Health - Gulf Insider

5 days ago

CDC Reports COVID-19 Activity Is Increasing Across US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said COVID-19 activity is “increasing” across the United States although its levels are still considered “very low” overall. “As of August 26, 2026, we estimate that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 48 states, declining or likely declining in zero states, and not changing in two states,” the CDC said on Friday. Overall community viral activity levels, or a measurement of the virus in wastewater levels, for COVID-19 is considered by the CDC to be “very low.” Emergency department visits were also considered “very low,” which is the lowest ranking on the CDC’s website, with “very high” being the top. According to a Friday update on the CDC’s website, wastewater data show that COVID-19 activity is “very high” in Texas and “high” in Mississippi. “Moderate” levels were observed in California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, South Carolina, and West Virginia. All other states were listed as either “very low,” “low,” or there was limited or no data. As Jack Phillips reports for The Epoch Times, another map provided by the CDC on Friday shows that COVID-19 levels were either “growing” or “likely growing” in every state where data was available. […]

6 days ago

WHO’s High-Price Pandemic Plan

The recent release of Anthony Fauci’s diaries, followed by his refusal to answer questions in an appearance before a US Senate committee by invoking the Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination 111 times, highlighted a stark divide in how the Covid pandemic was handled by public health authorities. This is as true of Australia as of the US. Repeatedly, against certainty expressed in public to justify official statements on the origins of the virus and on lockdown, mask, and vaccine policies, their private contemporaneous conversations confirm that even the top scientists were making decisions based on scientific uncertainty. Consequently, one of the key legacies of the public-private gap is growing distrust of official claims. That scepticism should extend to the future pandemic agenda. We rely on the World Health Organisation to coordinate among countries to prevent scourges such as pandemics reaching our shores, or at least mitigate their effects. In doing so, we must defer to an army of international bureaucrats who work in such institutions. A deference that relies on trust. Their salaries and careers depend on convincing us to part with more of our money to support their work. Yet, according to a new article on international pandemic financing […]

1 week ago

FDA Clears Blood Test To Detect Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Federal regulators have cleared a blood test aimed at detecting signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The Food and Drug Administration cleared a blood test known as Elecsys pTau-217 for people aged at least 55 who have shown signs of, or have been complaining of, cognitive decline, Roche announced on Aug. 24. The test, which can be used by primary care doctors and specialists, detects a biomarker called plasma phosphorylated tau 217. In a study that ran from 2004 to 2025 and was published in JAMA, researchers found that higher levels of the biomarker were associated with an increased risk of progression to cognitive impairment. As Zachary Stieber reports via The Epoch Times, the FDA has previously approved several other tests for Alzheimer’s, beginning in 2025 with a test from Fujirebio Diagnostics that measures both pTau217 and another protein. Roche said its test is the first to measure a single biomarker. “Elecsys pTau217 has the potential to transform how Alzheimer’s is assessed across primary and specialty care,” Dan Malarek, president and CEO of Roche Diagnostics North America, said in a statement. “This kind of innovation can help bring diagnostic evaluation closer to patients and give clinicians greater confidence in determining the right step […]

2 weeks ago

WHO Says Pandemic Determinations Can Be Made Without ‘Evidence Of Illness’

Authored by Jon Fleetwood via Modernity News, The World Health Organization (WHO) says evidence that a person is actually sick is not required for a “laboratory-confirmed” human influenza infection with “the potential to cause a pandemic” to trigger mandatory international reporting. “Evidence of illness is not required for this report,” WHO states in its latest Influenza at the Human-Animal Interface assessment, which covered July 8 through August 7, 2026. WHO says countries must “immediately notify WHO of any laboratory-confirmed case of a recent human infection caused by an influenza A virus with the potential to cause a pandemic.” “Evidence of illness is not required for this report.” The statement raises an obvious question: If evidence of illness is not required to set off a chain of events that could trigger authoritarian international pandemic response, what evidence is required? WHO points to a “laboratory-confirmed” finding. But WHO’s own influenza laboratory manual shows that such determinations are made using real-time RT-PCR tests. But PCR does not directly observe a virus. It measures fluorescence (the amount of light emitted) from test chemicals mixed with a sample. WHO describes PCR methods using fluorescent dyes and probes carrying a fluorescent reporter and quencher. But fluorescence […]

2 weeks ago

“Fibermaxxing” Craze Forces Big Food into Reformulation Cycle

BNP Paribas analysts say Gen Z’s growing awareness of healthy, high-protein, high-fiber diets is accelerating a reformulation cycle across the Big Food industrial complex, as manufacturers race to make products more appealing to the youth and those on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. In a report titled “Fiber Is the New Protein,” BNP analyst Joan Lim said the protein craze ignited by GLP-1 adoption has been coined “fibermaxxing,” as younger consumers seek food products promising satiety, digestive health and weight-management benefits. Consumer research firm Nielsen shows protein-rich categories have seen stronger volumes versus junk food categories. The global dietary fiber market was valued at roughly $9.6 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 9.6% through 2034, as the fiber-maxxing trend gains even more momentum. Fibermaxxing is already visible, according to Lim. Only 20% of people globally consume the recommended daily amount of fiber, yet social media posts using the #fibermaxxing hashtag attracted more than 150 million views on TikTok in 2025. Food and beverage research firm Datassential found that 52% of US consumers are interested in trying fibermaxxing and 42% consider products labeled “high fiber” healthier. Fiber has also overtaken probiotics in digestive-health marketing. Some 38% of products carrying a […]

