The Week in Review provides an overview of the past week’s top health care content, including industry news and trends, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Laboratories news, and upcoming events.
A gull flaps its wings and a deadly virus explodes
This year’s outbreak of the H5N1 virus has resulted in the deaths of nearly 400,000 wild birds worldwide. Scientists are studying the pathways of contagion among species. Source: New York Times
US opens COVID vaccine to little kids; shots begin this week
CDC Advisers formally recommended COVID-19 vaccines for infants and toddlers shortly after the FDA emergency use authorization was granted. Shots are expected to become available this week. Source: AP
A CDC study seeks to provide clues to seeming surge of hepatitis cases in kids
When previously healthy little kids started showing up in hospitals with failing livers last fall and this spring, startled doctors and public health authorities didn’t know what was behind what they were seeing. Source: STAT News
Doctors increasingly prescribe time in nature to promote mental and physical health
"There’s a whole field of study called Biophilia," Brent Bauer, a doctor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, said. "That means that we're wired to be connected to nature and those studies have actually proven time in nature can improve anxiety, blood pressure and concentration in children who have attention problems." There has been a growing trend of doctors prescribing time in nature, or "park prescriptions" to their patients to improve mental and physical health. Source: Post-Bulletin
What to look for in multivitamins
Some experts believe a nutritious, well-rounded diet should be enough for many people. "I place my emphasis on whole foods," says Donald D. Hensrud, associate professor of nutrition and preventive medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. "I focus on helping my patients eat a healthy diet." Source: Washington Post
Father's Day miracle: newborn receives organ donation right on time Minnesota
Father's Day this weekend takes on a whole new meaning for two dads in Rochester who nearly lost their son shortly after he was born. Source: CBS News