Latest news with #UCSanFrancisco
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
New COVID variant ‘Nimbus' spreading in California, causes ‘razor blade throat'
COVID-19 rages on as a new threat to the state of California. According to recent reports, a deadly subvariant, NB1.8.1 or 'Nimbus,' is on the rise and carries symptoms of razor blade throats, which implies that those affected experience throat pain equivalent to having shards of glass stuck. The spread of this subvariant in other countries as well has raised concerns among the medical community and the general public. ALSO READ| What we know about Covid variant 'Nimbus' known for 'razor blade throat' amid surge in cases According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this new subvariant is a part of the Omicron family and is now almost parallel in effect to that of the last most dominant subvariant: the LP 8.1. The nimbus is now responsible for 37% of all coronavirus samples detected. California has been under threat by this subvariant ever since May and now comprises 55% of cases detected in the state as per the state Department of Public Health. 'Before Omicron, I think most people presented with the usual loss of taste and smell as the predominant symptom and shortness of breath,' said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert to the LA Times. But due to the 'razor blade throat' effect of the Nimbus subvariant, attention has now been diverted to 'other aspects of these symptoms'. Elevated levels of coronavirus have been detected in the state's wastewater as per noted professionals and may be contributing to the spike in cases. Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, wrote in an email to The Times, 'Wastewater surveillance across Southern California shows variability: Santa Barbara watersheds are reporting moderate-to-high levels, Ventura and Los Angeles counties are seeing low-to-moderate levels, Riverside is reporting low levels, while San Bernardino is experiencing high activity.' The state Department of Public Health says that viral levels in wastewater have risen by 13% for the ten-day period concluded on May 30 which proves why more positive cases of the virus have started to appear in the city. As per its official website, coronavirus levels across California continue to remain at a 'medium' scale. Coronavirus levels in Santa Clara County have started to rise over the summer while the levels in the sewershed of San José are considered to be high. Palo Alto records 'medium' levels and Sunnyvale reports 'low'. San Francisco, on the other hand, still has a relatively lower number of cases being reported. ALSO READ| What is razor blade throat? New Covid variant 'Nimbus' causing very painful symptom, know about prevention This uptick in cases is happening at a time when the US Department of Health and Human Services, led by vaccine critic Robert F Kennedy Jr, is making the intake of COVID-19 vaccines substantially difficult. An open letter by 30 notable medical organizations has tried to criticize this call of the government and urges people to rely on scientific facts and get themselves vaccinated during a time of dire need.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
COVID 'razor blade throat' rises as new subvariant spreads in California
COVID-19 appears to be on the rise in some parts of California as a new, highly contagious subvariant — featuring "razor blade throat" symptoms overseas — is becoming increasingly dominant. Nicknamed "Nimbus," the new subvariant NB.1.8.1 has been described in news reports in China as having more obvious signs of "razor blade throat" — what patients describe as feeling like their throats are studded with razor blades. Although "razor blade throat" may seem like a new term, the description of incredibly painful sore throats associated with COVID-19 has emerged before in the United States, like having a throat that feels like it's covered with shards of glass. But the increased attention to this symptom comes as the Nimbus subvariant has caused surges of COVID-19 in other countries. "Before Omicron, I think most people presented with the usual loss of taste and smell as the predominant symptom and shortness of breath," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert. But as COVID has become less likely to require hospitalization, "people are focusing on these other aspects of symptoms," such as an extraordinarily painful sore throat. Part of the Omicron family, Nimbus is now one of the most dominant coronavirus subvariants nationally. For the two-week period that ended June 7, Nimbus comprised an estimated 37% of the nation's coronavirus samples, now roughly even with the subvariant LP.8.1, probably responsible for 38% of circulating virus. LP.8.1 has been dominant over the past few months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more: A new COVID subvariant spreads rapidly as Trump pivots away from vaccines The Nimbus subvariant has also been increasing since May in California, the state Department of Public Health said in an email to the Los Angeles Times. Projections suggest the Nimbus subvariant comprises 55% of circulating virus in California, up from observations of just 2% in April, the agency said Friday. "We are seeing some indicators of increased COVID-19 activity, including the rise of the NB.1.8.1 variant, elevated coronavirus levels in wastewater, and an uptick in the test positivity rate," Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, wrote in an email to The Times. "Wastewater surveillance across Southern California shows variability: Santa Barbara watersheds are reporting moderate-to-high