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Tag: World Health Organization

  • Facebook Financials ‘Adversely Affected’ By Coronavirus

    Facebook Financials ‘Adversely Affected’ By Coronavirus

    Facebook is warning that its business is being “adversely affected” by the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe.

    In a blog post, Alex Schultz, VP of Analytics, and Jay Parikh, VP of Engineering, lay out the challenges the company is facing. With unprecedented numbers of people quarantined, sheltering in place or practicing social distancing the company is experiencing a major uptick in usage. In many countries, especially the hardest hit, “total messaging has increased more than 50% over the last month.” Similarly, in those places “voice and video calling have more than doubled on Messenger and WhatsApp.” Italy has likewise “seen up to 70% more time spent across our apps since the crisis arrived in the country.”

    Facebook previously warned its ad business was likely to take a hit, but today’s post highlights the additional issues the company is facing. Because the increased usage is on services that are free, Facebook is not benefiting monetarily by the uptick. At the same time, the company’s infrastructure still has to bear the burden of the increased load. The two executives laid out the challenges:

    “We have received questions about revenue, so want to provide some context here too: Much of the increased traffic is happening on our messaging services, but we’ve also seen more people using our feed and stories products to get updates from their family and friends. At the same time, our business is being adversely affected like so many others around the world. We don’t monetize many of the services where we’re seeing increased engagement, and we’ve seen a weakening in our ads business in countries taking aggressive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

    The executives did provide assurances Facebook is doing everything possible to make sure their infrastructure can deal with the days ahead.

    “Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees are working from home. We are working to keep our apps running smoothly while also prioritizing features such as our COVID-19 Information Center on Facebook as well as the World Health Organization’s Health Alert on WhatsApp. We’re monitoring usage patterns carefully, making our systems more efficient, and adding capacity as required. To help alleviate potential network congestion, we are temporarily reducing bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in certain regions. Lastly, we’re conducting testing and further preparing so we can quickly respond to any problems that might arise with our services.”

    Facebook is just the latest example of how companies, even those without traditional supply chains, are being negatively impacted by the pandemic.

  • Coronavirus: Trump Administration Bans Travel, Cargo From Europe

    Coronavirus: Trump Administration Bans Travel, Cargo From Europe

    President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday evening, walking back comments he has previously made and unveiling sweeping measures to address the coronavirus threat.

    A somber and subdued Trump began by highlighting the World Health Organization’s recent classification of the virus as a global pandemic, pointing out that from the beginning of time nations have faced health threats. The President then said “it only matters how you respond, and we are responding with great speed and professionalism.”

    Trump then outlined a number of measures that have been taken, as well as those that will now be taken, some of which will have profound impacts on a wide range of industries. Most significantly, the U.S. will suspend all travel from Europe for the next 30 days. These restrictions go into effect Friday at midnight.

    “These prohibitions will not only apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo, but various other things as we get approval,” said Trump. “Anything coming from Europe to the United States is what we are discussing. These restrictions will also not apply to the United Kingdom.”

    Trump also said travel restrictions on China and South Korea would be evaluated as those countries get the virus under control. In addition, health insurers have agreed to waive copayments for coronavirus treatment, extend insurance treatment to cover the virus and reduce surprise billing issues.

    The President highlighted the $8.3 billion package signed into law last week to help agencies combat the virus. He also said testing capabilities are expanding rapidly.

    “The vast majority of Americans—the risk is very, very low,” Trump continued. “Young and healthy people can expect to recover fully and quickly if they should get the virus. The highest risk is for [the] elderly population with underlying health conditions. The elderly population must be very, very careful. In particular, we are strongly advising that nursing homes for the elderly suspend all medically unnecessary visits. In general, older Americans should avoid non-essential travel and crowded areas….Smart action today will prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow.”

    After highlighting basic hygiene rules that should be followed, the President said those who are sick should stay home. To help ensure they can stay home without financial hardship, Trump said he will soon be taking emergency action to provide financial relief for “workers who are ill, quarantined or caring for others due to coronavirus.”

