For a while, there was a chance that the U.S. might eliminate Hepatitis C. Few new cases were showing up, and most of those infected with the virus were Baby Boomers who had been living with the disease for decades. Hopes really soared when the first medications hit the market that that could eliminate — not just manage — the infection.
Sammy Saab, a hepatologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, was one of the physicians who thought the U.S. might soon be rid of the liver-targeting disease. That is, until new data rolled in showing that Hepatitis C was far from gone. “This came as a big surprise to everybody,” Saab says.
Between 2009 and 2018, the annual rate of acute Hepatitis C cases in the U.S. tripled. In 2018 alone, nearly 138,000 new cases were reported, according to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instead of Baby Boomers, individuals between 20 and 39 years of age dominate those case numbers — all of which largely underestimate the true number of Hepatitis C cases in the U.S., as early stages of the disease often lack symptoms. The rise in cases has also pushed the CDC to issue new recommendations that every adult get tested for Hepatitis C at least once in their life, with every pregnant individual getting tested, too.
Though these new case numbers were a surprise, their culprit is clear: “Injection drug use is the primary risk factor for Hepatitis C in the U.S. for new infections,” says Rachel Gicquelais, a researcher with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health studying infectious disease and substance abuse. A growing opioid epidemic means more individuals are potentially reusing or borrowing needles, providing the perfect opportunity for a virus that spreads via blood to infect someone new. To reverse the trend, health care providers will administer the same diagnostic tests and medications — but will have to overhaul their approach to reaching these new patients.
Journal Reference
Ryerson AB, Schillie S, Barker LK, et al. Vital Signs: Newly Reported Acute and Chronic Hepatitis C Cases ― United States, 2009–2018, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6914a2)
(Score: 1, Troll) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 21 2020, @06:34AM (4 children)
There is zero risk in allowing undocumented, illegal aliens to flood across the border, whenever they choose. (Or whenever some rich bastard promises them enough money for flooding.)
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @09:21AM (2 children)
México will build a wall, and pay for it, to keep Coronavirus zombies from shithole USA from infecting them with cooties.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 21 2020, @10:10AM (1 child)
Mexico is more interested in building a wall along their southern border, to keep diseased people from the jungles out of Mexico.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @02:01PM
Damn Americans! If they had half a brain they would have marched all the way down to Colombia when they had the chance and the overwhelming power, and they would have had a 50 mile wide border to patrol. At least they would have put Central America into the Eastern time zone
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @05:28PM
Do you feel light headed? I think your brain evaporated.
(Score: 3, Funny) by MostCynical on Tuesday April 21 2020, @06:41AM
Mr Mackey [youtube.com] inherited the Reagan attitude.
Abstinence doesn't work for drugs or sex (and only might work for Rock'n'roll)
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 4, Insightful) by maxwell demon on Tuesday April 21 2020, @07:22AM (19 children)
Strange formulation. What's wrong with “every pregnant woman”? I'm pretty sure exactly 100% of all pregnant people are female.
Or if you insist on gender-neutral formulation despite that fact, why not “every pregnant person”?
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @07:42AM (14 children)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_pregnancy [wikipedia.org]
https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2017/17232-gender-gap.pdf [unicode.org]
If you wrote that comment on Twitter with a significant following, you would be accused of transphobia within minutes.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @07:47AM (5 children)
Fortunately for us, we aren't on Twitter. Our crowd only has one transfuck in it, and no one cares if it is offended.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @08:37AM (4 children)
FTFY
(Score: 3, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 21 2020, @10:11AM (3 children)
So, you're coming out of the closet? You'll need to sign your name, eventually, for it to mean anything.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @05:50AM (2 children)
Not really. Having "Runaway1956" in the author section doesn't make your assertions about your identity or gender any more meaningful. Multiple accounts for one person and multiple people sharing one account are things, along with liars and the confused. And none of the above is magically prevented by putting your "name" anywhere.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @05:02PM (1 child)
What's wrong AC? Why so scared of putting a made up name on your posts? Have something against publicly putting your location data ont he web?? Cowardly shit stains like you are why this country isn't MAGAing hard enough!! /s for teh webz
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 23 2020, @06:44AM
ok coward
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @09:30AM (7 children)
"Pregnancy is possible for transgender men who retain a functioning vagina, ovaries and a uterus."
I don't care if it hurts your feelings. If you retain a functioning vagina, ovaries and a uterus, and get pregnant you are a woman even if you like to play dress up.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @03:57PM (2 children)
So if you have testicles, keep going to women-only areas and too many women complain about you, your testicles should be surgically removed. Payment could be means tested (e.g. if you are rich enough, you get the privilege of helping to pay for the surgery too) or free if the country is feeling rich.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @04:27PM (1 child)
Cost is nominal. I'm sure we could slip a hog farmer a couple of bucks for the service. They have to do it anyway on their livestock and I'm sure they wouldn't mind the extra income.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @03:18AM
You mean, "Squeal like the pigs do back home" ?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @07:07PM (1 child)
Um no, fatass bigot.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @12:08AM
Um yes, you pseudoscientific fatass soyboy.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @05:08PM (1 child)
My my, someone woke up with a torsioned teste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 24 2020, @01:44PM
Yes she did.
(Score: 2) by helel on Tuesday April 21 2020, @04:32PM (3 children)
What's wrong with pregnant individual? Are you suggesting that corporations can conceive and bring a child to term now?
Republican Patriotism [youtube.com]
(Score: 4, Touché) by maxwell demon on Tuesday April 21 2020, @04:55PM (2 children)
Never heard of a daughter company? :-)
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @04:55AM (1 child)
I've heard of sister and parent companies.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 24 2020, @07:30AM
I think I saw that video...
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @11:00AM
Damn it, I'm getting stir crazy now, and I'm a hikikomori! Never would have guessed that putting on a compression tank and RPing one of thos cis+het incels every day meant so much to me, though I had expected to be in the final stages of GTFO flyover country instead of HODLing in place, wondering if I'm ever going to escape flyover country.
Was supposed to have died of AIDS in a gutter, but the same person who told me that also told me I was a lizard person. Guess I'm just bad at dying, so Hep C will have to do. The ethical hurdles of a stop in a Nevada brothel producing demand for sexual slavery have been cleared. Objections may be filed away in the revenge file. Huzzah. It will be done. But beauty standards apply, because after all if you have sex with an ugly whore, it probably still does not count any more than any of my boyfriends, so I guess next step is to infiltrate an incel forum with my shapeshifting capabilities and see if I can get the all men conspiracy to divulge the secret codes for hiring a whore that looks just like the way the editors of Playboy or Maxim or whatever think women should look.
Could go the non-whore route but this seems more natural for somebody who claims to worship one of those ancient sex goddesses, and I'll be looking for friends where I intend to move to, not cherries to pop or wtf I'm supposed to be doing due to my assigned gender caste. Don't want to screw that up with left over angst. Just gotta get this done, unlock the achievement, and get on with my life.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday April 21 2020, @02:02PM
I knew that gaming was the root of all evil.
Young people won't believe you if you say you're older than Google. (born before 1998-09-03)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @08:11PM
Hey, if I get Hep-C, I get Hep-C. It isn't going to keep me from partying.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 21 2020, @09:04PM
why bother getting tested when you can't afford the pills to cure it?