“Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision. Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Be especially alert for kids during those hours. Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, tell them to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.”
SAFE KIDS Worldwide (https://www.safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips)
Treats: Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering.
Flame Resistant Costumes: When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label Flame Resistant. Although this label does not mean these items won’t catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source. To minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.
Costume Designs: Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.
For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights.
Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.
To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights.
Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes . Mother’ s high heels are not a good idea for safe walking.
Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes.
Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision. Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.
Pedestrian Safety: Young children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible child. All children should WALK, not run from house to house and use the sidewalk if available, rather than walk in the street.
Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines present dangers.
Choosing Safe Houses: Children should go only to homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.
Children should not enter homes or apartments unless they are accompanied by an adult.
People expecting trick-or-treaters should remove anything that could be an obstacle from lawns, steps and porches.
Candlelit jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame. Indoor jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from curtains, decorations, and other furnishings that could be ignited.
Even though it’s not an official holiday, Halloween is much beloved by children and adults alike. What could be more fun than trick-or-treating, apple bobbing, or costume parties?
Snacking: Children shouldn’t snack on treats from their goody bags while they’re out trick-or-treating. Give them a light meal or snack before they head out – don’t send them out on an empty stomach. Urge them to wait until they get home and let you inspect their loot before they eat any of it.
Safe treats: Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn’t commercially wrapped. Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
Food Allergies: If your child has a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn’t present. Do not allow the child to eat any home-baked goods he or she may have received.
Choking hazards: If you have very young children, be sure to remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
Bobbing for apples is an all-time favorite Halloween game. Here are a couple of ways to say “boo” to bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Reduce the number of bacteria that might be present on apples and other raw fruits and vegetables by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water. As an added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.
Try this new spin on apple bobbing from FightBAC.org: Cut out lots of apples from red construction paper. On each apple, write activities for kids, such as “do 5 jumping jacks.” Place a paper clip on each apple and put them in a large basket. Tie a magnet to a string. Let the children take turns “bobbing” with their magnet and doing the activity written on their apple. Give children a fresh apple for participating.
Bacteria will creep up on you if you let foods sit out too long. Don’t leave perishable goodies out of the fridge for more than two hours (1 hour in temperatures above 90°F).
“Here’s a scary statistic: Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Lack of visibility because of low lighting at night also plays a factor in these incidents. A responsible adult should accompany young children on the neighborhood round. If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time children should return home. Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully. All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant. If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks.”
National Safety Council NSC (https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/seasonal-safety/autumn-safety/halloween)
“The two mRNA vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech using the original SARS-CoV-2 virus have proved to be effective at reducing severe disease, even against omicron. “The existing vaccines are doing an absolutely terrific job of keeping people out of hospital, out of ICU, and alive,” says Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, an infectious disease epidemiologist, and professor at the Yale School of Public Health and a pediatrician at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
Under the direction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have started clinical trials of bivalent vaccines targeting BA.4 and BA.5, which have nearly identical spike proteins. This means that the vaccine will be a mixture of the original vaccine and one that has been reformulated to target the mutated spike proteins of the now-dominant subvariants.
All vaccines approved by stringent regulatory agencies (SRAs) or with WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) are safe and effective at reducing the risk of severe disease and death due to COVID-19 infection.
Please remember that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccinations outweigh the risks of getting severely ill with COVID-19. If you are able to get vaccinated, do not delay it. Getting vaccinated could save your life.
Read more on different types of COVID-19 vaccines here.
For the latest information on vaccines, please visit the ‘What you need to know’ pages for AstraZeneca, Covaxin, Johnson and Johnson (J&J), Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, Sinopharm and Sinovac.”
WHO World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-vaccines)
“Getting vaccinated could save your life. COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives since their introduction and provide strong protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death.
It is still possible to get COVID-19 and spread it to others after being vaccinated. Therefore, consider continuing to practice protective and preventive behaviours such as keeping a distance, wearing a mask in crowded and poorly ventilated spaces, practicing hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette (covering your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze), getting vaccinated and staying up to date with booster doses. However, if you do get COVID-19 after vaccination, you are more likely to have mild or no symptoms than if you hadn’t been vaccinated.
Even if you have had COVID-19, WHO still recommends that you get vaccinated after infection because vaccination enhances your protection against severe outcomes of future COVID-19 infection, and you may be protected for longer. Furthermore, hybrid immunity resulting from vaccine and infection may provide superior protection against existing variants of concern.
To ensure optimal protection, is important to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses and boosters recommended to you by your health authority.
