Heart attack deaths jumped sharply among young US adults in 2nd year of COVID pandemic
As the number of COVID-19 infection surged during the pandemic, deaths from heart attacks rose sharply as well, with adults ages 25-44 experiencing the most significant increases, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
“The dramatic rise in heart attacks during the pandemic has reversed what was a prior decade-long steady improvement in cardiac deaths,” said Dr. Yee Hui Yeo, first author of the study and a Cedars-Sinai physician-scientist. “We are still learning the many ways by which COVID-19 affects the body, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or race.”
Scientists around the nation and world continue to release findings that show SARS-CoV-2 infections increase risk of other serious conditions such as stroke, nerve damage and some autoimmune diseases.
While other infections such as the flu are known to lead to a slightly increased risk of heart attacks, the Cedars-Sinai researchers said, they could find nothing that compared with the jump in deaths linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among their findings published in the peer-reviewed “Journal of Medical Virology:”
—The Sacramento Bee
Adidas cuts ties with Ye
Adidas AG will absorb a hit to earnings of up to €250 million ($247 million) to end its partnership with Ye following a rash of offensive behavior from the rapper and designer that turned a once-thriving shoe brand into a lightning rod for criticism.
The German sports company said it’s cutting ties with Ye, formerly Kanye West, with immediate effect, confirming an earlier story by Bloomberg News. By way of comparison, the blow to earnings this year would be equivalent to about a sixth of last year’s net income from continuing operations.
“Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness,” the company said in a statement.
Adidas will terminate the partnership with Ye, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies, it said.
—Bloomberg News
No one won massive Powerball jackpot. Now $700 million prize is among the largest ever
The Powerball jackpot has reached $700 million after another drawing day ended in no grand prize wins. Winning white balls during the Monday, Oct. 24, drawing included: 18, 23, 35, 45, 54. The red Powerball number was 16.
The jackpot has been climbing since Aug. 3 when a Pennsylvania winner scored the $206.9 million jackpot, according to a Powerball news release.
Since then, there have been 35 drawings without a jackpot winner.
Now the jackpot is the fifth-largest in Powerball history. The No. 1 largest jackpot in history reached $1.586 billion with winners from California, Tennessee and Florida claiming the prize on Jan. 13, 2016.
—The Charlotte Observer
Haiti journalist victim of armed attack
One of Haiti’s top investigative journalists was the victim of an apparent assassination attempt Tuesday when his vehicle was riddled with bullets during an armed attack while on his way to work.
Roberson Alphonse, who works for Le Nouvelliste, the country’s only daily and hosts its popular morning program Panel Magik on Port-au-Prince- based radio station Magik 9, was in stable condition after being shot in the arms by an unknown gunman, said Frantz Duval, the chief editor for the newspaper and its leading editorial writer. “I saw him, I spoke to him, he is in shock but not doing too bad,” Duval said.
The attack happened the same day authorities in the southern city of Les Cayes found the body of missing journalist Garry Tess. Tess used to host a political talk show in the city and had been missing for several days.
Both incidents come just weeks after Haiti, with support from the U.N.-Security Council, requested the immediate deployment of a special armed force to help the country’s police battle a powerful gang federation that has been blocking the main fuel terminal, Varreux. The blockade has stopped the flow of fuel, food and drinking water, amid a deadly resurgence of cholera.
—Miami Herald
