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Health

COVID-19: CDC guidelines following a positive test

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The coronavirus variant omicron continues to infect people, only increasing the number of positive COVID-19 cases.

As cases increase, there is an increased chance of testing positive for COVID. For some, this may be their first time testing positive.

This may leave you wondering what to do if you do if this diagnosis does come.

Luckily, many of the new COVID cases produce more mild symptoms.

Omicron, what are the symptoms?

Key guidelines for handling a positive COVID-19 test

If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home as much as possible. The CDC recommends staying home and to avoid public areas. The majority of people who test positive for COVID only experience mild illness and can recover at home without professional medical care.

Over-the-counter medications and home remedies can help combat the symptoms associated with COVID. Fever and body-aches are common symptoms.

Dr. Emily Landon, infectious disease expert at the University of Chicago, says that Tylenol, Advil, Aleve and Motrin help to reduce fever as well as body-aches.

Chamomile or herbal tea, or even hot water with lemon is advised for those suffering from cough and sore throat. Throat lozenges and decongestant balms can also help.

Landon says that some of the over-the-counter medications haven’t been proven effective at treating those symptoms, but these remedies should help.

If you test positive but still need to be around people or animals, even inside the home, wearing a mask is encouraged.

Flurona and COVID-19 vaccines

Symptoms and isolation explained

It is a reality for many people who have and will test positive for COVID that they cannot isolate.

Do your best to stay away from the other people and pets that are in your home. Try to keep contained in a particular room and use a separate bathroom if possible.

CDC research says that people who have been infected with COVID can start spreading up to two days before they begin to experience symptoms.

This is why it is important to inform the people you’ve been in close contact with prior to your diagnosis, that you are positive.

The majority of people who test positive for COVID will only experience mild symptoms. However, there are symptoms that are much more severe and warrant a hospital visit or a call to 911.

Those include:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion
  • Inability to wake or stay awake
  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

Isolation for a positive COVID test was recently cut in half by the CDC. It is now recommended that you isolate for at least five days. If after five days the symptoms are gone, they can leave isolation. It is recommended that you continue to wear a mask an additional five days after you leave isolation.

If symptoms persist past the five day isolation, stay home until you feel better. Once you feel okay again, wear a mask for five days from that date.

Best practice is to find an antigen testing location near you after the five day period.

Monday vaccination clinic at Fingerlakes Mall rescheduled to Thursday

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Health

CDC guidelines for antivirals give the unvaccinated the lion’s share

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Almost one year ago, the universal rollout of COVID-19 vaccines began in the United States. 

While some initial hesitancy was expected, it was widely assumed the public would embrace a safe, effective, free vaccine once readily available. That a significant percentage of the eligible population would reject such vaccines — too often at the cost of death to themselves or family members — seemed unfathomable. And yet that is precisely what has occurred. 

Paradoxically, of the hundreds of unvaccinated patients treated in my hospital over the course of this pandemic, I have yet to see one refuse therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, all of which carry many more side effects than the vaccines they have declined.  

Though mandates have boosted the vaccine numbers among certain groups, incentives, outreach and appeals continue to meet stiff resistance. There is little reason to believe that will change. Having survived the winter 2021 COVID surge, health care systems experienced a relative lull for an extended period. In my own hospital, the number of COVID patients declined from a high of over 700 during the first wave to single-digit numbers in the spring and summer of 2021. The delta wave that arrived this fall, followed rapidly by omicron, has swelled the number of cases dramatically with rising admissions by the day. 

Waning immunities from the initial vaccines — requiring booster shots — has compounded the problem. It must also be noted that current vaccines and boosters were engineered against a virus that no longer exists. While further boosters will inevitably be required (most diseases require chronic therapies), the current vaccine/booster regimen offers the best protection now available. But we are still vulnerable. 

Breakthrough cases routinely occur among the vaccinated and boosted. Twenty-five percent of our current COVID hospitalizations have been in vaccinated patients, with a small percent having been boosted as well. These numbers will surely grow in the coming months as vaccine immunities continue to wane. While their prognosis will be better than their unvaccinated counterparts, vaccinated patients will still be hospitalized, suffer and potentially die, particularly if they are afflicted with comorbidities.    

As COVID cases surge, there is a corresponding increase in the demand for treatments. 

Current therapies such as Sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody with activity against omicron, and the oral agents, Paxlovid, and Molnupiavir, exist in very short supply. Already the demand has far outstripped our capacities raising the specter of rationing and a host of medical, social and ethical issues.  

