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FDA/CDC Warn Against Use of Ivermectin to Prevent and Treat COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health alert warning physicians and the public about the rise in prescriptions for the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin for use in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. The CDC also cautioned about the risk of severe illness caused by ivermectin, which was seen in increased calls to poison centers. Current NIH Treatment Guidelines state that there is insufficient evidence to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 outside of clinical trials.   This recommendation is ...

When to Refinance a Mortgage: Is Now a Good Time?

Sponsored Content: With mortgage rates near rock bottom, it's a good time to refinance a mortgage, right? Sure, in many cases, no doubt.  As a matter of fact, 17% of U.S. homeowners with a mortgage on their primary residence refinanced in 2020, according to a September NerdWallet survey conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,413 U.S. homeowners. And nearly one-third (31%) of homeowners with a mortgage on their primary residence said they were considering refinancing within the next 12 months, according to the survey.  To know if it’s the right time to ...

Important CMA House of Delegates Update

Important CMA House of Delegates Update Delegates and Colleagues:  Once again, the leadership of the California Medical Association (CMA) met to discuss how to best handle this year's annual session of the House of Delegates (HOD) considering the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and emergence of the delta variant. While we greatly desired to have HOD meet in-person in a safe way, it is with a sense of responsibility and disappointment that we have moved to cancel our in-person meeting and replace it with a virtual session of the House.  We have directed staff to ...

COVID-19 Vaccinations: Third Doses Now Available for Immunocompromised in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County, CA – County officials announced on August 14, 2021 that a third dose of COVID-19 vaccination is now available for people who have a compromised immune system, effective immediately. Eligible individuals are encouraged to contact their primary healthcare provider for consideration of the additional dose. Appointments can also be scheduled now through the County’s website sccfreevax.org, which also includes information about numerous drop-in vaccination sites throughout the county, including local pharmacies.   This expansion of eligibility follows the decision by the Food and Drug Administration to extend emergency use authorization ...

Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits Among Children Aged <18 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 1–October 17, 2020

Rebecca T. Leeb, PhD1; Rebecca H. Bitsko, PhD1; Lakshmi Radhakrishnan, MPH2; Pedro Martinez, MPH3; Rashid Njai, PhD4; Kristin M. Holland, PhD5  Published reports suggest that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a negative effect on children’s mental health (1,2). Emergency departments (EDs) are often the first point of care for children experiencing mental health emergencies, particularly when other services are inaccessible or unavailable (3). During March 29–April 25, 2020, when widespread shelter-in-place orders were in effect, ED visits for persons of all ages declined 42% compared with the ...