    Trump also said he was authorizing the Small Business Administration to provide loans in impacted areas, and will be asking Congress to provide an additional $50 billion in funding for the program. The President is also using emergency authority to instruct the Treasury Department to defer tax payments, without penalties or fees, for those impacted, providing “more than $200 billion of additional liquidity to the economy. Finally, I am calling on Congress to provide Americans with immediate payroll tax relief.”

    Overall the address was a substantial change of tone for the President and illustrates the risk the coronavirus poses to world. Throughout the address, Trump tried to reassure viewers that “this is just a temporary moment of time, that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world,” while at the same time acknowledging “we are at a critical time in the fight against the virus.”

    Coronavirus: Trump Administration Bans Travel, Cargo From Europe
  • Coronavirus: Apple and Amazon Latest to Recommend Telecommuting

    Coronavirus: Apple and Amazon Latest to Recommend Telecommuting

    Apple and Amazon are among the latest companies to recommend their employees work from home due to the growing threat of the coronavirus.

    As the World Health Organization (WHO) warns “the threat of a pandemic has become very real,” governments and companies are scrambling to contain the spread. Major events, such as SXSW, have been cancelled, while others, such as WWDC, hang in the balance. In addition to those measures, multiple companies have implemented work-from-home policies, in some cases voluntary and others mandatory. Microsoft, Twitter and Google have all recommended at least some of their employees—especially those in heavily impacted regions—work from home.

    Now Apple and Amazon have joined their ranks. Amazon has specifically asked employees in New Jersey and New York to work from home, as New York has one of the biggest concentrations of confirmed cases. Apple has taken it a step further, giving employees at most of its global offices the opportunity to work from home.

    Long before the coronavirus was a concern, some estimates projected 60% of office workers telecommuting by 2022. As the virus continues to spread, telecommuting may very well become the new norm long before that.

  • Zika Virus: World Health Organization Just Weeks Away from Test, Vaccine Still at Least 18 Months Away

    The Zika virus has spread rapidly, with several cases now reported in the United States. The most dangerous to unborn babies, the Zika virus has instilled fear in pregnant women in countries affected by the disease, as well as in those who may need to travel to such countries.

    According to a report from the New York Times, the World Health Organization claims to be just weeks away from a test to determine whether someone has contracted the Zika virus. They are still at least 18 months away from a vaccine that can prevent it, however.

    On February 1, the W.H.O. declared the Zika virus a global public health emergency. This is only the fourth time ever the organization has raised this alert. The major concerns of the Zika virus are its suspected links to two neurological disorders–microcephaly, where babies are born with smaller than normal heads and, in most cases brain damage–and Guillain-Barré syndrome, an illness in which the immune system attacks part of the nervous system, causing paralysis that can last for weeks.

    Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny is the W.H.O. assistant director general for health systems and innovation. She spoke recently about the Zika virus at a news conference in Geneva.

    “It is important to point out, however, that none of these tests have been independently validated and none have regulatory approval,” she said. She added, however, that “we are talking weeks, not years,” for the first commercial and independently validated tests to become available.

    “In spite of this encouraging landscape, vaccines are at least 18 months away from large-scale trials,” she added.

    Aside from the aforementioned risks from the Zika virus, it causes no lasting harm. Those afflicted with the Zika virus typically experience fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes.

  • Sierra Leone: World Health Organization Declares African Country Free of Ebola

    Sierra Leone was deemed free of Ebola by the World Health Organization on Saturday. This means the nation has passed two incubation periods–a total of 42 days–with no outbreaks of the disease.

    Ebola has crippled the economy of Sierra Leone. The WHO announcement was broadcast over the radio on Saturday and included a story from a response worker who survived the disease.

    Tunis Yahya is the director of communications for Sierra Leone’s National Ebola Response Center. He said emotions are all over the place in response to the announcement.

    “It’s kind of like a mixed emotion,” the director explained. “People are happy, but also many are depressed because they lost their families.”

    Sierra Leone was the hardest hit of all countries during the Ebola outbreak that killed 4,000. 14,000 were infected with the disease.

    The nation will now begin a 90-day time of enhanced surveillance with the aim of quickly detecting any new cases of Ebola. The surveillance is in effect through February 5th.