The use and administration of these therapies – funded by the federal government without cost to the end-user – are governed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state prioritizations. Although immunosuppressed patients are appropriately atop the list, most unvaccinated patients will be granted the next highest level of priority.  

For example, a 35-year-old unvaccinated former smoker with asthma gains priority over a 66-year-old vaccinated cancer patient. Similarly, an unvaccinated 25-year-old smoker with depression takes precedence over a 64-year-old vaccinated patient with chronic pulmonary disease. Indeed, the highest priority on the CDC list does not include a single profile of vaccinated patients other than the immunosuppressed, regardless of other comorbidities. Based on current supplies, unvaccinated patients will receive most of these lifesaving medications.  

Beyond its inherent unfairness, the decision to prioritize unvaccinated patients for scarce therapies is based on assumptions regarding risk factors, and the data regarding which risk factors contribute to a poor prognosis is weak at best. It is this very paucity of evidence that explains the lack of clear prioritizations in the initial vaccine rollout. 

Health systems and society are benefiting greatly from a renewed focus on health equities. Underpinning it all is the question of fairness. The decision to refuse vaccination is a matter of personal choice, but with choice comes consequence. To date, the adverse consequences of such rejections have shifted from the individual to the community.  

The financial cost of caring for sick and hospitalized unvaccinated patients is being borne largely by the taxpayer. The additional cost of the unvaccinated spreading the virus, even to those who are vaccinated and boosted, tears at our social fabric. Personal freedom to refuse a vaccine takes away freedom from nearby susceptible individuals. It deprives them of safe social contact with others. Without personal consequences, refusing vaccination becomes an easier decision. Denying the unvaccinated priority to remedial treatments and therapies needs to be reevaluated.   

Summoning consensus over divisive issues, especially in times of crisis, will always pose a great challenge to a free society. Self-determination and choice are fundamental to our way of life, but so too are the principles of personal responsibility and fairness.    

Bruce Farber, MD, is chief of Public Health and Epidemiology at Northwell Health, and the chief of Infectious Diseases at North Shore University Hospital and LIJ Medical Center. Farber is a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America.



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US

CDC guidelines don’t require negative test for ending COVID isolation, but says they’re the “best approach”

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Following days of criticism over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision last week to shorten its recommended isolation period for those who test positive for coronavirus but have no symptoms, the agency now acknowledges that the “best approach” includes seeking out a rapid at-home COVID-19 test before ending isolation. 

“If an individual has access to a test and wants to test, the best approach is to use an antigen test towards the end of the 5-day isolation period. Collect the test sample only if you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved,” the CDC said.

However, the CDC’s new recommendations stop short of setting out a requirement for a negative rapid COVID-19 test before leaving the shortened isolation period for those with no symptoms, as some experts have called for. 

COVID-19 tests are in short supply amid the spike in Omicron cases, with many stores and websites sold out of the rapid at-home antigen tests and people facing hours-long lines for limited offerings of free tests.

“The appropriate tool in this pandemic to answer the question, ‘Do I need to isolate? Am I infectious and a risk to my neighbors?’ is using a rapid antigen test because it only stays positive as long as you are infectious,” epidemiologist Dr. Michael Mina, the chief science officer at eMed, told “CBS Mornings.”

In explaining why they decided not to require a rapid test, the CDC said negative antigen tests do “not necessarily indicate the absence of transmissible virus.” The agency also pointed to the Food and Drug Administration’s authorizations governing use of the tests, saying that the regulator had not specifically OK’d the at-home kits “to evaluate duration of infectiousness.” 

“There continues to be confusion around this, in large part because of how we continue to regulate the tests at the FDA. It leads to claims that are written on the box that are not necessarily in line with how Americans actually are wanting to use the test. And that puts the CDC a bit in a box,” Mina had said. 

The update comes amid a flurry of changes published Tuesday by the CDC laying out more detailed guidance for those who must “quarantine” after being exposed to the virus or “isolate” after testing positive, beyond its recommendations last month that cut isolation for many Americans down from 10 days to five days if they don’t have symptoms. 

To end isolation, the CDC acknowledges that some symptoms — like loss of taste or smell — “may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay” Americans returning to their lives. 

However, the agency urges that people looking to end their isolation period after five days should do so only if most of their symptoms, like fever, have improved without continued use of medications, and they should wear a “well-fitting mask” to protect other people.

“If you are unable to wear a mask when around others, you should continue to isolate for a full 10 days. Avoid people who are immunocompromised or at high risk for severe disease, and nursing homes and other high-risk settings, until after at least 10 days,” the CDC says.

The agency also now says that this guidance is intended for most Americans, including for students and school staff, but excludes “high-risk congregate settings” like prisons and homeless shelters. The CDC had also recently published guidance on different quarantine and isolation recommendations specific to health care providers. 

While the CDC’s COVID-19 guidance is not binding, many workplaces and local governments often echo the agency’s recommendations in the policies they enforce. 

“These updated recommendations also facilitate individual social and well-being needs, return to work, and maintenance of critical infrastructure,” the agency said in a post outlining the reasons behind its changes. 

Many health departments and employers have already moved to adopt the CDC’s shortened isolation guidance, A growing number of industries were advocating for the changes to relieve staffing shortages from outbreaks. 

Modeling published this week by a consortium of researchers warned of a “sharp and fast” surge in cases that could peak this month driven by the Omicron variant — which now makes up an estimated 95% of new infections. The U.S. is averaging nearly 500,000 new COVID-19 cases reported per day, another record high that is now roughly double the peak reported last winter.

Even before the fast-spreading Omicron variant led to historic staffing shortages, the CDC said its previous 10 day isolation period had been only followed in its entirety by “only a small percentage of people (25-30%)” who test positive.

“We know based on two years of experience now with this virus that the vast majority of your transmissibility happens in the day or two before you get symptoms and the two or three days afterwards,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Monday.

“Probably about 80 to 90% of your transmissibility has happened in those first five days. And we really want people to be sure if they’re going to be home, they’re home for the right period of time,” said Walensky. 

Alexander Tin

CBS News reporter covering public health and the pandemic.



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Health

California’s New Covid Quarantine Guidelines Are Stricter Than CDC’s – Deadline

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Monday shortened the recommended isolation and quarantine guidelines for Americans who contract or are exposed to Covid-19 from 10 to five days. The move drew swift criticism from many experts, who questioned the logic behind the decision.

“I don’t think there’s any big change in science that justifies a change in guidance,” said Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law. In his view, the guidance “has much more to do with societal function than to do with science.”

One of the biggest criticisms was that shortening the isolation and quarantine requirement should be augmented with a negative test requirement. Today, California did exactly that with its updated guidelines.

The guidance issued by the state’s public health director, Tomás Aragón, mostly aligns with the new CDC recommendations, but it contains “additional testing recommendations to exit isolation and quarantine and improved masking measures.”

The California framework says “local health jurisdictions may be more restrictive” and allows that residents who have received booster shots “do not have to stay home but should test on day five.”

The new Golden State guidelines add that all Covid-positive individuals can end isolation after day five if symptoms are not present (or are resolving) and if an antigen test collected on day five or later is negative. It also says unvaccinated individuals — or vaccinated but unboosted people — who are exposed to Covid “should stay home for at least five days and also get an antigen test on day five.”

The framework encourages upgrading mask quality, given the transmissibility and prevalence of Omicron. It says, “all persons should optimize mask fit and filtration, ideally through use of a surgical mask or respirator.”

Los Angeles County’s Director of Public Health indicated today that the county would be aligning with the state’s guidelines.



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Sports

NFL reduces COVID-19 quarantine time to five days, following change in CDC guidelines

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The NFL is following the Centers for Disease Control recommendations and reducing the amount of time that players who test positive for COVID-19 will have to quarantine.

The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to adopt five days as the standard amount of time that players who test positive will quarantine. That will apply to all asymptomatic players, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated.

Players experiencing COVID-19 symptoms will still be in quarantine after five days have passed.

The NFL previously implemented a 10-day rule, as that was the CDC guidance until this week.

The change could be particularly important to the Colts this week, as quarterback Carson Wentz was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list today and was expected to be out for 10 days. But now Wentz could be back in time for Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

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Health

CDC’s New, Shorter Covid-19 Isolation Guidelines Disturb Some Health Experts

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People at a testing site located in the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on December 21, 2021
Photo: Mario Tama (Getty Images)

Fresh off the Christmas holiday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance on how long people should isolate away from others if they’ve been infected by or exposed to the coronavirus. The change effectively cuts the waiting period in half for many people, particularly those without symptoms. But at least some experts aren’t too pleased, arguing that the new recommendations are too lenient, since they largely won’t depend on testing, and that people’s health is being placed in danger to placate business interests.

The CDC announced the changes on Monday afternoon. Previously, people who tested positive for covid-19 have been told to isolate at home for 10 days, starting from their positive test result. Now, the CDC says that people should isolate for five days, then, if they have no symptoms, they can interact with others but should wear a mask for the remaining five days.

