Dr. Kevin Most of Northwestern Medicine drops by The Steve Cochran Show for his weekly roundup of medical news to help you live a happier, healthier life. This week, he shares why those homemade cures for everyday ailments actually work and the latest news on a new COVID strain and a booster to combat it.
Read all of Dr. Most’s notes below and listen every Tuesday morning for more medical news.
Grandma’s remedies- which work
- Chicken soup for a cold- warm broth helps replenish electrolytes, prevents dehydration, easy on a queasy stomach, vegetables give vitamins, increases mucous flow which clears the virus quicker.
- Wash your hands before eating. How many times did your grandma say “Did you wash your hands” we have shown the importance of washing hands and decreasing the chance of spreading infections in the close confines of a crowded dinner table.
- Open up the windows- air out the house. This one is a bit different, with Covid we discussed the need for air transfer, however at this time of the year we need to be aware of spring allergens. I think we all realize in the spring how nice it is to have some fresh air in the house after a winter of no fresh air.
- “Go outside and play” this is something we are hearing less and less frequent, yet we know from a health point of view how important it is. The effort of outside play has an impact on our cardiovascular system and weight, two areas we are falling behind in dramatically. More importantly it also teaches us social skills and teamwork, both of which help improve our mental health.
- Rub an ice cube over an insect bite. We know that ice in an area that has had some trauma helps decrease inflammation, thus we ice an ankle after a fall. Well the same is true for insect bites be if a mosquito or a bee. Ice will keep down the inflammation as well as decrease the release of histamine which makes us itch. Also notice Grandma had a aloe vera plant in the kitchen, it was not only for show it is also been shown to help with insect bites as well as superficial burns.
Nasal Vaccine for Covid
- We know that Covid enters our body thru the mouth, nose and throat.
- A study of a nasal vaccine for Covid that is being completed in Germany may stop the virus in its tracks
- Currently, we use shots in the arm to trigger the immune system to make antibodies when it identifies the virus in the body
- This is why we often have people who still have some infection even after being vaccinated.
- This nasal vaccine would work to stop the infection in the upper airway, before it can travel any further into the body
- The vaccine appears to have better protection by stopping the virus from replicating in the upper airway, essentially stopping it before it can move on.
- The concept is that it stops the virus from advancing into the body and also stops the ability for the virus to spread between people
- If it works, we would also expect to see a decrease in long Covid cases as the virus would not reach the brain, lungs or heart
- There are 15 other Covid nasal Vaccines being tested, this is the first company with results,
- We expect other results to be out shortly
- Russia has a nasal vaccine, but its efficacy is unknown
RSV- Respiratory Syncytial Virus- Globally 64 Million cases a year, and 160,000 deaths. In the US, 80,000 children under 5 are hospitalized each year for RSV infections.
- RSV is a virus we see that often makes a big impact in young children and older adults during the flu season
- Symptoms include runny nose, coughing, fever and wheezing. It can also cause a decrease in appetite, the combo of these symptoms show why it can be serious in children
- Almost every child will have had a RSV infection by the time they hit age 2
- RSV can cause breathing difficulties in children and pneumonia in children under the age of one
- Older adults and younger children with RSV can have difficulty breathing and dehydration needing hospitalization
- This week, Pfizer reported its new vaccine for RSV showed great results in its Phase 3 study to protect infants
- It was so successful, the study was stopped early. Recommendations for the use of this vaccine is expected this summer.
