Health & Wellbeing

Effective Monday, January 3, 2022, all domestic air travellers to the U.S. Virgin Islands are required to present a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within three (3) days prior to travel to the Territory. The updated protocols recently announced by Governor Albert Bryan Jr. reduces the testing window, from five days to three days, to ensure that visitors and residents are protected as much as possible, given the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

A proof-of-concept trial led by the Universities of Birmingham and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has identified a drug that may offer benefit some patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia.

The CATALYST trial tested UK-based bio-pharmaceutical company Izana Bioscience’s namilumab (IZN-101) as a potential therapeutic to treat patients who are hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia, and receiving ‘usual’ care, as well as having high levels in their blood of a marker of inflammation known as C reactive protein (CRP). 

Top medical experts have warned that teens whose parents or caregivers smoked are four times as likely to have taken up smoking.

Analysis has also shown that early teens whose main caregiver smoked were more than twice as likely to have tried cigarettes (26 percent vs 11 percent) and four times as likely to be a regular smoker (4.9% vs 1.2%).

The search is on for unsung heroes across the region, as nominations open for the West Midlands Mental Health Star 2022 awards.

Organised by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the awards aim to celebrate people who are making a real difference in the mental health of others as well as recognising those that have made a significant contribution to improving mental health and wellbeing across their community.

With the holiday season upon us, Caribbean visitors and residents are reminded to continue to protect themselves and the health and lives of those around them by practicing sound health safety measures, while celebrating the spirit of the season.

The Caribbean Tourism COVID-19 Task Force commended the overwhelming majority of Caribbean visitors and residents for their role in contributing to the region’s successful efforts to date to contain the spread of COVID-19 but cautioned that the coming weeks will be critical to the region’s ability to control the virus’ spread and its highly contagious variants which are spiking around the world.

People who have experiences of dementia still have time to take part in an engagement exercise to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on services for those living with the condition in Wolverhampton.

Dementia is a debilitating illness estimated to affect more than 3,000 people in the city, with that number expected to rise by over 50% by 2035.

People who have experiences of dementia still have time to take part in an engagement exercise to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on services for those living with the condition in Wolverhampton.

Dementia is a debilitating illness estimated to affect more than 3,000 people in the city, with that number expected to rise by over 50% by 2035.

A transport facility for people struggling to get to a Covid vaccination site has been set up so citizens can get their first, second or booster jab.

The partnership between the city council, NHS and TOA Taxis (Birmingham) will provide a free taxi service to the nearest vaccination site for people with mobility issues and those who face financial and practical barriers to using private or public transport.

The NHS is urging people to make the right healthcare choice when they are seeking medical help or advice over the holiday period. Making the right choice this Christmas doesn’t just mean picking the perfect present or selecting your favourite flavour from the chocolate tin.

A range of healthcare options, from local pharmacies to NHS 111, are available over the holidays, and each option is best suited for different medical needs.  

This year we’re not just counting down sleeps before Christmas, we’re also counting the time it takes the Omicron variant to double, and the steps needed to stay as safe as possible. So, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is asking people in the    West Midlands to box clever this year and give the best Christmas gift, protection for you and your loved ones.

Since 2019, Dementia UK - the dementia specialist nurse charity - has experienced a 48% increase in calls from people who are experiencing feelings of loss. Calls of this nature have seen a year-on-year rise since the start of the pandemic.  

The charity’s Admiral Nurses are there when people need help. They have the time to listen and the knowledge to solve problems, and are a lifeline for families facing dementia.  

People catching Omicron are 50% to 70% less likely to need hospital care compared with previous variants, a major analysis says. The UK Health Security Agency says its early findings are encouraging but the variant could still lead to large numbers of people in hospital.

The health secretary said it was too early to determine next steps. The study also shows the jab's ability to stop people catching Omicron starts to wane 10 weeks after a booster dose.

Birmingham and Solihull NHS and Jaguar Land Rover have today (Friday 17 December) opened a vaccination centre at the manufacturer’s Logistics Operations Centre in Solihull to pilot an employer vaccination scheme.

The pilot – which assesses the benefits of taking vaccination centres to large workplace settings – involves an NHS-run clinic within the Jaguar Land Rover complex to offer employees, their friends and family and the local community the opportunity to be vaccinated.

The latest data from The Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Winter Flow Project 2021/22 show that since the beginning of October 2021 there have been 56,096 patients delayed by 12 hours or more from time of arrival in Emergency Departments.

In comparison, last year’s Winter Flow Project 2020/21 didn’t record over 50,000 12 hour stays from time of arrival in Emergency Departments until February Week 3. Data also show that in December 2021 Week 2, four-hour performance fell to 56.3%, the lowest ever recorded.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has issued a rallying cry to the region for people to come forward and receive their COVID-19 booster jab.

The Mayor’s plea comes after he visited the Saddlers Vaccination Centre in Walsall this morning to receive his booster jab, more than a month after recovering from the virus. The Saddlers Vaccination Centre is just one of a number of walk-in centres now open across the West Midlands, as the NHS offers every adult in the region a third ‘booster’ jab to protect against the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

Responding to emergency care performance data for November 2021 in England, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Katherine Henderson said: “Every part of the patient journey through emergency care is broken. In a different time, this would be a scandal.” The data show: