The story of these freed prisoners is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. For years, they were trapped in a cycle of violence and conflict, their lives controlled by forces beyond their control. But now, with their release, they were finally able to taste the sweet nectar of freedom and independence.
Paymentus to Participate in Upcoming December 2024 Investor ConferencesThe A-share market witnessed a remarkable surge as all three major indexes opened high and soared on the trading day. The Shanghai Composite Index, the Shenzhen Component Index, and the Growth Enterprise Index, collectively known as the three major indexes, displayed substantial gains today, creating an optimistic atmosphere in the stock market.
Whooping cough cases in North Carolina have risen sharply in 2024. There have been close to 600 reported cases — 6.4 times more than last year at this time. Nationally, cases are 4.8 times higher, federal data shows. The highly contagious respiratory illness tends to rise and fall in cycles as vaccines wear off and new children are born without immunity, experts said. In recent years, efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 played a role in lowering the number of whooping cough cases. People were isolating, and fewer children were congregating in schools. The return to regular habits of socialization post-pandemic could account for much of the uptick, but vaccine hesitancy may be driving part of this latest spike, some experts warned. “It is honestly a problem we deal with every day,” Suresh Nagappan, medical director of the Children’s Unit at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, said about people debating whether to get vaccinated. “I think a lot of it is people have lost trust in authority.” Fewer and fewer people are taking the word of public health experts or even the advice of their family doctors. To combat that loss of authority, doctors need to personalize the information they give to patients, such as sharing what they have read in recent studies or how vaccines have helped their other patients, Nagappan said. Peak in cases still ahead As of the week ending Nov. 23, North Carolina had recorded 576 cases of whooping cough, up from 90 cases during the same time last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases are expected to keep rising as whooping cough tends to peak during the fall and winter. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is caused by a bacterial infection that can be life-threatening, especially for infants. The name “whooping cough” comes from the “whooping” sound made when people catch their breath after a prolonged fit of coughing. That coughing, and the swelling in the airways associated with pertussis, is especially hard on infants, with their tiny airways. During a 2012 outbreak in Winston-Salem, a 2-month-old died. “They just can’t handle it in the same way” as an adult, Nagappan said. Early symptoms can mimic a cold. Typically, it takes five to 10 days for symptoms to appear, although it can take as long as three weeks. The cough associated with pertussis can last for weeks, even months and can lead to pneumonia in children and adults. For some, the coughing is so severe that they can fracture ribs or faint. About a third of babies younger than 12 months old who get whooping cough will end up in a hospital, the CDC said. One in five babies with whooping cough get pneumonia. About 1 percent, or one in 100, will die. North Carolina requires that all children get immunized against several illnesses, such as measles, polio and whooping cough. Nagappan said while the number of cases is trending in the wrong direction, the net number of cases “is not huge compared to what it was in recent memory.” The country is trending toward a total of about 30,000 cases this year, if weekly counts remain steady. That’s well below the 48,277 cases in 2012, which was the highest in more than six decades. Nagappan attributed the increase to the advent of a new version of the pertussis vaccine introduced in the early 1990s. It came with fewer side effects, which health care providers — and parents — welcomed, but this “acellular” vaccine is only about 85 percent effective and doesn’t provide protection for as long as the previous version. Helene’s impact From late 2018 through August 2023, North Carolina had 16 whooping cough outbreaks, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Before the remnants of Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, the area was experiencing another increase in cases of the illness, mainly in children, following an earlier outbreak in the spring, according to media reports. In Buncombe County, cases have doubled since September, according to media reports and data from Buncombe County Health and Human Services. In one of its advisories, NCDHHS warned that respiratory illnesses would be an issue after the storm. The agency encouraged vaccination not only for seasonal respiratory viruses, but also for whooping cough among those who have not been vaccinated, and “especially for individuals living in crowded living situations or shelters,” where respiratory infections can spread easily. Under state law, children typically have to show proof of vaccination to attend school or child care. Students have 30 days from when they first start school or child care to provide proof of vaccination or show they are exempt. Students who miss that deadline can be suspended. In response to Helene, state officials gave students affected by the storm more time to meet vaccination requirements. That could have allowed for spread too. Return to pre-pandemic patterns At one time, whooping cough was one of the most common childhood diseases and a major cause of death in children. Once a vaccine was developed in the 1940s, U.S. cases began to drop from 200,000 annually to fewer than 19,000 in 2019. Cases plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic to a low of 2,116 nationally in 2021, CDC data shows. Health officials said the decrease likely came from people isolating, masking and washing hands more during the pandemic. Preventing the spread of COVID also tamped down other respiratory illnesses, like whooping cough. Those same practices can help prevent whooping cough from spreading now, health officials said. The country is starting to return to pre-pandemic patterns of whooping cough, where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year, the CDC said — although experts believe much of the disease goes unrecognized and unreported. The agency expects whooping cough cases to increase in vaccinated and unvaccinated populations this year. Vaccinations down, exemptions up Overall vaccination coverage for kindergarteners has been dropping nationally and in North Carolina over the past decade. In North Carolina, 93.5 percent of incoming kindergartners had received all required vaccinations last year, according to the most recent CDC data. That’s down two percentage points from the 2011-12 school year. Nationally, coverage last school year ranged from 92.3 percent for the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine — more commonly known as DTaP — to 92.7 percent for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to the most recent CDC data available. Meanwhile, the percentage of students claiming an exemption from getting vaccinated remains small, but continues to rise, driven mostly by non-medical reasons, data shows. Last school year, 2.9 percent of North Carolina kindergarteners received an exemption, below the 3.3 percent of kindergarten students exempted nationwide. In North Carolina, the percentage of kindergartners exempted for any reason has more than tripled over the past 12 years. Nationally, that number doubled. While there has been pushback on COVID-19 and measles vaccines, Nagappan said, he’s seen a lot of interest from parents in the new antibody treatment released last year for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. RSV, which is caused by a common virus, can be very dangerous for very young infants and for babies and young children who have certain health problems. There have been enough bad seasons of RSV that many people know someone whose child ended up hospitalized, he said. And with several outbreaks of the illness, parents were inundated with warnings from day care centers about the dangers of RSV, so that “primed people that RSV was dangerous,” he said. That response to a new treatment gives Nagappan hope. “I think it’s not a wholesale rejection of vaccines,” he said. “I think it is people want specific recommendations and (are) basing it on their own experiences.” North Carolina Health News is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina. Visit NCHN at northcarolinahealthnews.org.Published 4:58 pm Tuesday, November 26, 2024 By Data Skrive Top 25 teams will take the court in six games on Wednesday’s college basketball slate. That includes the Ole Miss Rebels squaring off against the UConn Huskies at Baha Mar Convention Center. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Get the latest news sent to your inbox Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.In conclusion, TSMC's recent success in securing orders that could potentially exceed the 3nm process threshold marks a significant milestone in the company's journey towards shaping the future of semiconductor technology. With its unwavering dedication to innovation, commitment to excellence, and proven track record of delivering cutting-edge solutions, TSMC is well-positioned to maintain its leadership in the semiconductor industry and continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in chip production.
Japan's economy has been showing signs of recovery in recent months, with the country's GDP growth on the rise. This has led to speculation that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) may soon consider raising interest rates, a move that could have far-reaching implications for the economy and financial markets.Christopher Nolan is following his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” with a true epic: Homer’s “The Odyssey.” It will open in theaters on July 17, 2026, Universal Pictures said Monday. Details remain scarce, but the studio teased that it will be a “mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX technology.” It will also be the first time that an adaptation of Homer’s saga will play on IMAX film screens. Nolan has been an IMAX enthusiast for years, going back to “The Dark Knight,” and has made his last three films exclusively using large format film and the highest resolution film cameras. For “Oppenheimer,” the first black-and-white IMAX film stock was developed. Nolan hasn’t said specifically what the new technology for “The Odyssey” will be, but earlier this month he told The Associated Press that they’re in an intensive testing phase with IMAX to prepare for the new production. “They have an incredible engineering staff, really brilliant minds doing extraordinary work,” Nolan said. “It’s wonderful to see innovation in the celluloid film arena still happening and happening at the highest level possible.” RELATED COVERAGE Harris Dickinson toys with ambiguity in ‘Babygirl,’ and keeps a secret from Nicole Kidman ‘Kraven the Hunter’ had one of the worst openings for a Marvel-adjacent property, estimates show Christopher Nolan on ‘Interstellar’s’ cosmic success 10 years later “The Odyssey” will be Nolan’s second collaboration with Universal Pictures following “Oppenheimer,” which earned nearly $1 billion at the box office and won the filmmaker his first Oscars, including for best director and best picture . Rumors about his next project have been swirling ever since, with near-daily speculations about plot — none of which turned out to be true — and casting. While there are many reports about actors joining the ensemble, none has been officially confirmed by the studio.Despite his initial enthusiasm, the man struggled to meet the requirements of the challenge. He found it difficult to wake up early, stick to a healthy diet, and resist the temptation to indulge in unhealthy habits. As a result, he incurred financial penalties for failing to meet the criteria set by the organizers.S.Sudan's Kiir holds urgent talks over shootout at ex-spy chief's home
The appeal remains open until Monday, December 2 for you to donate brand-new unwrapped gifts and toys for children aged 0-18 years. Collection points are as follows: At the end of November there will also be two opportunities to take gifts directly to The Salvation Army Hall in Castle Street, Trowbridge, on Friday, November 29 between 4.30pm and 6.30pm and on Saturday, November 30 between 10am and 2pm. There's still time for you to donate a gift to the Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal. (Image: Salvation Army) If for whatever reason you are unable to donate a gift, Salvation Army church leader and territorial envoy Michala Lancefield says you can still support the appeal: “A financial gift can be made via our just giving page or you can bring cash or a cheque directly to our hall on one of our open days. “Money donated enables us to purchase food vouchers for the families referred to us as well as wrapping paper to complete the Christmas experience for families. “You’ll find our page here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thesalvationarmychristmas-2024-443 ” The Salvation Army works with Social Services to ensure those most in need receive gifts for children who might otherwise have no presents this year. Through the same referral process food vouchers are provided for families who might otherwise struggle to have good Christmas meal. Michala added: “We have received the requests from social services and expect to be providing gifts for over 220 children and food vouchers for over 100 families. “Everything you donate will support those in greatest need this Christmas. “We are truly grateful for your support, and we know from past experience that the social workers, families and children will be too. Thank you in advance!” For more information about the appeal and how you can help, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/trowbridge or call 01225 752459.Upon experiencing persistent toothaches that disrupt her daily life, the woman decided to consult multiple dental clinics to seek the best possible solution for her dental issue. To her surprise, she was recommended not only root canal treatment for the affected tooth but also for other seemingly healthy teeth as a precautionary measure to prevent future complications.Swara Bhasker rants about EVMs after her husband loses in Maharashtra Assembly Elections