2 weeks ago

Indian amateur cricketer collapses on field, dies in Muscat

In a shocking and tragic incident, an amateur cricketer collapsed on the ground while playing and passed away on Friday. Shabeer Basheer, a 35-year-old cricketer from India, died while playing a ‘tennis ball cricket’ game for Jiffnain Challengers at a ground in Al Hail. Shabeer is survived by his wife, who works in a private hospital and one child. Confirming the unfortunate incident, a fellow cricketer shared a heartfelt note. He said: “Our dear friend Shabeer, captain of Jifnain Challengers, suddenly experienced a serious health emergency during the cricket match this morning and was rushed to nearby hospital in Al Hail. The doctors provided emergency medical treatment, including CPR, but unfortunately, his life could not be saved. The incident occurred between 9-9.30am.” A fellow clubmate said that “The initial formalities have been completed, and arrangements are currently underway to repatriate his body to India. The deceased’s wife and child were staying with him in Muscat. Hailing from Thuravoor in Alappuzha district of southern Indian state of Kerala, Shabeer worked for Electroman LLC and was a resident of Oman for past 14 years. Months after a similar incident was reported earlier this year in UAE, Shabeer’s death brings to attention the […]

2 weeks ago

Abu Dhabi unveils ambulances for newborns, critical cases, patients weighing up to 300kg

A critically ill patient requiring advanced life support, a newborn who needs resuscitation after an emergency delivery, and a patient weighing up to 300kg can now be transported in specialised ambulances designed around their specific medical needs in Abu Dhabi. The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has unveiled a new fleet of smart and specialised ambulances, including a mobile critical-care unit equipped to support patients requiring ECMO, an ambulance dedicated to mothers and newborns, and a specially designed vehicle for patients with severe obesity. The new vehicles were showcased alongside a comprehensive emergency medical operations centre that acts as a command hub for the emirate’s emergency healthcare system, giving teams a live view of ambulances, hospital capacity, emergency departments, specialised services, weather conditions and other operational data. The system has already contributed to a reported 49.5 per cent reduction in response times for heart attack cases, according to Dr Salama Al Tamimi, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. One of the new ambulances is effectively a mobile critical-care unit, designed for patients whose condition requires interventions that cannot be accommodated in a conventional ambulance. Dr Al Tamimi said the vehicle can […]

2 weeks ago

British Medical Journal Retracts Paper Linking COVID Shots To Millions Of Excess Deaths

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News, A peer-reviewed study documenting millions of excess deaths across the West after the rollout of COVID measures and shots has been yanked by the British Medical Journal – not for bad data, but for the crime of asking inconvenient questions. The BMJ Public Health journal has formally retracted a 2024 paper that tracked more than three million excess deaths in 47 Western countries between 2020 and 2022. The study, which used official “Our World in Data” figures, noted that excess mortality remained stubbornly high even after containment measures and mass vaccination. Its authors called for proper investigation into the causes. The retraction notice cited “misinformation in the discussion regarding the possible causes of excess mortality” and claimed the limited original work by the authors was not sufficiently described. An institutional probe by the Princess Máxima Center, where three of the four authors worked, found no fabrication, falsification, or malicious intent. It still complained the paper gave “disproportionate attention” to the possibility that containment measures and vaccination might have contributed. Lead author Dr Saskia Mostert has described the reaction that followed publication as “blind and irrational fury.” She later resigned from the center and […]

3 weeks ago

UAE Doctors Warn Of ‘Rat Fever’ Risks During Travel After Indian Expat Dies Of Leptospirosis In Kerala

Doctors urge caution over rainy-season travel, floodwater and rat-infested surroundings Dubai: The family of an Indian expat in Dubai, who died last week during a vacation in Kerala, has confirmed that final laboratory results show he had contracted leptospirosis, commonly known as rat fever, highlighting risks of infection during rainy-season travel and from rat-infested surroundings. Teejo George, 48, a senior sales supervisor with a Dubai-based engineering consultancy, died at a hospital in Kannur on August 8, two days after being admitted with diarrhoea and body pain that doctors initially attributed to suspected rat fever. His family has since told Gulf News that further lab test results confirmed the diagnosis was leptospirosis, a bacterial disease spread through water, soil or food contaminated by the urine of infected animals, particularly rodents. The tragedy has struck close to his community in the UAE, where he lived and worked for nearly three decades, and highlighted the risks expats face while travelling to flood-prone areas during the rainy season and at rat-infested houses and surroundings anywhere in the world. Speaking to Gulf News, Dr Bashirat L. Giwa, infectious disease consultant at Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, said “rat fever” is a loose term. “‘Rat fever’ […]

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Search Here

CDC Reports COVID-19 Activity Is Increasing Across US

WHO’s High-Price Pandemic Plan

FDA Clears Blood Test To Detect Signs Of Alzheimer’s Disease

WHO Says Pandemic Determinations Can Be Made Without ‘Evidence Of Illness’

“Fibermaxxing” Craze Forces Big Food into Reformulation Cycle

Indian amateur cricketer collapses on field, dies in Muscat

Abu Dhabi unveils ambulances for newborns, critical cases, patients weighing up to 300kg

British Medical Journal Retracts Paper Linking COVID Shots To Millions Of Excess Deaths

UAE Doctors Warn Of ‘Rat Fever’ Risks During Travel After Indian Expat Dies Of Leptospirosis In Kerala

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