Health news and notes

Fitness company launching primary care service

Crossfit, known for its high intensity group workouts, recently announced the launch of Crossfit Precision Care. According to Crossfit, the program combines genomic medicine, biomarker testing, biometric tracking, and the personal goals of each patient to develop a holistic health plan.

“Unlike traditional medicine, we recognize each patient is unique, and your health plan should be as well,” the company said on its website. Crossfit CEO Eric Roza told TIME Magazine that the subscription-based telemedicine program is meant to replace traditional primary care, offering clients access to both a physician and a health coach who can help patients draft and follow personalized plans in pursuit of their fitness, nutrition and overall health goals.

According to the company, clients can select a plan that fits their lifestyle. Then, they’ll complete testing that includes an intake questionnaire, bloodwork, genetic biomarkers, wearable data, and more. Once the testing is complete, clients will be able to review their health plan by receiving personalized recommendations on diet, movement, recovery, and more, all tailored to their biomarkers and goals. Then, they’ll be able to receive ongoing care by meeting with a health coach and doctor to track progress.

As of press time, Crossfit was directing those interested to sign up on a waiting list on its website.

Airline partners with Peloton

Delta Airlines announced it has partnered with leading interactive fitness platform Peloton to offer a new “Classes in the Clouds” collection of well-being-focused content exclusively for Delta customers. “Decompress at your seat with guided meditations and stretches led by Peloton Instructors – a perfect way to prepare for that getaway or family reunion this holiday season,” Delta said on its website. The collection marks the first time Peloton content will be available on a non-Peloton platform. The

classes range from 5 to 20 minutes and will help you relax, recharge, fall asleep or stretch mid-flight.

Chronic loss of smell due to COVID a reality for many during the holidays

Many people who’ve recovered from COVID were partaking in the holiday meals this past November and December without truly being able to enjoy their food. That’s because, according to a new paper published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery estimates that up to 1.6 million people in the United States lost their sense of smell for at least six months as a result of a Covid-19 infection, reports Denise Mann for MSN.

“Given the surge in acute COVID-19 infections last fall and winter and the ongoing cases, there is a pending tidal wave of new cases of chronic olfactory dysfunction that deserves our attention,” said study author Dr. Jay Piccirillo, a professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “We have to try to figure out what to do for these people, and the sad news is that we don’t have any effective treatments for chronic COVID-19-related loss of smell yet.”

Without the ability to smell, you can’t taste food or detect harmful odors such as gas and smoke. Like Stern, many people with chronic loss of sense of smell report a poorer quality of life, and feelings of depression as well.

Exactly how COVID-19 can rob you of your ability to smell isn’t fully understood yet, but many viral illnesses cause similar symptoms, MSN reported.

WHO, CDC report high risk of measles outbreaks as pandemic disrupts vaccinations

The world faces a higher risk of measles outbreaks as the pandemic has disrupted routine vaccinations, a World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found.

According to The Hill, although annual measles cases dropped 82% from 2019 to last year, the report determined that routine vaccinations and surveillance of measles cases also dropped in 2020 as countries faced the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 75 countries reached more than 90% coverage for the initial measles vaccine last year, in a 13% drop from 2000 and a 37% decrease from 2019. Countries need at least a 95% vaccination rate of both doses of the measles vaccine to ensure “high population immunity,” the WHO and CDC noted.

Other key findings of the report include: ʯ Approximately 22.3 million infants did not receive the initial measles vaccine last year – an increase of 3 million from the previous year. ʯ Coverage with the initial measles vaccine in the past 20 years reached its highest point of 86% in 2019 before dipping to 84% last year amid the pandemic. ʯ The vaccination rate for the second measles shot almost quadrupled between 2000 and 2019 before slipping 1 percentage point last year. ʯ Five of the six WHO regions experienced a drop in the first measles vaccine coverage between 2019 and 2020. ʯ The number of specimens sent to the WHO Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network hit its lowest point in more than a decade, as 35 countries did not report rates for the first measles shot and 50 did not report rates for the second measles dose.

The past two decades have seen progress with the estimated number of measles deaths falling 94%. Since 2000, the health organizations calculated that measles vaccination prevented about 31.7 million deaths worldwide. Despite a goal to eliminate measles in 5 of the 6 WHO regions by 2020, no region has reached and maintained measles elimination.