levels, Ventura and Los Angeles counties are seeing low-to-moderate levels, Riverside is reporting low levels, while San Bernardino is experiencing high activity," Hudson said. Read more: RFK Jr. kept asking to see the science that vaccines were safe. After he saw it, he dismissed it While viral concentrations remain relatively low, Los Angeles County has observed an increase in coronavirus levels in sewage, the local Department of Public Health told The Times. For the week that ended May 30 — the most recent available — viral levels in wastewater rose by 13% versus a comparable period several weeks earlier. In addition, there is a slight increase in the rate in which COVID surveillance tests are turning up positive in L.A. County. For the most recent week, 5% of COVID surveillance tests showed positive results for infection, up from 3.8% in early May. COVID-related visits to the emergency room remain low in Los Angeles County. Read more: Trump administration cancels $766-million Moderna contract to fight pandemic flu There were still low rates of COVID-19 illness in San Francisco, the local Department of Public Health said. Yet coronavirus levels in wastewater in Northern California's most populous county, Santa Clara County, are starting to increase, "just as they have over past summers," the local Public Health Department said in an email to The Times. As of Friday, coronavirus levels in the sewershed of San José was considered "high." Viral levels were "medium" in Palo Alto and "low" in Sunnyvale. Nimbus is the most common subvariant in the county. Across California, coronavirus levels in wastewater are at a "medium" level; the last time viral levels were consistently "low" was in April, according to the state Department of Public Health's website. "Future seasonal increases in disease levels are likely," the California Department of Public Health said in an email to The Times Friday. The uptick in COVID comes as many medical professional organizations and some state and local health officials are objecting to the Trump administration's recent moves on vaccine policy, which some experts fear will make it more difficult for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and other diseases. Read more: U.S. just radically changed its COVID vaccine recommendations: How will it affect you? Federal officials in May weakened the CDC's official recommendations from recommending the COVID vaccine to everyone age 6 months and up. The CDC now offers "no guidance" on whether healthy pregnant women should get the COVID vaccine, and now asks that parents of healthy children talk with a healthcare provider before asking that their kids get inoculated. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a rebuke of the changing vaccine recommendations for pregnant women, accusing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — led by the vaccine-skeptic secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — of "propagating misinformation." The American Pharmacists Assn. wrote that dropping the vaccine recommendation for pregnant women did "not appear to be based on the scientific evidence provided over the last few years." And an open letter by 30 organizations specializing in health — including the American Medical Assn. — said that "we must continue to prioritize high levels of COVID-19 vaccine coverage in pregnant patients to protect them and their infants after birth." Chin-Hong said he recommends pregnant women get vaccinated "one million percent." "The data are incredibly clear that pregnant women do have a higher rate of complications, hospitalization and premature births when they did not get vaccinated [against COVID] compared to the ones that did," said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious-disease expert at Stanford University. The vaccines also help newborns, as antibodies generated by the mom-to-be cross the placenta, and can protect the newborn for a certain number of months, she said. That's essential protection, given that newborns can't be vaccinated under 6 months of age, Maldonado said. If newborns are infected, they have relatively high rates of hospitalization — as high as those age 65 and over, Maldonado said. Read more: Amid measles outbreak, Texas is poised to make vaccine exemptions for kids easier Then, last week, Kennedy abruptly fired all members of a highly influential committee that advises the CDC on vaccine policy. In an op-ed to the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy criticized the previous members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, founded in 1964, as being "plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine." Maldonado, a professor in pediatric infectious diseases and epidemiology, was one of the fired vaccine advisors. She called their mass dismissal unprecedented in the history of the ACIP. "We are absolutely in uncharted territory here," Maldonado said. "I think it's going to be really hard to understand what vaccines are going to go forward. ... They're also going to review the entire vaccination schedule." In general, routine review of vaccine schedules are a good thing, and prior reviews have concluded that the current recommended shots are safe and effective, Maldonado said. But the criteria being circulated by recently appointed federal officials "could actually wind up refusing to recommend, say, measles vaccine or HPV vaccine, because I've seen some of the misinformation that has been out there about some of these vaccines. ... "And if any of that is accepted as truth, we could wind up losing some of these vaccines," Maldonado said. "The question, then, is: 