The high-priority group should be prioritized for the primary series vaccines as well as first and additional booster doses. The additional boosters should be administered either 6 or 12 months (depending on your risk category) after the last dose, with the timeframe depending on factors such as age and immunocompromising conditions.
The medium-priority group includes healthy adults – usually under the age of 50–60 without comorbidities, and children and adolescents with comorbidities. SAGE recommends primary series and first booster doses for the medium-priority group. Although additional boosters are safe for this group, SAGE does not routinely recommend them, given the comparatively low public health returns.
The low-priority group includes healthy children and adolescents aged 6 months to 17 years. Primary and booster doses are safe and effective in children and adolescents. However, considering the low burden of disease, SAGE urges countries considering vaccination of this age group to base their decisions on contextual factors, such as the disease burden, cost-effectiveness, and other health or programmatic priorities and opportunity costs.”
It turns out it’s not in either situation. Limitations exist with gaining immunity either way – BUT in by getting infected by the virus (disease induced) and by getting vaccinated.
Previous research indicated that disease-induced immunity wasn’t necessarily better and that vaccines created more effective and longer-lasting immunity than natural immunity. Disease-induced immunity, specifically, can be spotty and appears to be somewhat related to how severe the illness was (more severely ill persons appear to have a greater immune response than those with very mild illness or asymptomatic infection). Some people may have a good antibody response, while others don’t get much of any response.
The additional benefit of vaccine-induced immunity? Fewer downsides.
Vaccination helps protect against the most serious risks. “Yes, the vaccine has a few rare serious adverse events associated with it,” says infectious diseases expert Mark Rupp, MD. “However, the risk of adverse events is much lower than the substantial risks of serious infection and the risk of long-COVID that you get with the disease.”
Studies now show that both types of immunity are beneficial.
“Recent data analyses indicate that disease-induced immunity can be as long-lasting or even longer-lasting in some instances than vaccine-induced immunity,” adds Dr. Rupp. “Both appear to do a pretty good job protecting from severe illness and death.”
Hybrid immunity = natural immunity + vaccination
According to an analysis published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, a recent, robust study shows that hybrid immunity is longer lasting and more effective than disease-induced immunity or vaccination alone.
It turns out it’s not an either-or situation. Limitations exist with gaining immunity either way – by getting infected by the virus (disease induced) and by getting vaccinated.
Previous research indicated that disease-induced immunity wasn’t necessarily better and that vaccines created more effective and longer-lasting immunity than natural immunity. Disease-induced immunity, specifically, can be spotty and appears to be somewhat related to how severe the illness was (more severely ill persons appear to have a greater immune response than those with very mild illness or asymptomatic infection). Some people may have a good antibody response, while others don’t get much of any response.
The additional benefit of vaccine-induced immunity? Fewer downsides.
Vaccination helps protect against the most serious risks. “Yes, the vaccine has a few rare serious adverse events associated with it,” says infectious diseases expert Mark Rupp, MD. “However, the risk of adverse events is much lower than the substantial risks of serious infection and the risk of long-COVID that you get with the disease.”
Studies now show that both types of immunity are beneficial.
“Recent data analyses- indicate that disease-induced immunity can be as long-lasting or even longer-lasting in some instances than vaccine-induced immunity,” adds Dr. Rupp. “Both appear to do a pretty good job protecting from severe illness and death.”
The best protection against severe outcomes: Hybrid immunity
Hybrid immunity = natural immunity + vaccination
According to an analysis published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, a recent, robust study shows that hybrid immunity is longer lasting and more effective than disease-induced immunity or vaccination alone.
THE WHO further states (News 12/09/2022):
“EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended authorising an adapted bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in addition to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. This recommendation will further extend the arsenal of available vaccines to protect people against COVID-19 as the pandemic continues and new waves of infections are anticipated in the cold season.”
First B-4 and B-5 or known also as 4-5 COVID-19 vaccines) for use as a booster dose in individuals aged 12 years and older. The new bivalent vaccine comprises 15 micrograms of famtozinameran based on the Omicron variants BA. 4 and BA. 5, and 15 micrograms of tozinameran based on the original strain of SARS CoV-2.
Through the European Medicines Agency (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/adapted-vaccine-targeting-ba4-ba5-omicron-variants-original-sars-cov-2-recommended-approval) they state the following:
“EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended authorising an adapted bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in addition to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. This recommendation will further extend the arsenal of available vaccines to protect people against COVID-19 as the pandemic continues and new waves of infections are anticipated in the cold season.
Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 is for use in people aged 12 years and above who have received at least a primary course of vaccination against COVID-19. This vaccine is an adapted version of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech).
Vaccines are adapted to better match the circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2 and are expected to provide broader protection against different variants. Prompt assessment of the available data on these adapted vaccines will enable their timely deployment in the autumn vaccination campaigns.
In its decision to recommend the authorisation of Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5, the CHMP took into account all the available data on Comirnaty and its adapted vaccines, including the recently authorised adapted vaccine Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 as well as investigational vaccines against other variants of concern.
The CHMP based its opinion in particular on the clinical data available with Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1. Apart from containing mRNA matching different, but closely related, Omicron subvariants, Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 and Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 have the same composition. Clinical studies with Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 showed that the vaccine was more effective at triggering an immune response against the BA.1 subvariant than Comirnaty, and was as effective as Comirnaty against the original strain. Side effects were comparable to those seen with Comirnaty. This was further supported by data from investigational vaccines targeting other variants which have also shown similar safety profiles and predictable immune responses against the strains they target.
The CHMP’s opinion for Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 is also based on data on its quality and manufacturing process, which confirmed that it meets the EU standards for quality. In addition, immunogenicity data (the ability of the vaccine to trigger an immune response) from laboratory (non-clinical) studies provided supportive evidence that Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 triggers adequate immunity against the strains it targets.
Based on all these data, the CHMP concluded that Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 is expected to be more effective than Comirnaty at triggering an immune response against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The vaccine’s safety profile is expected to be comparable to that of Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1, and of Comirnaty itself for which a large amount of data is available.”
“Within two decades, there have emerged three highly pathogenic and deadly human coronaviruses, namely SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. The economic burden and health threats caused by these coronaviruses are extremely dreadful and getting more serious as the increasing number of global infections and attributed deaths of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. Unfortunately, specific medical countermeasures for these hCoVs remain absent. Moreover, the fast spread of misinformation about the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic uniquely places the virus alongside an annoying infodemic and causes unnecessary worldwide panic. SARS-CoV-2 shares many similarities with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, certainly, obvious differences exist as well. Lessons learnt from SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, timely updated information of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, and summarized specific knowledge of these hCoVs are extremely invaluable for effectively and efficiently contain the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. By gaining a deeper understanding of hCoVs and the illnesses caused by them, we can bridge knowledge gaps, provide cultural weapons for fighting and controling the spread of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, and prepare effective and robust defense lines against hCoVs that may emerge or reemerge in the future”
Respiratory Research (https://respiratory-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12931-020-01479-w)
“MERS represents a very low risk to the general public in this country. Only two patients in the U.S. have ever tested positive for MERS-CoV infection—both in May 2014—while more than 1,300 have tested negative. CDC continues to closely monitor the situation.”
Center for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/us.html)
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS‐CoV) that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases in humans, ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
A typical case of MERS includes fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath. Pneumonia is common, however some people infected with the MERS virus have been reported to be asymptomatic. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea, have also been reported.
Severe cases of MERS can include respiratory failure that requires mechanical ventilation and support in an intensive-care unit.
Some patients have had organ failure, especially of the kidneys, or septic shock. The virus appears to cause more severe disease in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and people with chronic diseases as diabetes, cancer, and chronic lung disease.
The mortality rate for people with the MERS virus is approximately 35% – this may be an overestimate however, as mild cases may be missed by existing surveillance systems.
Infected people with no symptoms have been identified because they were tested for MERS-CoV during investigations among contacts of people known to be infected with MERS-CoV. The role of asymptomatic infected individuals in transmission is currently unknown and under investigation.
It is not always possible to identify people infected with the MERS virus because early symptoms of the disease are non-specific.
MERS has been reported in 27 countries since 2012, with approximately 80% of human cases reported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Cases identified outside the Middle East are people who were infected in the Middle East and travelled to areas outside the Middle East. On rare occasions, small outbreaks have occurred in areas outside the Middle East.
The MERS virus is transmitted primarily from infected dromedary camels to people, but transmission from people to people is also possible.
MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus, meaning it is transmitted between animals and people. Scientific evidence suggests that people are infected through unprotected direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels.
The MERS virus has been identified in dromedary camels in several countries, including Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Mali, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Spain (Canary Islands), Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.. There is further evidence suggesting the MERS-CoV is widespread in dromedary camels in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.