    Celebrations are now planned across Sierra Leone. In addition to speeches from political and religious dignitaries, there will be dancing, singing, and a release of balloons.

    Word that Sierra Leone is now free of Ebola comes as a result of much medical intervention and as the answer to many prayers from all around the world. Hopefully this represents for those in Sierra Leone the beginning of much brighter days.

  • Ebola in Mali: Virus Continues to Spread in West Africa

    As the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations struggle to contain Ebola in West Africa, the virus is continuing to spread. The current outbreak is the largest Ebola outbreak in history. More than 4,800 people have died of Ebola since the outbreak began in March.

    Most of the nearly 10,000 Ebola cases diagnosed during the current outbreak have come in three West African countries: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Liberia has been particularly hard-hit, as over half of Ebola deaths have occurred in that country.

    Now, just as the world was celebrating the end of Ebola in Nigeria the virus has spread to another West African nation. According to a BBC News report the first case of Ebola in Mali has now been confirmed. A two-year-old girl who was brought by relatives from Guinea to Mali has been diagnosed with the virus. The girl’s mother reportedly died weeks ago in Guinea.

    The Malian health ministry stated that the young girl was brought into a hospital on Wednesday and diagnosed with Ebola through a blood sample. She is being treated in the town of Kayes and her condition is reportedly improving. Mali has quarantined 43 people who have come into contact with the girl, including several healthcare workers.

    The WHO has announced that it will be sending extra personnel to Mali to help with containment. According to the BBC the WHO and the Malian government have been preparing the country for a possible Ebola outbreak for months now.

    On the other side of the world, a fourth person has now been diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. A doctor who was working with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea arrived in New York City in on October 17. On October 23 he developed serious symptoms of Ebola and was taken to Bellevue Hospital.

    The first person to be diagnosed with the virus in the U.S., a Liberian named Thomas Duncan, died in Dallas, Texas on October 8. Two healthcare workers who cared for Duncan have since been diagnosed with Ebola.

    This latest case could fuel fears in the U.S. over Ebola. Earlier this week New Jersey Governor Chris Christie rolled out a comprehensive Ebola preparedness plan for his state.

  • 17 Ebola Patients Escaped Quarantine Back in August

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the first cases of Ebola began to appear in the Liberian capital of Monrovia in mid-June. The WHO and other organizations tried to quickly train local hospitals to contain the outbreak, but Monrovia’s limited healthcare infrastructure was soon overrun with Ebola patients. The city is now one of the worst-hit by the largest Ebola outbreak seen in human history.

    One incident that occurred back in August helps to highlight just how the situation became so serious in Monrovia. On August 17 an angry mob in Monrovia’s West Point township attacked a quarantine center where Ebola patients were being housed. According to a BBC report, 17 Ebola patients escaped during the riot and 10 others were taken away by their families. An AFP reporter cited in the BBC report stated that the mob broke down the facility’s door and began looting. Mattresses and bedding stained with blood were stolen.

    The incident demonstrates how the Ebola situation in Monrovia spun out of control. At the time of the incident the Liberian Ministry of Health & Social Welfare told the BBC that the mob had been angry that Ebola patients were being brought to Monrovia from other parts of the country. However, the BBC also cites reports that the mob believed Ebola to be a hoax and had been shouting “there’s no Ebola.”

    This lack of education about Ebola and how it is spread has allowed the disease to cripple Monrovia. The battle against Ebola now includes posters and t-shirts seen throughout the city stating that “Ebola is real.”

    Liberia alone has now seen more than 2,600 confirmed deaths from Ebola. According to the WHO the true number of Ebola deaths in Liberia is unlikely to ever be known, as bodies in Monrovia’s poorest district are now being thrown into rivers. But as serious as the outbreak is, the WHO believes that a recently-opened Ebola treatment center with 120 beds could help stem the tide in Monrovia. A candidate Ebola vaccine is also on the verge of clinical trials.

  • UK: Ebola Screening Comes to Heathrow

    Even in countries not likely to be widely affected by Ebola people are beginning to worry about the growing outbreak of the disease.