'Would those vaccines disappear?' ... Hard to know," she said. But it's also possible that federal officials could begin to stop paying for certain vaccines to be administered to children of low-income families. Read more: Ex-official says he was forced out of FDA after trying to protect vaccine safety data from RFK Jr. She rejected Kennedy's characterization of the committee as a rubber stamp for vaccine makers. "Generally, a decision to not pursue a vaccine happens usually well before anything gets to a vote," Maldonado said. A joint statement by the governors of California, Oregon and Washington condemned Kennedy's dismissal of the vaccine advisors as "deeply troubling for the health of the nation" and defended the fired vaccine advisors as having been "carefully screened for major conflicts of interest." "We have grave concerns about the integrity and transparency of upcoming federal vaccine recommendations and will continue to collaborate to ensure that science and sound medicine prevail to prevent any loss of life," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Thursday. Traditionally, the advisory committee's recommendations on who should get vaccinated were adopted by the director of the CDC. "It was one of the most depressing weeks in American health ... a dark period for everyone right now, and demoralizing," said Chin-Hong, of UC San Francisco. "It's very destabilizing." Read more: A pediatrician's dilemma: Should a practice kick out unvaccinated kids? The American Academy of Pediatrics called the purge of the vaccine advisors "an escalating effort by the administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines." Kennedy's handpicked replacements include people known for their criticism of vaccines, the Associated Press reported. The mass firing "likely puts vaccine access and insurance coverage at serious risk," the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement. "It corrodes trust in the recommended schedule for vaccines, not only by the public, but by medical providers who rely on the ACIP for science-based, apolitical guidance." The departments of public health for California, Oregon and Washington said they "continue to recommend all individuals age 6 months and older should have access and the choice to receive currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines, with an emphasis on protecting higher risk individuals, such as infants and toddlers, pregnant individuals, and others with risks for serious disease." The L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement that, "at this time in Los Angeles County, current vaccine recommendations for persons aged 6 months and older to receive the COVID-19 vaccine remain in effect and insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccines is still in place." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
COVID ‘razor blade throat' rises as new subvariant spreads in California
COVID-19 appears to be on the rise in some parts of California as a new, highly contagious subvariant — featuring 'razor blade throat' symptoms overseas — is becoming increasingly dominant. Nicknamed 'Nimbus,' the new subvariant NB.1.8.1 has been described in news reports in China as having more obvious signs of 'razor blade throat' — what patients describe as feeling like their throats are studded with razor blades. Although 'razor blade throat' may seem like a new term, the description of incredibly painful sore throats associated with COVID-19 has emerged before in the United States, like having a throat that feels like it's covered with shards of glass. But the increased attention to this symptom comes as the Nimbus subvariant has caused surges of COVID-19 in other countries. 'Before Omicron, I think most people presented with the usual loss of taste and smell as the predominant symptom and shortness of breath,' said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert. But as COVID has become less likely to require hospitalization, 'people are focusing on these other aspects of symptoms,' such as an extraordinarily painful sore throat. Part of the Omicron family, Nimbus is now one of the most dominant coronavirus subvariants nationally. For the two-week period that ended June 7, Nimbus comprised an estimated 37% of the nation's coronavirus samples, now roughly even with the subvariant LP.8.1, probably responsible for 38% of circulating virus. LP.8.1 has been dominant over the past few months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Nimbus subvariant has also been increasing since May in California, the state Department of Public Health said in an email to the Los Angeles Times. Projections suggest the Nimbus subvariant comprises 55% of circulating virus in California, up from observations of just 2% in April, the agency said Friday. 'We are seeing some indicators of increased COVID-19 activity, including the rise of the NB.1.8.1 variant, elevated coronavirus levels in wastewater, and an uptick in the test positivity rate,' Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases for Kaiser Permanente Southern California, wrote in an email to The Times. 