A few articles of interest.

Iceland stops use of Moderna's Covid vaccine for all ages over heart inflammation concerns

The decision to halt Moderna vaccinations was made after adverse effects to the shot were noted in several other Nordic nations, which have since restricted their own rollouts of the jab.

“A Nordic study involving Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark found that men under the age of 30 who received Moderna Spikevax had a slightly higher risk than others of developing myocarditis,” Director of Finland’s National Institute for Health and Welfare Mika Salminen said on Thursday.

Salminen announced that men born in 1991 and after would no longer be given Spikevax. One day earlier, Sweden stopped giving the Moderna shot to all of its population born in 1991 and later, while Denmark suspended its use on under-18s. Norway recommended that men under the age of 30 choose Pfizer’s jab instead.

Sydney set for ‘freedom day’ after long lockdown

Australia’s largest city will emerge from a 106-day lockdown on Monday, as Sydney authorities confirmed coronavirus vaccination targets had been met.
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Thousands of Australian residents have also chafed at the restrictions, and some have voted with their feet.

The country’s population has shrunk for the first time since World War I, as expatriates returned home in droves.

Real-world data show that filters clean COVID-causing virus from air

A simple solution

“This study suggests that HEPA air cleaners, which remain little-used in Canadian hospitals, are a cheap and easy way to reduce risk from airborne pathogens,” says David Fisman, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, Canada, who was not involved in the research.

And the scientists found that the filters don’t only protect against SARS-CoV-2. When the filters were switched off, the air in both wards contained detectable amounts of other pathogens that cause infections in hospitals, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogenes. The filters largely removed them. These organisms are not typically thought to spread through the air, but “this study suggests that these infections may also spread by aerosol”, Fisman says.

The findings have not yet been peer reviewed.

It is not uncommon to have new information bring cautions and warning to older drugs or requests for further study. It becomes an individual choice to wait for the peer reviewed studies or make changes now until additional studies make those changes unnecessary.

Common painkiller should be investigated for possible risks to developing fetuses, experts say 9-23-2021

According to the statement published Thursday in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology, a growing body of research shows that "prenatal exposure to APAP might alter fetal development, which could increase the risks of some neurodevelopmental, reproductive and urogenital disorders."

The statement is not health guidance, but urges health care providers and regulators to take action.
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Signed by 91 scientists from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Israel, Scotland, the UK and US, the consensus statement calls for pregnant women to be cautioned to "forgo use" of acetaminophen during pregnancy "unless its use is medically indicated."
Even after getting approval from a physician, the statement said, women should "minimize exposure by using the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time."

NIH-funded study suggests acetaminophen exposure in pregnancy linked to higher risk of ADHD, autism

Researchers analyzed data from the Boston Birth Cohort, a long-term study of factors influencing pregnancy and child development. They collected umbilical cord blood from 996 births and measured the amount of acetaminophen and two of its byproducts in each sample. By the time the children were an average of 8.9 years, 25.8% had been diagnosed with ADHD only, 6.6% with ASD only and 4.2% with ADHD and ASD. The researchers classified the amount of acetaminophen and its byproducts in the samples into thirds, from lowest to highest. Compared to the lowest third, the middle third of exposure was associated with about 2.26 times the risk for ADHD. The highest third of exposure was associated with 2.86 times the risk. Similarly, ASD risk was higher for those in the middle third (2.14 times) and highest third (3.62 times).

The authors conclude that their results support earlier studies linking acetaminophen exposure in the womb with ADHD and ASD and underscore the need for additional research. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration urges careful consideration(link is external) before using any pain-relieving medication during pregnancy.

edited - date to title and acetaminophen info added