For those who suspect they’ve been recently exposed, the CDC now recommends that people who are unvaccinated or who had received their primary vaccine series more than six months ago should quarantine for five days, then wear a mask for the remaining five days (ideally getting tested for covid-19 around day five). If they’re unable to quarantine, then they should wear a mask all 10 days. Lastly, for those exposed who have gotten all their shots, including a booster, they’re recommended to wear a mask for 10 days but don’t have to quarantine/isolate if they’re not experiencing symptoms.

There have been numerous studies suggesting that people are most infectious right before they get sick and for a few days afterward. Other research has shown that this window of infection may close even sooner for vaccinated people who develop a breakthrough infection. And in justifying the new guidance, the CDC did reference this data. “The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after,” the CDC wrote in its explanation of the changes Monday.

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Yet, the evidence isn’t as cut-and-dry as the CDC makes it appear, according to Justin Feldman, a social epidemiologist at Harvard who has studied the disparate impacts of the pandemic within the U.S.

“The CDC’s move to shorten isolation to 5 days, with no requirement to test negative before going back to work, is reckless and dangerous,” Feldman told Gizmodo. “There is a lot of variability in how long people stay contagious, and many can still infect others after 5 days.”

Ellie Murray, an epidemiology professor at ​​the Boston University School of Public Health, notes that the data cited by the CDC to warrant this change isn’t particularly ground-breaking. “Shortening the isolation period does not seem to be based on any new data about the virus or how it spreads, and epidemiologically there’s no new evidence to support this change. I do not think that it will help if the goal is to keep cases as low as possible,” she told Gizmodo.

Indeed, while some experts are generally supportive of the isolation period being made shorter, they’ve still been critical about the lack of advice for people to get tested before leaving isolation. The UK recently shortened its recommendations for isolation from 10 days to seven days for most people, but only if the person tests negative on two rapid lateral flow tests two days in a row. Strangely enough, the CDC did follow in the UK’s footsteps, but only for healthcare workers. As of last week, healthcare workers are now recommended to return to work after seven days, if they test negative and are asymptomatic; however, “isolation time can be cut further if there are staffing shortages.”

“It makes a great deal of sense to allow some people to leave isolation in fewer than 10 days,” Carl Bergstrom, a professor of biology at the University of Washington, told Gizmodo. “The devil is in the details though. How much fewer, and what precisely should be the criteria? The CDC press release doesn’t answer this.”

Adding to the confusion is that the five-day rule is ostensibly meant for people who are asymptomatic—in other words, not feeling sick at all. Yet on the same page explaining the change, the CDC later says that this also applies to people whose symptoms are “resolving” after five days. Those with fever, however, are still being told to isolate longer.

“For previous strains, the infectious period was considerably longer than five days in many though not all patients. Does the CDC believe that this is changed?” Bergstrom said. “Is the thought that vaccination or prior infection status reduces the infectious interval—and if so, should that be accounted for in the recommendation? Is this some kind of cost-benefit calculation? We aren’t given enough information to know.”

The elephant in the room is that these changes do not appear to be solely motivated by the science surrounding covid-19 transmission. Just a week ago, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian publicly pleaded with the CDC to cut the recommended isolation period for fully vaccinated people with breakthrough infections, citing the impacts it was having on his workforce. And many experts, along with workers’ unions, do believe that this is more about getting people to work than keeping others safe from covid-19.

“It is a clear case of prioritizing corporate profit over public health, and it’s happening at a time when many hospitals are starting to become overwhelmed with covid-19 patients,” Feldman said.

The country is in the midst of a resurgent wave of the pandemic, with case loads rising in some areas to the highest levels seen yet, fueled by the emergence of the Omicron variant. And while Omicron does appear to be milder than the recently dominant Delta variant, it may not be any less of a problem than past strains of the coronavirus. Much like previous waves, it’s not just cases but hospitalizations and deaths that now appear to be on the rise.

It’s possible that this change may not affect the trajectory of the pandemic much, since people are generally less infectious after a few days. But it’s perhaps another example of the CDC losing the trust of the public in recent months (on social media, scientists and others are now parodying the CDC’s business-friendly advice). The new recommendations may also just be counterproductive, according to Murray, if you’re hoping to get everyone back to work as soon as possible.

“It seems very short-sighted to imagine that workplace absences are not going to be coupled to case levels. Workplaces being full of infectious employees will just mean more and more staffing issues,” she noted. “Accepting some closures now to get this surge under control would result in fewer staffing issues in January—if that’s really all they care about—and less covid.”