'Wastewater surveillance across Southern California shows variability: Santa Barbara watersheds are reporting moderate-to-high levels, Ventura and Los Angeles counties are seeing low-to-moderate levels, Riverside is reporting low levels, while San Bernardino is experiencing high activity,' Hudson said. While viral concentrations remain relatively low, Los Angeles County has observed an increase in coronavirus levels in sewage, the local Department of Public Health told The Times. For the week that ended May 30 — the most recent available — viral levels in wastewater rose by 13% versus a comparable period several weeks earlier. In addition, there is a slight increase in the rate in which COVID surveillance tests are turning up positive in L.A. County. For the most recent week, 5% of COVID surveillance tests showed positive results for infection, up from 3.8% in early May. COVID-related visits to the emergency room remain low in Los Angeles County. There were still low rates of COVID-19 illness in San Francisco, the local Department of Public Health said. Yet coronavirus levels in wastewater in Northern California's most populous county, Santa Clara County, are starting to increase, 'just as they have over past summers,' the local Public Health Department said in an email to The Times. As of Friday, coronavirus levels in the sewershed of San José was considered 'high.' Viral levels were 'medium' in Palo Alto and 'low' in Sunnyvale. Nimbus is the most common subvariant in the county. Across California, coronavirus levels in wastewater are at a 'medium' level; the last time viral levels were consistently 'low' was in April, according to the state Department of Public Health's website. 'Future seasonal increases in disease levels are likely,' the California Department of Public Health said in an email to The Times Friday. The uptick in COVID comes as many medical professional organizations and some state and local health officials are objecting to the Trump administration's recent moves on vaccine policy, which some experts fear will make it more difficult for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and other diseases. Federal officials in May weakened the CDC's official recommendations from recommending the COVID vaccine to everyone age 6 months and up. The CDC now offers 'no guidance' on whether healthy pregnant women should get the COVID vaccine, and now asks that parents of healthy children talk with a healthcare provider before asking that their kids get inoculated. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued a rebuke of the changing vaccine recommendations for pregnant women, accusing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — led by the vaccine-skeptic secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — of 'propagating misinformation.' The American Pharmacists Assn. wrote that dropping the vaccine recommendation for pregnant women did 'not appear to be based on the scientific evidence provided over the last few years.' And an open letter by 30 organizations specializing in health — including the American Medical Assn. — said that 'we must continue to prioritize high levels of COVID-19 vaccine coverage in pregnant patients to protect them and their infants after birth.' Chin-Hong said he recommends pregnant women get vaccinated 'one million percent.' 'The data are incredibly clear that pregnant women do have a higher rate of complications, hospitalization and premature births when they did not get vaccinated [against COVID] compared to the ones that did,' said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious-disease expert at Stanford University. The vaccines also help newborns, as antibodies generated by the mom-to-be cross the placenta, and can protect the newborn for a certain number of months, she said. That's essential protection, given that newborns can't be vaccinated under 6 months of age, Maldonado said. If newborns are infected, they have relatively high rates of hospitalization — as high as those age 65 and over, Maldonado said. Then, last week, Kennedy abruptly fired all members of a highly influential committee that advises the CDC on vaccine policy. In an op-ed to the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy criticized the previous members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, founded in 1964, as being 'plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.' Maldonado, a professor in pediatric infectious diseases and epidemiology, was one of the fired vaccine advisors. She called their mass dismissal unprecedented in the history of the ACIP. 'We are absolutely in uncharted territory here,' Maldonado said. 'I think it's going to be really hard to understand what vaccines are going to go forward. ... They're also going to review the entire vaccination schedule.' In general, routine review of vaccine schedules are a good thing, and prior reviews have concluded that the current recommended shots are safe and effective, Maldonado said. But the criteria being circulated by recently appointed federal officials 'could actually wind up refusing to recommend, say, measles vaccine or HPV vaccine, because I've seen some of the misinformation that has been out there about some of these vaccines. ... 'And if any of that is accepted as truth, we could wind up losing some of these vaccines,' Maldonado said. 'The question, then, is: 'Would those vaccines disappear?' ... Hard to know,' she said. But it's also possible that federal officials could begin to stop paying for certain vaccines to be administered to children of low-income families. She rejected Kennedy's characterization of the committee as a rubber stamp for vaccine makers. 'Generally, a decision to not pursue a vaccine happens usually well before anything gets to a vote,' Maldonado said. A joint statement by the governors of California, Oregon and Washington condemned Kennedy's dismissal of the vaccine advisors as 'deeply troubling for the health of the nation' and defended the fired vaccine advisors as having been 'carefully screened for major conflicts of interest.' 'We have grave concerns about the integrity and transparency of upcoming federal vaccine recommendations and will continue to collaborate to ensure that science and sound medicine prevail to prevent any loss of life,' Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Thursday. Traditionally, the advisory committee's recommendations on who should get vaccinated were adopted by the director of the CDC. 'It was one of the most depressing weeks in American health ... a dark period for everyone right now, and demoralizing,' said Chin-Hong, of UC San Francisco. 'It's very destabilizing.' The American Academy of Pediatrics called the purge of the vaccine advisors 'an escalating effort by the administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines.' Kennedy's handpicked replacements include people known for their criticism of vaccines, the Associated Press reported. The mass firing 'likely puts vaccine access and insurance coverage at serious risk,' the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement. 'It corrodes trust in the recommended schedule for vaccines, not only by the public, but by medical providers who rely on the ACIP for science-based, apolitical guidance.' The departments of public health for California, Oregon and Washington said they 'continue to recommend all individuals age 6 months and older should have access and the choice to receive currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines, with an emphasis on protecting higher risk individuals, such as infants and toddlers, pregnant individuals, and others with risks for serious disease.' The L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement that, 'at this time in Los Angeles County, current vaccine recommendations for persons aged 6 months and older to receive the COVID-19 vaccine remain in effect and insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccines is still in place.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Smoking marijuana and eating cannabis gummies both linked to dangerous health risk, study finds
Long-term cannabis use in any form has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease. In a new study, researchers at UC San Francisco determined that eating edible cannabis, such as gummies, has the same impact on cardiovascular risk as smoking marijuana. The risk stems from reduced blood vessel function, according to the study, which was published in JAMA Cardiology on May 28. Heavy Cannabis Use Could Pose This Threat To The Brain The study included 55 people between 18 and 50 years of age who were "outwardly healthy." The participants were divided into three groups: those who regularly smoked marijuana, those who ate edibles containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and those who didn't use cannabis, according to a UCSF press release. Read On The Fox News App The cannabis users had been consuming the substance at least three times weekly for at least one year. On average, the smokers had the habit for 10 years, while those consuming edibles had been doing so for five years, the release noted. In September 2024, the participants underwent testing to determine how well their blood vessels functioned and whether the cells lining the blood vessels were affected. Dementia Risk Connected To Cannabis-related Hospital Visits, Says Study All cannabis users were found to have "decreased vascular function," comparable to those who smoke tobacco. Their blood vessel function was roughly half compared to those who did not use cannabis. This side effect has been linked to a higher risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions, the researchers noted. The participants who smoked marijuana were also found to have changes in their blood serum that harmed cells lining their blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, an effect that was not seen in those who ate edible cannabis. The researchers noted that while smoking marijuana and consuming edibles both affect vascular function, they likely do so for different reasons. Shingles Vaccine Has Unexpected Effect On Heart Health "Chronic cannabis smoking and THC ingestion were associated with endothelial dysfunction [impaired functioning of the endothelial cells lining the inside of blood vessels] similar to that observed in tobacco smokers, although apparently occurring via distinct mechanisms," the researchers wrote. "This study enhances the understanding of the potential risks to vascular health linked to cannabis use and provides more evidence that cannabis use is not benign." Dr. Bradley Serwer, a Maryland-based cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, said he was not surprised by the study's findings. "We have known that the chronic use of THC-containing compounds can have negative health consequences — this study just reaffirms those prior studies," Serwer, who was not involved in the UCSF research, told Fox News Digital. The study did have some limitations. "Variability in cannabis strains complicates standardization," the researchers wrote. "Self-reported cannabis use may introduce recall bias; thus, participants were queried at multiple points: in the online survey, at the eligibility interview and before each visit." It was also challenging to determine whether blood vessel function could have also been affected by lifestyle factors like stress, caffeine and secondhand smoke exposure, they noted. Serwer pointed out that this was a "very small" study of only 55 people, all living in the San Francisco Bay area. "The study did not allow for variability in the different strains of cannabis, and they used a self-reporting survey, which can be under- or over-reported," he told Fox News Digital. "They looked for physiologic endpoints and not hard endpoints, such as heart attacks, strokes or death. We have to infer that the physiologic endpoints would result in cardiovascular events." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter The cardiologist said he agreed, however, with the conclusion that cannabis use is "not benign." "Chronic use does have potential cardiovascular risks," he warned. "There are therapeutic uses of cannabis, and the decision to use or avoid it should be made with all benefits and risks in mind." In general, Serwer said he cautions all of his patients to avoid any unnecessary cardiac risks. "As clinicians, we must weigh the benefits and the risks of a medicine/drug or intervention," he said. "If the risks outweigh the benefits, it should be avoided." For more Health articles, visit The study was funded mainly by the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the California Department of Cannabis Control; the California Tobacco-Related Disease Program; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. Fox News Digital reached out to cannabis industry organizations requesting article source: Smoking marijuana and eating cannabis gummies both linked to dangerous health risk, study finds
The National
23-05-2025
- Health
- The National
One in three teenagers in the Middle East to be overweight in five years
By 2030, one in three teenagers in the Middle East and in high-income countries is expected to be obese. The second Lancet Commission on adolescent health and well-being warned that the health of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point and action is needed to tackle the rising threats. The commission estimated 464 million adolescents globally will be overweight or obese within five years, 143 million more than in 2015. It said this would underline 'the shortcomings in combating adolescent obesity'. Research earlier this year led to a forecast that the Middle East and North Africa would be the centre of the world's youth obesity crisis by 2050, at which point more than half of the region's children and young people will be overweight. Scientists expect the Middle East will overtake North America as the most out-of-shape region if "startling" trends in weight gain over the past 30 years continue. A progression has been seen over the past four decades. A World Health Organisation report in 2018 found nine Middle Eastern countries ranked highest in the obesity statistics for adults and rates had trebled since 1975, with Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia the highest. A separate study found social media use was linked to a rise in depression among teenagers. The research team at UC San Francisco examined data following nearly 12,000 children aged nine and 10 years and then three years later at 12 and 13. On average, children's social media use rose from seven to 73 minutes a day over the three years of the study and their depressive symptoms increased 35 per cent. 'There has been ongoing debate about whether social media contributes to depression or simply reflects underlying depressive symptoms,' said Jason Nagata, associate professor in UCSF's Department of Paediatrics. 'These findings provide evidence that social media may be contributing to the development of depressive symptoms.' The new Lancet analysis indicates that without targeted action by 2030 at least half of the world's adolescents (more than one billion) would still live in countries where they are at risk of experiencing poor health across many indicators, including mental health and being overweight. It said over the past decade, progress in adolescent health and well-being has been 'mixed and uneven'. 'While global rates of smoking and alcohol use have declined and educational participation – especially among young women – has increased, obesity-related diseases and mental health disorders are rising in all regions,' it said. It also highlighted that today's adolescents are the first generation 'to grow up under harsher climate conditions and the pervasive presence of digital technology' and therefore disproportionately face emerging global health threats. Adolescents in low and middle-income countries represent more than a quarter of the population and bear a disproportionate share of the global disease burden (9.1 per cent), yet receive only 2.4 per cent of global development aid, it was warned. Prof Sarah Baird, of George Washington University in the US and co-chairwoman of the commission, said: 'The health and well-being of adolescents worldwide is at a tipping point, with mixed progress observed over the past three decades. "Whilst tobacco and alcohol use has declined and participation in secondary and tertiary education has increased, overweight and obesity have risen by up to eightfold in some countries in Africa and Asia over the past three decades, and there is a growing burden of poor adolescent mental health globally. "Additionally, the challenges faced by the world's adolescents are at risk of being exacerbated by emerging global issues including climate change, world conflicts and a rapid transition to a more digital world. 'Investing in the health and well-being of young people is crucial for safeguarding our collective future. We must prioritise investment in adolescent health and well-being through initiatives including those that strengthen schools to promote health and well-being and to ensure universal access to health care for adolescents. "Furthermore, adolescent engagement and activism must be central to creating the social and community changes we need to foster a more just society and create a healthier planet with more opportunities for everyone.'
