Coronavirus hospitalizations in the U.S. are increasing with no sign of slowing.
The week ending Aug. 19 saw more than 15,000 new COVID-19 hospital admissions, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s nearly a 19% increase over the previous week and the sixth straight week of growing numbers.
The summer increase remains small compared to previous coronavirus waves in the U.S. Still, it is the first time since winter that the country has experienced growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and new coronavirus variants have caught the attention of officials.
EG.5, or “eris,” is now the dominant strain circulating in the U.S. It was responsible for more than 20% of new infections in recent weeks, according to CDC data.
The World Health Organization has designated EG.5 a “variant of interest” after it displayed a steady increase globally.
The organization assessed EG.5’s public health risk as “low at the global level,” which is the same designation as the so-called “arcturus” strain.
However, WHO warned that “due to its growth advantage and immune escape characteristics, EG.5 may cause a rise in case incidence and become dominant in some countries or even globally.”
Another new strain, BA.2.86, has been documented in the U.S. Details on the highly mutated strain are scarce, but researchers are watching it closely.
The CDC said in a risk assessment of BA.2.86 that it is likely not responsible for the current rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations and that it is too soon to know the new strain’s transmissibility or severity.
F | 跑步底触发了什么?很多人以为跑步就是消耗卡路里、出点汗。其实不是这么简单!跑步能保护细胞。细胞每次分裂,染色体末端的端粒就会缩短一截,短到极限细胞就死。跑步能激活一种酶,让端粒缩短得慢一些。
G | 有研究测算,规律运动的人,细胞年龄比同龄久坐者年轻得多。跑步能抑制慢性炎症。心血管病、糖尿病等,表面上看是不同系统的毛病,根子上都有慢性炎症在捣鬼。跑步能调节体内的炎症因子水平,抑制慢性炎症的发展。跑步能维持血管的弹性。
H | 跑步促进一氧化氮释放,这是血管保持柔软的关键物质。
I | 血管不硬了,血压就稳了,心脏就轻松了,脑子供血也好了。跑步还能给大脑"上营养"。跑步会刺激一种叫BDNF的物质分泌,这东西专门滋养海马体——大脑里管记忆和学习的区域。跑得久的人,记性更好,反应更快,认知退化的风险也更低。这些机制不是单独起作用,而是环环相扣:炎症少了,端粒损耗慢了;血管好了,大脑供血足了;大脑供血足了,神经保护更强了。一套组合拳打下来,各种慢性病被集体往后推。如何健康跑步?有人会问:我都这岁数了,现在开始跑还来得及吗?我想说,只要跑得动,什么时间都不晚!跑圈里有些七八十岁的老年人,每天跑步速度很慢,随着年龄的增长,从每天10公里,压缩到5公里,甚至3公里,但健康优势比同龄人依旧很明显。每周3到5次、每次30到60分钟的中等强度慢跑,时间投入完全可以控制。