scotland-wide EAVE II COVID-19 surveillance platform, is the first to show across an entire country how effective vaccines are at...
Traveling in the dark can be treacherous this time of year, but now many transportation systems are being kicked into motion. The COVID-19 pandemic left many stranded at home for weeks and months at a time. However, this year can be different. Last month, Senior Voice reviewed ride services in the Anchorage area. This month we look at the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak. Kodiak The Kodiak Area Transit System (KATS) has been in operation since August 2000, under the administration of Senior Citizens...
The transportation options this winter around Alaska are expanding and more user-friendly than ever before. Senior Voice will be looking at different transportation systems and schedules this winter. In Anchorage, People Mover is a division of the Municipality of Anchorage’s Public Transportation Department (PTD) and is the largest public transit provider in the State of Alaska. It connects the community with transportation options, emphasizing customer service while providing economic, social and environmental benefits. The first buses r...
Symptoms for early COVID-19 infection differ among age groups and between men and women, according to new research. These differences are most notable between younger age groups (16 to 59 years) compared to older age groups (60 to 80 years and older). Researchers also found that men have different symptoms compared to women in the early stages of COVID-19 infection. Investigators at King’s College London analyzed data from the ZOE COVID Symptom Study app between April 20 and Oct. 15, 2020. App contributors are invited to get tested as soon a...
Getting vaccinated helps protects others who don’t Older adults who get vaccinated against COVID-19 may also be protecting their unvaccinated family members. Researchers at the Helsinki Graduate School of Economics have found that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines protect both vaccinated individuals and their unvaccinated adult household members against SARS-CoV-2 infections. The study used Finnish administrative datasets to examine the link between mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and infection risk among vaccinated individuals a...
There are many examples of the long-established right for public institutions such as schools, employers, governments and businesses to protect the health of others by requiring individuals to provide proof of vaccination or of a past infection, or seek a medical or religious exception. So why has COVID-19 vaccination become a lightning rod for controversy over “vaccine passports” and claims of violations of medical privacy or individual rights? Medical historian Dr. Howard Markel has written two popular books on the history of infectious dis...
Detecting severe COVID-19 earlier There is some very good news to report in the battle against COVID-19 as researchers may have discovered a way to detect early those who will become severely ill. Most people who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop no or only mild symptoms. However, some individuals suffer severe life-threatening cases of COVID-19 and require intensive medical care and a ventilator to help them breathe. Many of these patients eventually succumb to the disease or suffer significant long-term health consequences. To identify...
It is now possible to find out lots of details about what you are doing while you are sleeping at night. There are wrist sensors, rings and a host of other gadgets that measure how much sleep you are getting on a nightly basis. They are known as Consumer Sleep Technologies (CSTs) and there are dozens of options. These sleep trackers can give a person a better idea of whether they are getting enough quality sleep. Sleep trackers use sensors to detect things such as body movement and heart rate. Some wearable sleep trackers remain on the...
The latest studies show that a person who is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can still become infected with the virus. However, there have been many questions about whether a fully vaccinated adult can transmit the virus. “It would be very rare. The best data we have are from long-term care facilities in a study from Denmark,” said Dr. Morgan Katz, who is an Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Denmark launched an immunization program against COVID-19 at the end of 20...
Smart watch detects COVID infection A new kind of smart watch may be able to tell if you become infected with COVID-19. University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers are testing whether a wristwatch can capture real-time data and alert wearers of subtle physiological changes that may indicate they have become infected with COVID-19. The goal of the research is to prevent COVID-19 transmission in healthcare settings by letting wearers know that they may have been infected before clinical signs or symptoms of the virus start, accordin...
Many older adults are becoming fully immunized against COVID-19. Being immunized is an important way to keep yourself safe but vaccines do not allow you to drop all other public health precautions to prevent COVID-19. While full immunization should help prevent a person from developing severe illness or being hospitalized, transmitting the virus to others is still a concern. Handwashing and mask-wearing are still required. “This is not only for your own health, but even more for the health of others. I would caution folks not to abandon good hy...
COVID testing time reduced to less than five minutes A new COVID-19 test that reduces testing time from 30 minutes to less than five and delivers accurate results has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham in England. The researchers believe their method could deliver a test that is not only fast but also sufficiently sensitive. The test does not require samples to be treated at high temperatures, and it can be performed using standard laboratory equipment, making it readily deployable. Professor Tim Dafforn from the...
Lockdowns, job losses and social isolation have been the hallmarks of COVID-19 here in Alaska. However, this pandemic also is denying humans the most basic sense – touch. This is triggering a boom for the pet industry. In the absence of human-to-human contact in millions of households worldwide, animals have stepped into the breach for many people. They now are providing much needed comfort via cuddles, pats and a constant physical presence. A new study published by University of South A...
Never before have there been so many tools available to older adults in Alaska for improving the safety of their home. Alaska has one of the fastest aging populations per capita in the nation, and the majority of Alaskans want to age in place like the rest of the country. However, the challenges are different in Alaska and they can make growing old in a single-family home especially difficult, according to Karla Zervos, who is a volunteer coordinator for the North Star Council on Aging Fairbanks Senior Center’s Helping Hands Home Modifications...
Every day, new steps are being taken to improve recycling programs throughout Alaska. Anchorage Solid Waste Services announced in August that it would start allowing recycled greasy pizza boxes as part of Anchorage cardboard recycling. That's because grease and small amounts of cheese in pizza boxes has no effect on the recyclability of the boxes. This rule change is just the beginning and currently different avenues are being explored to improve and expand Alaska's recycling programs. "We are...