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Health

CDC updates its guidelines to encourage doctors to talk everyone who is sexually active about PrEP to prevent HIV

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The CDC updated its guidelines Wednesday in the hope that these conversations will encourage more people to protect themselves from getting HIV, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the director of CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, told CNN. The intention is also to make the medication available to people who may be reluctant to disclose potentially stigmatizing behavior that puts them at risk.

“Stigma is our biggest enemy,” Daskalakis said. “I really think this puts PrEP in the same place as so many other really good preventive interventions like talking about smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc.”

PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed, according to the CDC, with few side effects. In 2020 only a quarter of the people who could benefit from the treatment were taking it, according to the CDC.
The CDC recommends people may want to consider PrEP if they have a sexual partner with HIV, if they have sex but don’t consistently use a condom, or they have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the past 6 months. It is also recommended for people who share needles to inject drugs or who have an injection partner with HIV.
In 2019, the last year for which the CDC has updated information, the agency estimates 34,800 people were diagnosed with HIV in the US. If untreated, the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV can progress to AIDS.

The rate of new infections had declined slightly over the past four years, but the cases are not evenly distributed, and some communities — communities of color, gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men — are getting a disproportionate number of the new HIV diagnoses.

The guidance continues to recommend the first PrEP medicine, Truvada, for all genders. It also added a recommendation for the second PrEP medicine approved, Descovy, for sexually active men and transgender women. The drug hadn’t been on the market when the guidance was last revised in 2017. Both are pills people can take once a day. The new guidance also has a section on the first bimonthly injection PrEP drug, cabotegravir, for sexually active men and women, pending FDA approval.

The updated guidelines do not change the groups for whom PrEP is recommended.

“PrEP is one of the most powerful tools we have to prevent HIV transmission,” the CDC wrote in a letter to health care providers. “Expanding access to PrEP will be critical to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.”

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World

Taliban release media guidelines, ban shows with female actors

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KABUL, Nov 23 (Reuters) – The Taliban administration has released a set of restrictions on Afghan media, including banning television dramas that included female actors and ordering women news presenters to wear “Islamic hijab”.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue set out nine rules this week, a Taliban administration spokesman said on Tuesday, largely centred on banning any media that contravened “Islamic or Afghan values”.

Some edicts were targeted specifically at women, a move likely to raise concerns among the international community.

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“Those dramas…or programmes in which women have acted, should not be aired,” the rules said, adding that female journalists on air should wear “Islamic hijab” without defining what that meant.

Hadia (Centre), 10, a 4th grade primary school student, leaves school after a class in Kabul, Afghanistan, October 25, 2021. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo

Though most women in Afghanistan wear headscarves in public, the Taliban’s statements that women should wear “Islamic hijab” have often in the past worried women’s rights activists who say the term is vague and could be interpreted conservatively.

The rules drew criticism from international rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said media freedom was deteriorating in the country.

“The disappearance of any space for dissent and worsening restrictions for women in the media and arts is devastating,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW, in a statement.

Though Taliban officials have sought to sought to publicly assure women and the international community that women’s rights will be protected since they took over Afghanistan on Aug. 15, many advocates and women have remained skeptical.

During the Taliban’s previous rule, strict curbs were placed on women’s ability to leave the house, unless accompanied by a male relative, or to receive education.

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Reporting by Kabul bureau; additional reporting by Jibran Ahmed in Peshawar; writing by Charlotte Greenfield

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Health

Australian alcohol guidelines: Experts reveal drinking in moderation could harm your health

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Drinking what most might consider to be a moderate amount of alcohol could be harming your health and mental wellbeing, experts have found.

New guidelines released by the Australian Drug and Alcohol Foundation advise both men and women to have no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day.

Consuming more than the recommended amount has been linked to myriad health issues including cancer, heart and liver disease, Alzheimer’s, weight gain and premature ageing, as well as brain fog, anxiety, and depression.

But researchers have warned a standard drink might be less than you think, with bottles of beer and glasses of wine often coming in well over the threshold.

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Drinking what most might consider to be a moderate amount of alcohol could be seriously harming your health, experts have found (stock image)

What is a standard drink in Australia?

Spirits 40% alcohol, 30ml nip

Wine 13% alcohol, 100ml average serving

Sparkling wine 13% alcohol, 100ml

Full strength beer 4.9% alcohol, 285ml glass

Light beer 2.7% alcohol, 425ml glass

Cider 4.9% alcohol, 285ml glass

Source: Australian Drug and Alcohol Foundation

Australian standard drinks contain 10g of alcohol and include a 285ml full-strength beer, a 100ml glass of wine, or 30ml of spirits such as vodka, whisky, or gin. 

The recommendations, developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council, reiterate historic advice for under 18s and pregnant or breastfeeding women to abstain from alcohol to prevent damage to the brain and their babies.

Drinking alcohol has been shown to impact brain development up until the age of 25, affecting their attention span, memory, and decision-making.

But the damage doesn’t stop there.

Alcohol accelerates the ageing process, impacting your appearance, blood pressure and your memory, not to mention increasing your risk of cancer, liver and heart disease.  

Earlier this year, a study led by imperial College London revealed a startling connection between small volumes of alcohol and brain damage.

Increased alcohol intake was linked to less grey matter in the brain, more fat in the liver and a larger mass in the left ventricle of the heart, the research which looked at MRI scans of 10,000 drinkers in late middle age showed.

Brain shrinkage has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, while excess liver fat can lead to liver disease.

The study suggests those who ‘drink responsibly’, below 14 units a week – the equivalent of six medium glasses of wine  – still damage their bodies.

But the good news is that as little as four weeks of sobriety can dramatically improve your health and mental wellbeing –  provided the temporary abstinence leads to a more moderate and mindful approach to drinking in the long run.

Dietitians and fitness experts claim even short periods without alcohol improves memory, mental clarity and sleep, as well as promoting weight loss and reducing pressure on the liver which starts to cleanse itself just one hour after your last drink.

Going sober will also boost your bank balance, with the average Australian household estimated to save $1,778 a year simply by avoiding alcohol. 

The good news is that as little as four weeks of sobriety can dramatically improve health and mental wellbeing – provided the temporary abstinence leads to a more moderate and mindful approach to drinking in the long run

Five reminders that will help you stay sober

When you drink alcohol… 

1. You decrease the functionality of your executive brain and start listening to your primal brain. You become an animal searching for your next peak.

2. You don’t care what’s in the substances you get offered because you just want to reach that peak. 

3. Your body is hot and cold. Your eyes are fuzzy. Your mouth is dry and you can’t speak. You don’t care that your body isn’t functioning properly because you need to reach that peak.

4. You make inappropriate calls at all hours and have inappropriate conversations because you need connection to feed that peak even more.

5. You become powerless and lose control. You lose your true self and become this person who doesn’t care about anything but that peak.

Source: It’s Not Me, It’s Booze

Returns control of your life and enhances mental clarity  

Doctors say abstaining from alcohol for as little as one month enhances concentration and decision-making, while also reducing the risk of mental health issues including anxiety and depression.

Marketing manager turned sober life coach Melissa Lionnet, who gave up alcohol in 2020 after 10 years of daily drinking left her struggling to get out of bed, attests to this.

‘No question, 100 percent with both myself and my clients, I have seen clarity improve in a matter of weeks,’ Ms Lionnet told Daily Mail Australia.

‘People just back themselves, they make quicker, clearer decisions and trust their instincts much more so than when they were drinking.’

Sydney sobriety coach Melissa Lionnet (left, with a glass of alcohol-free wine in 2021 and right, in 2019) quit drinking after more than a decade of abusive consumption

Improves sleep and gives you more energy 

After a night of binge drinking, studies show the body is woken by a shot of adrenaline and cortisol – the stress hormone – which wreaks havoc with the natural sleep cycle.

Binge drinking is defined as drinking five or more drinks for men, and four or more drinks for women, within a two-hour period.

Of 800 Australian ‘Dry January’ – the UK equivalent of Dry July – participants in 2018, 71 per cent reported sleeping more deeply and feeling more refreshed in the morning throughout their month of abstinence.

This improvement is linked to the depressive effect alcohol has on the nervous system, which includes significantly reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the restorative stage where the body repairs cells and dreams occur.

While Ms Lionnet agrees that giving up alcohol will improve your sleep in the long run, she warns it could take a few weeks for your body to adjust to going to bed sober.

Since quitting alcohol, Ms Lionnet (pictured in 2021) feels more motivated than she has in years and no longer struggles to get out of bed in the mornings

‘It really depends on how much you drink,’ she said. 

‘Alcohol reduces the quality of sleep, but if you have it in your head that you need to be drunk to sleep, you could be restless and distressed so you’ll need to start by unwiring that thinking.’