    Tensions in the U.S. are rising after a Dallas healthcare worker was diagnosed with Ebola just days ago. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now implemented screening procedures at airports for people arriving from nations hit hard by the outbreak.

    The U.K. also has no intention of allowing the outbreak to spread and has now begun similar procedures. According to a BBC News report several passengers at London Heathrow Airport were screened for Ebola on Tuesday. The passengers had their temperatures taken and were given a questionnaire that included questions about possible symptoms and ebola contact while overseas.

    The U.K. government stated that the enhanced screening procedures have been implemented for people traveling from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. According to the BBC no direct flights from those countries enter the U.S. and around 85% of people traveling from those countries to the U.K. will travel through Heathrow.

    Public Health England (PHE) released a statement on Tuesday detailing the new screening procedures. After completing the questionnaire and providing their temperature passengers will either be free to go or will be subject to additional health screenings. The screenings are scheduled to roll out later this week to Gatwick Airport and the St Pancras railway station’s Eurostar terminal.

    “Anyone who is well but may have been at increased risk of contact with the Ebola virus will be given printed information and a PHE contact number to call in case they develop symptoms,” said Paul Cosford, director for health protection at PHE. “People infected with Ebola can only spread the virus to other people once they have developed symptoms, such as a fever. Even if someone has symptoms, the virus is only transmitted by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the current Ebola outbreak is the largest outbreak of the disease ever seen. The WHO has logged over 4,000 deaths from Ebola during the current outbreak, which began in March.

  • Swine Flu Epidemic Hits Australia

    In 2009, the World Health Organization classified the H1N1 strain of influenza, more commonly referred to as swine flu, as a Phase 6 pandemic, the highest rating possible for such a virus. Thankfully, the pandemic only lasted slightly longer than one year, with the WHO declaring the pandemic over in August 2010.

    If Australia has any impact on WHO classifications, however, that pandemic label may be returning to the swine flu soon…

    So far this year, 21,000 cases of swine flu have been reported in Australia – more than double of the amount reported at this time last year, according to the Influenza Specialist Group (ISG).

    The ISG reports that around 20 to 50 percent of children will acquire the flu each season, with only 10 to 30 percent of adults suffering from the same fate. However, mothers tend to be specifically susceptible to the flu in Australia, most likely due to the constant contact with children and the large amounts of stress mothers face everyday, weakening the immune system.

    In fact, women are more susceptible than men, overall, to contract the sickness. The numbers show that females are 25 percent more likely to acquire the virus than men. One of the reasons this phenomenon may be so apparent in Australia is due to the fact that 70 percent of women in “The Land Down Under” are not vaccinated against the flu.

    Because of the dearth of people actually vaccinated against the flu, scientists and health professionals, including ISG chairman Dr Alan Hampson, are urging Australians to get vaccinated while there is still a chance for the immunity to take hold:

    If they haven’t been infected yet it’s never too late but there might be a very narrow window. I think people do need a while to acquire immunity. If they’re in a high-risk group or people who can’t afford to be infected then it’s worth while getting along to your GP and I’d suggest no later than this week.

    Dr. Hampson also stressed to not simply rely upon over-the-counter medicine to alleviate one’s aches and pains: “They’re not really having an impact in the infection in your body, they’re just suppressing the symptoms. So you really shouldn’t take those and then soldier on. It only stresses your body.”

    And, as always, wash your hands and avoid the source – large crowds of people.

    Image via YouTube

  • Saudi Arabian Man Suspected of Having Ebola Dies

    The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health said that a citizen of that country who died Wednesday in Jeddah is suspected of having contracted Ebola while on a recent business trip to Sierra Leone.

    Saudi laboratories certified by the World Health Organization are testing blood samples from the deceased man for Ebola, as well as for other illnesses which cause the symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever.

    Manifestation of Ebola begins with a sudden onset of an influenza-like stage characterized by general malaise, fever with chills and chest pain. Nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting are also common symptoms. Regarding the central nervous system, victims experience severe headaches, agitation, confusion, fatigue, depression, seizures and sometimes coma.