The dromedary, also called the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), is a large, even-toed ungulate with one hump on its back. It is the tallest of the three species of camel; adult males stand 1.8–2 m (5.9–6.6 ft) at the shoulder, while females are 1.7–1.9 m (5.6–6.2 ft) tall. Males typically weigh between 400 and 600 kg (880 and 1,320 lb), and females weigh between 300 and 540 kg (660 and 1,190 lb). The species’ distinctive features include its long, curved neck, narrow chest, a single hump (compared with two on the Bactrian camel and wild Bactrian camel), and long hairs on the throat, shoulders and hump. The coat is generally a shade of brown. The hump, 20 cm (7.9 in) tall or more, is made of fat bound together by fibrous tissue.
Dromedaries are mainly active during daylight hours. They form herds of about 20 individuals, which are led by a dominant male. This camel feeds on foliage and desert vegetation; several adaptations, such as the ability to tolerate losing more than 30% of its total water content, allow it to thrive in its desert habitat. Mating occurs annually and peaks in the rainy season; females bear a single calf after a gestation of 15 months.
The dromedary has not occurred naturally in the wild for nearly 2,000 years. It was probably first domesticated in Somalia or the Arabian Peninsula about 4,000 years ago. In the wild, the dromedary inhabited arid regions, including the Sahara Desert. The domesticated dromedary is generally found in the semi-arid to arid regions of the Old World, mainly in Africa, and a significant feral population occurs in Australia. Products of the dromedary, including its meat and milk, support several north Arabian tribes; it is also commonly used for riding and as a beast of burden (people riding the camel for work).
This is how this illness got the nick name “Camel Flu”, based on the geographical area it initially came from, being the Middle East.
It is possible that other animal reservoirs exist, however animals including goats, cows, sheep, water buffalo, swine, and wild birds have been tested for MERS-CoV and the virus has not been found.
The MERS virus does not pass easily between people unless there is close unprotected contact, such as the provision of clinical care to an infected patient without strict hygiene measures.
Transmission between people has been limited to-date, and has been identified among family members, patients, and health care workers. The majority of reported MERS cases to date have occurred in health care settings.
If you have had close contact with someone infected with MERS-CoV within the last 14 days without using the recommended infection control precautions, you should contact a healthcare provider for an evaluation.
As a general precaution, anyone visiting farms, markets, barns, or other places where animals are present should practice general hygiene measures. These include regular hand-washing before and after touching animals, and avoiding contact with sick animals.
The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products, including milk and meat, carries a high risk of infection from a variety of organisms. Animal products processed appropriately through cooking or pasteurization are safe for consumption, but should also be handled with care to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods. Camel meat and camel milk are nutritious products that can be consumed after pasteurization, cooking, or other heat treatments.
Until more is understood about MERS-CoV, people with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease, and immunocompromised persons are considered to be at high risk of severe disease from MERS-CoV infection. Especially in the Middle East, this group of people should avoid contact with dromedary camels, consuming raw camel milk or camel urine, as well as eating meat that has not been properly cooked.
Health care workers are at risk for transmission of MERS-CoV, it has occurred in health care facilities in several countries, most notably in Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea.
Droplet precautions should be added to standard precautions when providing care to all patients with symptoms of acute respiratory infection. Contact precautions and eye protection should be added when caring for suspected or confirmed cases of MERS. Airborne precautions should be applied when performing aerosol‐generating procedures.
SARS is the other major concern if a patient is diagnosed with COVID-19. Both MERS and/or SARS can lead to death especially in the elderly.
“In every cell in the human body there is a nucleus, where genetic material is stored in genes. Genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped along rod-like structures called chromosomes. Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21. In recent history, advances in medicine and science have enabled researchers to investigate the characteristics of people with Down syndrome. In 1959, the French physician Jérôme Lejeune identified Down syndrome as a chromosomal condition. Instead of the usual 46 chromosomes present in each cell, Lejeune observed 47 in the cells of individuals with Down syndrome. It was later determined that an extra partial or whole copy of chromosome 21 results in the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. In the year 2000, an international team of scientists successfully identified and catalogued each of the approximately 329 genes on chromosome 21. This accomplishment opened the door to great advances in Down syndrome research.”
National Down Syndrome Society (https://ndss.org/about)
“National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is recognized each October through educational events, community gatherings, and support groups. In 2018, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project developed a unified theme: #1Thing. The purpose of this campaign is to remind everyone that ending domestic violence starts with just one small action, whether that is seeking help or sharing resources. 2010 Domestic violence victims total 10 million per year. According to a CDC survey, 20 Americans experience intimate partner physical violence every minute. That totals around 10 million victims per year.”
National Today (https://nationaltoday.com/national-domestic-violence-awareness-month/)