For this reason, Ms Lionnet advises heavy drinkers to enlist the help of a therapist or sobriety coach before embarking on a challenge like Dry July.

She also recommends joining a sober support group on social media to meet like-minded friends who will help you to stay on track.

Accelerates weight loss and reduces cravings for junk food

Drinking contributes to weight gain by reducing the body’s ability to burn fat, accelerating appetite and inhibiting our ability to make healthy food choices.

Alcohol ‘physiologically makes you crave certain foods’, Australian personal trainer and nutrition coach Sarah Hopkins warns, which opens the flood gates to overeating even when you weren’t hungry to begin with.

‘If there is a bowl of chips in front of you and you don’t feel like them, you won’t eat them,’ Ms Hopkins said in an episode of the Elevate podcast in December 2019.

‘If you have a glass of wine you will eat that whole bowl because it increases your appetite. It makes you eat more.’ 

James Swanwick, 45, founder of Alcohol Free Lifestyle, said he lost five kilos in the space of one month when he quit alcohol in 2010, while Melissa Lionnet reported losing four kilos in the same time frame.

She said her hair also thickened and her skin became ‘so much brighter’.

Australian personal trainer and nutrition coach Sarah Hopkins (left) says alcohol psychologically causes us to crave food, even when we’re not hungry

Benefits to gut health is the primary reason Australian yoga and Ayurveda teacher Amanda Nog supports the concept of a month on the dry.

Ms Nog said part of the reason we feel anxious and depressed after drinking is because of the effect alcohol has on the neurotransmitters – particularly serotonin – produced in the gut. 

Serotonin is one of the most important hormones in the human body, responsible for stabilising mood and promoting happiness as well as supporting communication between brain cells and other cells in the nervous system.

It also plays a vital role in digestion, sleep and blood sugar regulation – meaning any sort of deficiency is guaranteed to harm overall well-being in a major way.

Benefits to gut health is the primary reason Australian yoga and Ayurveda teacher Amanda Nog (pictured) supports the concept of a month on the dry

Detoxifies the blood and liver

While knocking back red wine may be marketed as an attractive way to increase your antioxidant intake, Sydney dietitian Lee Holmes says any nutritional value of alcohol is cancelled out by the damage is does to your health.

‘At its core, alcohol is a depressant, which means that when it reaches the brain, it slows down the body’s systems,’ Ms Holmes told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Because alcohol is difficult for the body to process and is absorbed quickly, even in the short term it places extra pressure on the liver, as the liver can only process one drink per hour.’  

Blood samples taken from drinkers who abstained from alcohol for 31 days showed a reduction in blood cancer proteins, lower blood pressure and a reduction in fatty tissue around the liver, a 2018 study from the British Medical Journal found.  

Mr Swanwick – the creator of Project 90, a sobriety programme which helps people quit drinking for at least 90 days – said his doctor found a drop in his blood pressure, cholesterol and resting heart rate just 30 days after he stopped drinking.

Sydney dietitian Lee Holmes (pictured) says any nutritional value of alcohol is cancelled out by the damage is does to your mental and physical health

Australia’s growing sober scene

While many are rapt to return to the pub after gruelling lockdowns in NSW and Victoria, almost two million Australians are now living an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal more than a quarter of Australians (28.9 per cent) are mostly abstaining from alcohol, while a further 9.5 per cent are drinking less than they were this time last year. 

The number of ex-drinkers in Australia is estimated to have risen from 1.5million to 1.9million over the past four years.

This growing sober scene is largely fuelled by hordes of Instagram influencers including fitness mogul Kayla Itsines, 30, who says she hasn’t touched a drop since the age of 19.

Kayla Itsines (pictured) has been famously teetotal since the age of 19 after having nothing but negative experiences with hangovers and sickness

Also riding the sober train is Olympic beach volleyball star, Mariafe Artacho del Solar, who rarely drinks alcohol because she feels ‘comfortable’ in her own skin and has ‘just as much fun without it’.

The right-side defender, 27, who won a silver medal with partner, Taliqua Clancy, 29, at the Tokyo games in August, says she has never been a big drinker and can count on one hand the number she has in a year.

‘Personally I’ve just never really found the enjoyment. I don’t mind having one or two every now and then, but I don’t need it for confidence,’ she told Daily Mail Australia in October.

And it seems the hospitality industry is taking note.

Australian Olympic volleyball star Mariafe Artacho del Solar (pictured) rarely drinks alcohol because she feels ‘comfortable’ in her own skin and has ‘just as much fun without it’

Australia’s first-ever non-alcoholic bar Brunswick Aces opened its doors in Melbourne on May 1, pouring a menu of more than 100 alcohol-free beers, wines and cocktails to teetotal punters.

But while many coped with lockdown by turning away from the bottle, more than 18 months of restrictions has sent a worrying number of Australians into a spiral of heavy drinking.

Household alcohol spending skyrocketed across Australia after coronavirus turned normality on its head, with Aussies dropping a staggering $2billion more than usual on booze last year.

Drinkers spent an average of $1,891 per household on alcohol in 2020 – an increase of $270 on the 2019 total, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show.

The alarming trend worsened in the winter of 2020 when Melbourne’s five million residents were forced into a type of protective custody during the world’s harshest lockdown which lasted more than four months.

Victoria’s alcohol services experienced a surge in demand as locked-down residents turned to the bottle, with a survey from the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association revealing alcohol featured either ‘a lot more’ or ‘a bit more’ as a drug of concern.

A former drinker’s top three tips for giving up alcohol 

1. Connect with the sober community

‘This can be done in whatever way works for you, but whether it’s AA, a local support group or an online forum, you need to be reaching out and talking to people,’ Ms Lionnet said.

2. Learn about alcohol

One of the things Ms Lionnet believes has kept her from relapsing is educating herself about what alcohol consumption really does to the human body.

Books she recommends include Holly Whitaker’s ‘Quit Like A Woman’ and ‘Annie’s Naked Mind’ by Annie Grace.

3. Simultaneous self-discovery

Ms Lionnet believes you need to understand why you are drinking if you want to stop.

‘You need to find out what experiences have caused you to drink and resolve them at the root,’ she said.

This can be done through therapy, participating in alcohol-free challenges or anything that works on transforming your beliefs to align with your true moral values, Ms Lionnet says. 

Source: It’s Not Me It’s Booze

Bingeing is already taking a toll on the nation’s health.

A revolutionary health calculator developed by AIA Vitality recently claimed Australians are ageing a staggering nine years faster than they should be.

The free five-minute test gives an alarming insight into the true ‘health age’ of Australians by analysing the answers to a range of behavioural questions about diet, exercise and most importantly, alcohol consumption. 

A 2019 study funded by St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne found excess alcohol consumption causes more harm to Australians’ physical and mental wellbeing than any drug, surpassing both crystal methamphetamine (ice) and heroin.

For support for alcohol-related problems and addiction you can contact Turning Point Services, or one of the many other services available, speak to your GP, local health service or call a helpline. 

There are trained telephone counsellors available in all Australian states and territories.



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Health

CDC mask guidelines under review as COVID numbers fall, cold season begins

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Health officials will update mask guidance as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue a downward trend, but the upcoming “respiratory virus” season may give them pause. 

The White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials spoke with reporters during a press conference Friday. The team touted the incredible progress made thanks to the push on vaccinations and introduction of booster shots, with 10 million booster shots administered nationwide as of last week. 

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky answers questions from reporters during a Friday press conference. 
(Courtesy White House YouTube channel)

However, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky noted that officials will need to take the upcoming threat of respiratory viruses into consideration before updating mask guidance. 

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“We still have 75,000 cases in this country, and I am very encouraged to watch these trends coming down, but as you know we still have over 90% of our counties that are in high-risk or high-transmission,” Walensky told reporters. “As we watch the community levels come down we will update our recommendations.” 

“It’s important to note that as we look at the current situation we are also heading into respiratory virus season,” Walensky added. “During that season we know respiratory viruses tend to thrive, so we’re taking that all into consideration.”

WHEN IS IT TIME TO GET THE COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOT?

“Respiratory virus season” typically begins in the fall – in October or November – and ends in spring – in February or March – meaning the CDC may not ease back on mask guidance until the spring season.

Current mask guidance from the CDC recommends that individuals who are not fully vaccinated and aged 2 or older should wear masks in indoor public spaces. 

CDC GUIDELINES FOR 2021 HOLIDAYS: HOW TO CELEBRATE SAFELY

The CDC recommends that individuals who are fully vaccinated but in an area of substantial or high transmission should wear a mask as well, but some private businesses do not require them, especially in areas such as New York City where proof of vaccination is required for entry. 

Walensky touted the success of the vaccine booster program, which she credits for a significant drop in COVID-19 cases across the country: In mid-September, the seven-day average for new cases topped around 175,000, but six weeks on the average is down to around 75,000, according to numbers from Our World in Data. 

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Some experts have cautioned that a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections may occur in the coming winter season. 

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