    Those who contract Ebola typically die of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) due to fluid redistribution, hypotension, weakened intravascular coagulation and focal tissue necrosis. The hemorrhaging that comes with the disease is typically not the cause of death.

    The health ministry is likewise tracking the businessman’s route of travel and assessing who he may have come into contact with. Saudi Arabia has suspended travel visas to West Africa to help prevent any further spread of the disease.

    Human-to-human transmission of Ebola occurs via direct contact with blood or bodily fluids from an infected person, or by contact with contaminated medical equipment such as needles. No cases of aerosol transmission have been reported, and a potential for widespread Ebola epidemics is considered to be low, due to the high fatality rate of the illness, along with the rapidity of the demise of patients.

    The Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria is the largest recorded in history, and the disease has a mortality rate of up to 90 percent. So far, the outbreak has taken over 900 lives, and a vaccination is years away.

    Image via YouTube

  • China Bubonic Plague: City Quarantined, One Dead

    In China bubonic plague has forced officials to quarantine parts of the city of Yumen, which is located in the northwestern portion of the country. A 38-year-old man in that city died of bubonic plague last week. He had reportedly been in contact with a dead marmot, which is a type of squirrel-like rodent.

    Close to 100,000 people have been placed under the city’s quarantine and 151 people who were in contact with the victim have been placed in isolation. So far no one else has exhibited any symptoms of bubonic plague.

    The Xinhua news agency is reporting that the victim apparently chopped up the dead marmot and fed it to his dog. He later developed a fever and died on July 16th at a local hospital.

    Bubonic plague is typically spread through a bite from an infected flea. The World Health Organization says these fleas live on rodents and other animals and that without immediate treatment the disease kills more than half of those inflicted.

    Even in China bubonic plague is rare. It is still present, however, in rural areas. The World Health Organization reports that outbreaks have been rare in recent years, and most have happened in remote rural areas of the west. China’s state broadcaster said there were twelve diagnosed cases and three deaths in the province of Qinghai back in 2009, and only one in Sichuan in 2012.

    Bubonic plague is always associated with the Black Death that occurred in the 14th century, when it wiped out roughly half of the Chinese population. In the 19th century another severe outbreak known as the Modern Plague spread from China to Hong Kong and many port cities in between. Ten million died.

    As with this case in China, bubonic plague causes panic among those who aren’t aware there is now treatment for the disease. With the present quarantine and people in isolation, this one case may in fact be the only one diagnosed.

    Image via YouTube

  • MERS Virus Surge Seen in the Middle East

    MERS Virus Surge Seen in the Middle East

    In 2012, the world was first exposed to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus, better known as MERS. The virus originated in Saudi Arabia, and all evidence suggests that only six Middle Eastern countries have been noted spots of origination for the virus. Despite the limited proximity of origins, however, the worldwide health and scientific communities are constantly monitoring the progression of the sickness, especially due to its close relations to the SARS virus which erupted in Asia in 2003, infecting 8,273 people and killing nine percent of those infected.

    While the World Health Organization (WHO) has only confirmed 228 cases of MERS since September 2012, 92 deaths have resulted from infection. This 40 percent fatality rate has the international medical community deeply concerned, as does the recent surge in Middle Eastern countries.

    On its Twitter account, the WHO reported that from April 2 to April 6, 15 confirmed cases of MERS infection were reported from Saudi Arabia alone. On April 13, 12 cases of MERS were discovered in Jeddah, while another three cases were reported in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

    In total, 194 confirmed cases of MERS have been reported in Saudi Arabia since September 2012, with 69 deaths resulting from the virus.

    The situation at King Fahd hospital in Jeddah became so dire last Wednesday that the hospital decided to close its ER to decontaminate the facility, following reports that multiple medical personnel had become infected with the illness.

    Over the weekend, the United Arab Emirates reported six more cases of the MERS virus, all victims being Filipino medical staff assisting at hospitals in the country.

    “As far as we know, MERS-CoV does not spread easily from person-to-person, so these clusters suggest a breakdown in infection prevention and control,” stated Dr. Ian M. Mackay, an Australian epidemiologist who has been tracking the virus.

