Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV) — the same virus that causes chickenpox. Once a person has chickenpox, the virus remains inactive in the body and can re-emerge at any time as shingles.
It is more common in older people and anyone with a weakened immune system. Lisa had been diagnosed several years earlier with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a form of arthritis in which the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues.
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Many people take calcium supplements daily. Calcium can also be used to treat acid reflux, treat or prevent osteoporosis, or simply to raise blood calcium levels.
But how else does calcium affect the body? And can taking too much be dangerous for your health? It’s estimated that over 40% of people in the U.S. take dietary supplements containing calcium. Could some of these people be at higher risk for certain complications?
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Back pain is a common condition. It affects up to one in four people, and it’s one of the most common reasons people go to the emergency room (ER). While it can be significantly painful and disruptive to daily life, back pain usually isn’t a condition that threatens life or limb. It usually improves over time with gentle exercise, stretching, and over-the-counter medications.
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The FDA has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the investigational long-acting monoclonal antibodies tixagevimab and cilgavimab (Evusheld – AstraZeneca) to be administered concomitantly by IM injection for pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in persons ≥12 years old who weigh ≥40 kg and have either a history of severe allergy that prevents their vaccination against COVID-19 or moderate or severe immune compromise (see Box).
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Canada on Thursday authorized British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc’s antibody-based therapy for preventing COVID-19 infections, giving itself another weapon against the disease as cases rise in the country.
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