    A recent study was published stating that the MERS virus has been alive and active amongst camels for at least two decades now, with many camels obtaining the virus when they are young but never show any symptoms of illness. The camel-origins of the sickness make the virus even more difficult for scientists to pin down, seeing as most of the people infected have had no contact with camels before the illness sets in.

    Despite the rising concern, Middle Eastern health authorities have assured the public that the virus is of no true concern, imploring people to remain steadfast in the everyday lives and to practice common positive health procedures to protect against illness.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • West African Virus Death Toll Rises Above 80

    West Africa is bracing itself for the worst outbreak of the Ebola virus in nearly a decade. CNN is reporting that the death toll has risen to 85 with dozens more ill. The deaths are among 137 cases reported by the World Health Organization, which said the outbreak has “rapidly evolved” since starting in southeastern Guinea. Other suspected affected areas include Sierra Leone and Liberia.

    Doctors Without Borders is calling the outbreak “unprecedented” in a press release because of the spread of the virus, a virus which is usually confined to a smaller area.

    “We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases in the country,” said Mariano Lugli, coordinator of MSF’s project in Conakry. “MSF has intervened in almost all reported Ebola outbreaks in recent years, but they were much more geographically contained and involved more remote locations. This geographical spread is worrisome because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organizations working to control the epidemic.”

    According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola virus disease has a case fatality of up to 90 percent and outbreaks typically occur in Central and West Africa, near tropical forests. It first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    It’s transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission, generally through close contact with blood, secretions, or other bodily fluids.

    It is characterized by a sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat. It is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases internal and external bleeding.

    There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for use in people or animals.

    Doctors Without Borders says that field workers include doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, and water and sanitation experts. More than 40 tons of equipment has been flown into Guinea to try to curb the spread of the disease.

    To break the chain of the transmission of the virus, isolation of the patient is oftentimes necessary.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Alzheimer’s Disease Could be Detected by Blood Test

    Globally, 44 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, with 4.7 million of those living here in the United States. By 2050, that number will increase to nearly 14 million in the US and 115 million worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. As it currently stands, Alzheimer’s may be the third leading cause of death in the United States, trailing only heart disease and cancer.

    All of the before-mentioned statistics are reasons why the most recent news from the medical community concerning Alzheimer’s disease can prove to be a groundbreaking game-changer.

    In a recent report published online on March 9 by Nature Medicine , scientists may have devised a way to detect Alzheimer’s disease through a simple blood test, potentially altering the life-threatening impact of the disease in the somewhat near future.

    The research was conducted on 525 healthy people age 70 and older near Rochester, New York. To determine whether or not these patients would develop Alzheimer’s, doctors drew blood samples and tested the presence of different fats (this being the simplest and cheapest test to complete). The results were astonishing.

    Five years after the initial blood sample was taken, 28 of the seniors developed symptoms of Alzheimer’s. When scientist compared the blood samples from these 28 people to their previous blood samples, one key difference was noted – The affected seniors displayed lower levels of 10 particular lipids commonly found in the bloodstream.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhqTLOnzHYw

    While the study shows much promise, it will not be mass-marketed until it can be tested and verified by many other labs to ensure causation.

    “The preliminary findings of this study underscore the dire need for increased funding for Alzheimer’s disease research. There are breakthroughs, like this, on the horizon, and we need to ensure that those working so hard to develop them have the financial resources they need to bring them to fruition,” stated Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., the executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

    With any new medical breakthrough comes impending ethical issues, however. Dr. Jason Karlawish, a professor of medicine, medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, believes the knowledge which can be derived from such a test will be hard for certain individuals to handle: “How will other people interact with you if they learn that you have this information? And how will you think about your own brain and your sort of sense of self?”

    On the other-hand, Mark Mapstone, co-author of the study, finds that such information could prove critical to future life-planning:

    “In my experience, the majority of people are very interested to know whether they will get Alzheimer’s. They believe that knowledge is power – particularly when it comes to your own health. We may not have any therapy yet but there are things we can do – we can get our financial and legal affairs in order, plan for future care, and inform family members.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons