Monthly Archives: May 2021

COVID-19 update: Faculty and staff vaccinations – University of Denver Newsroom

Posted: May 1, 2021 at 5:53 am

Dear DU community members,

From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made decisions with three key principles in mind: the health and well-being of our community, the educational experience of our students and equity. It is with these same principles in mind that we share with you now our broader approach to COVID-19 vaccination.

DU will require COVID-19 vaccination for faculty and staff members

Earlier this month, we promised to share our plans for requiring COVID-19 vaccination for faculty and staff members (as we have for students). After hosting a well-attended open forum for faculty and staff members and conferring with many groups across campus, including DUs Vaccine Working Group, as well as our health care partners at National Jewish Healthand taking into account the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other expertsthe University of Denver has made the decision to require all faculty and staff who access any campus facility to receive vaccination against COVID-19.

Scientific data has shown us that vaccination against COVID-19 is safe and effective. Furthermore, we believe, and have received feedback from employees and other DU community members, that it is equitable and responsible from a public health perspective to require full vaccination of faculty and staff, in addition to students. This decision will help us return to an in-person, vibrant working, teaching and learning experience.

To date, our community has embraced vaccination with nearly 80% of faculty and staff voluntarily reporting receiving at least one shot. Faculty and staff members must provide proof of full vaccination by uploading a completed vaccine card to the myhealth.du.edu portal. (Full vaccination is defined as two weeks after a one-dose vaccine or two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose vaccine.) This must be completed ahead of your return to campus for fall term or September 1, whichever comes first. You can read more about providing proof and other COVID-19 vaccine FAQshere.

Certain vaccination exemptions will be permitted.

We understand that not every individual is in a position to receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to medical or non-medical reasons. DUs Vaccine Working Group studied the topic of vaccination exemptions very closely and has recommended certain limited exemptions. These exemptions may change as circumstances change (such as much higher positivity rates on campus, in the surrounding community or state, or the Food & Drug Administration granting full approval for a COVID-19 vaccine rather than the current emergency-use authorization).

For medical exemptions, you must submit to the Health & Counseling Center (HCC) a letter from a licensed health care or mental health care provider experienced in treating the relevant condition. For non-medical exemptions, you must submit to the HCC a form specifying the reason for the exemption request, such as sincerely held religious or personal beliefs. More information about exemptions can be foundhere.

Individuals who are not fully vaccinated will be required to follow additional mitigation protocols.

Individuals with approved exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement and individuals who are not yet fully vaccinated must follow additional COVID-19 mitigation protocols similar to DUs current protocols, including quarantining before arriving on campus, after travel or following exposure to COVID-19; more frequent testing; and social distancing, among others. These requirements will be continually evaluated based on current conditions on campus, in the surrounding community and in the state, and for consistency with applicable public health guidance. The University will strive to preserve individual privacy regarding vaccination status in developing and implementing these protocols.

We hope our campusand the worldlooks more similar to what we enjoyed before the start of the pandemic. To date, DU has been able to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 almost entirely because we have focused on both individual health and safety and our collective responsibility to one another. Our best hope for a return to a more vibrant campus experience will be made possible by vaccination. We appreciate the DU communitys continued commitment to keeping one another safe.

You may find answers to your questionsonline; we will update our FAQs regularly.

If you have additional questions please contact Sarah Watamura, DUs COVID-19 coordinator,atcovidcoordinator@du.edu.

Sincerely,

Jeremy HaefnerChancellor

Visit link:

COVID-19 update: Faculty and staff vaccinations - University of Denver Newsroom

Posted in Mind Uploading | Comments Off on COVID-19 update: Faculty and staff vaccinations – University of Denver Newsroom

Sonny Fodera & Just Kiddin’ team up with Lilly Ahlberg on ‘Closer’ – We Rave You

Posted: at 5:53 am

Sonny Fodera, Just Kiddin and Lilly Ahlberg have joined forces on new collaborative single Closer.Combining euphoric piano chords, emotion-drenched breakdowns and Lillys seductive vocals, Closer is a sunkissed banger that has been crafted with summer in mind. Closer follows Sonnys smash collaboration with Diplo Turn Back Time, which has racked up over 50-million streams in just 6-months. Sonny just announced a handful of co-hosted festival shows with Gorgon City branded Back To Love, which will take place in London (Finsbury Park) & Bristol (Greville Smyth Park), selling 18,000 tickets across the 3 x dates. This precedes Sonnys solo headline tour later this year, which includes Printworks London, which sold out in just 24 hours.

One of the most respected names in dance music, Sonny Fodera has amassed hundreds of millions of streams across his diverse back catalogue and collaborating with scene legends such as MK & Cajmere. His renowned DJ sets have led to sold-out tours in the UK and North America, including headline shows at The Shrine in LA and Avant Gardener in NYC, as well as a summer residency at Ibiza Rocks. Half Swedish, half English singer-songwriter Lilly Ahlberg first gained attention when she began uploading covers to YouTube aged just 14. Her sound has shifted more towards dance music in recent years and she generated a buzz earlier this year with acclaimed single Young Forever, produced by Fodera.UK electronic duo Just Kiddin are best known for their smash Indiana, a single that has since racked up 25 million Spotify streams. They have also remixed the likes of Usher, Parachute Youth and Theophilus London, released on FFRR, SubSoul and Eton Messy and received BBC Radio 1 support from Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw, B.Traits and Rob Da Bank. Marking Sonnys debut on the legendary Positiva imprint, Closer possesses all the necessary attributes to become the soundtrack to summer 2021.

Image Credit: Sonny Fodera Official Press Photo

Read more:

Sonny Fodera & Just Kiddin' team up with Lilly Ahlberg on 'Closer' - We Rave You

Posted in Mind Uploading | Comments Off on Sonny Fodera & Just Kiddin’ team up with Lilly Ahlberg on ‘Closer’ – We Rave You

The Kid LAROI Talks Without You Remix Featuring Miley Cyrus and Putting Raw Emotion Into His Music – Variety

Posted: at 5:53 am

At the end of 2019, Australian-born artist The Kid LAROI was just another teenager trying to make it in Americas rap game. But a little over a year later, the 17-year-old LAROI is among todays top hitmakers, with collaborations alongside megastars like Juice WRLD, Justin Bieber and as of today, Miley Cyrus.

Cyrus has hopped on a remix of LAROIs breakthrough song, Without You, an emotive ballad hinging on the age-old adage: You cant make a wife out of a ho. The two are set to perform the track on Saturday Night Live on May 8, marking LAROIs first time on the Studio 8H stage. Though it may seem like a surprising collaboration at first, LAROI and Cyrus voices each with their own signature croon blend together seamlessly, and Cyrus contribution brings a new maturity to the track. Feels like sleeping with a ghost / I called you up to let you know / I really wish that we couldve got this right, Cyrus belts over the songs laid-back acoustic guitar.

In fact, it was guitarist and Without You co-writer and producer Omer Fedi who brought the two together for the collaboration, LAROI tells Variety.

We met through Omer because wed been working together, and we talked about maybe doing a remix of Without You,' LAROI says. Omer came to me and was like, Hey, would you want Miley to do the remix? And I was like, Yeah, that would be dope. So we just linked up, met in the studio, she cut the record and then we went and hung out and had a little party. Shes cool as fuck. I remember when my cousins used to force me to watch Hannah Montana, so collaborating with her was pretty cool.

But by this point, hanging out with musics biggest stars is just another day for LAROI, whose raspy, punk-tinged vocals make it easy for him to blend in but also stand out on a variety of tracks. As a result, hes scored an impressive number of collaborations this year, including with Marshmello, Machine Gun Kelly, and a song on Biebers newest album, Justice.

For LAROI, featuring on Unstable was a dream come true. True to many of LAROIs songs and as of late, a lot of Biebers Unstable deals with the topic of mental health, specifically struggling with anxiety within a relationship. In a softer tone than normal, LAROI laments: White knuckles tryna hold my sanity/ Not every wound is the kind that bleeds/ Never know when my minds gonna turn on me/ But youre the one I call for security.

LAROI calls himself a longtime Bieber fan, even crediting Biebers 2011 doc Never Say Never as one of his inspirations for starting a music career.

I remember when I was seven years old and my older cousin took me to go watch the Never Say Never documentary with her when it came out in the movie theater, LAROI says. I didnt really know a lot about Justin Bieber, I was like seven years old, but I remember after watching that movie I was like, Yo, this is the coolest kid in the fucking world.'

Has Bieber lived up to LAROIs expectations? Absolutely, he says. Their collaboration started as many relationships do nowadays Bieber slid into LAROIs DMs.

He DMed me and he said, You got the sauce. I responded like, Thank you, Im a big fan. He just liked my message and that was it for a month or two, LAROI says.Then he just hit me up like, Hey I think I have a song for us to do. He sent me his number and I texted him while I was in the shower. I remember being like, Oh fuck, I hope he doesnt Facetime me or anything while Im in the shower. He did.

The two became fast friends, and have a tradition of playing basketball together every Sunday. Its crazy, thats my boy now, LAROI says with a chuckle.

In more ways than one, LAROIs rapid rise to success at such a young age mirrors that of Bieber. Born Charlton Howard in Sydney, Australia, LAROI started out writing his own raps in notebooks and uploading freestyle videos on social media. After becoming a finalist on Triple Js Unearthed competition in 2018 at age 15, LAROI caught the eye of Lil Bibby, a Chicago-based rapper who started his own label, Grade A Productions, and famously signed the late Juice WRLD in 2017. After hearing LAROIs track Blessings from his first EP 14 With a Dream, Bibby locked in LAROI to open for Juice WRLD during his Australian tours in 2018 and 2019. During those tours, LAROI and Juice WRLD forged a strong bond, with LAROI referring to him as a mentor.

First and foremost, he was just a really good dude, LAROI says of Juice WRLD. In the short time that we knew each other, he gave me a lot of the game on the industry and how some stuff works that I still keep in mind today.

Juice WRLD tragically died in December 2019 after an accidental overdose at only 21. LAROI paid tribute to him on his July 2020 debut mixtape, F*CK LOVE, by posthumously releasing their collaboration, Go. The track reached No. 22 on Billboards R&B and hip-hop chart, and an emotional music video featuring behind-the-scenes footage of LAROI and Juice WRLD has over 47 million views. Though the song focuses on romantic love, its lyrics take on a new meaning in the wake of Juices passing: Dont leave me lone, lone, lone/ I guess Im accident prone, prone prone.

Being such a young player in an industry ripe with addiction, LAROI does what he can to keep himself grounded. The biggest help, he says, has been having his mother and younger brother living with him in L.A., and the advice of those who have been there, done that.

You know whats funny, every big celebrity I meet, they always tell me: Hey man, dont do cocaine. Every single one of them, LAROI says in a tone that toes the line between joking and serious. Im like, Okay, Im going to take your word for it.'

With much of his music dealing with topics like love and mental health, LAROI says he finds the most songwriting inspiration in just regular life shit.

My biggest thing is like, you have to go through regular shit for regular people to relate, you know what Im saying? LAROI says. A lot of my biggest songs are just some real shit that I feel like a lot of people relate to.

Growing up in Australia, LAROI says he didnt have a ton of access to education concerning mental health, making him feel isolated in his emotions. He puts his mental health journey into his lyrics to help others who may be in the same situation. As LAROI sings on I Wish, one of the more vulnerable tracks on his debut mixtape: Every night I saw it, skeletons in my closet/ Still got all these problems, I thought money would solve em/ Blood all on the walls and, teardrops down, they falling.

I was kind of taught that depression and anxiety isnt real and it doesnt exist. I have felt this way for such a long time and I never knew what it was, so I didnt think that that shit really existed, LAROI says. I feel like some of my favorite artists back then were the people that were talking about that stuff because I could relate to it. So I want to be able to help people out the same way that some of my favorite artists helped me out.

Those favorite artists were Kanye West and Drake, LAROI says. But, though he has been raised in rap, dont expect LAROI to stick to one genre for the rest of his career. To him, they dont exist.

My music, if it had a genre, it would be called raw emotion because thats all it is, LAROI says. I dont go in and have specific sonics that I need to do, just whatever I think is dope or whatever helps bring how Im feeling at that time out. So genre to me, I dont think about that shit. That doesnt really mean shit to me.

View original post here:

The Kid LAROI Talks Without You Remix Featuring Miley Cyrus and Putting Raw Emotion Into His Music - Variety

Posted in Mind Uploading | Comments Off on The Kid LAROI Talks Without You Remix Featuring Miley Cyrus and Putting Raw Emotion Into His Music – Variety

Were These Migrant Teens Framed for Arson That Left 13,000 Homeless? – The Daily Beast

Posted: at 5:52 am

LESBOS, GreeceA few days after the sprawling Moria refugee camp was destroyed in a September inferno last year, the Greek minister of civil protection announced that the arsonists of Moria are being held. At the same time, Faiz, an Afghan asylum-seeker who spoke to The Daily Beast using an alias, suddenly stopped hearing from his 17-year-old nephew.

He soon found out his nephew, who The Daily Beast is calling Adam, was one of six young Afghans, including two minors, who had been charged with setting Moria ablaze and leaving up to 13,000 migrants homeless and without possessions in the midst of a global pandemic. Known as the the worst refugee camp on Earth, the crowded Moria facility was completely demolished within two days after a series of fireswhich began on Sept. 8broke out in separate areas of the camp.

Facing immense public pressure, a marathon to arrest those responsible ensued, as one Greek tabloid put it. The Hellenic police set up a special investigations team. The Greek minister for citizen protection flew in to supervise. Even the secret service was involved. A week later, six young migrants, including Adam, were arrested.

At a juvenile court in Lesbos last month, Faiz tried to explain to a judge that his nephew was alone in the unaccompanied minors section of the camp when the fire started and had immediately run over to his uncles tent. But it was his word against the written testimony of an elusive witness who had allegedly given the police a list of names, including the name of Faizs nephew, claiming he saw them start the fire.

That witness never actually appeared in court. According to the Greek portal Press Project, he received asylum status immediately after speaking to the police in September. Adams lawyer, Vicky Aggelidou, was never given the opportunity to question the witness, and his current whereabouts are unknown to officials.

The Legal Centre Lesbos (LCL), an NGO that provides legal support to migrants and is representing the Moria 6, described the trial as a scandal that mocks the principles of a democratic state. Greek police have previously coerced community leaders to turn over people for prosecution in the past, by threatening them with criminal charges and offering benefits like getting transferred from the island, according to LCL.

The mans written declaration, which the court described as particularly credible, was the main evidence prosecutors had relied on to make their case against Adam. At the end of a six-hour closed-door trial, Adam and another young man, who we are calling Mehdi, were sentenced to five years in prison each for arson. Both were 17 years old at the time. Four other Afghans, all young adults, still await trial.

Unlike Adam and the other suspects, Mehdi ended up in court after two police officers claimed to have identified him in a shaky minute-long video lifted off of Facebook in September, which showed the back of a male individual holding pieces of cardboard to a fire. His full face is not visible at any point in the clip.

According to LCL, more than 10 people from the Hazara community showed up in front of the courthouse in Mytilini last month prepared to testify to Adam and Mehdi alibis on the night of the first fire. But the court limited the testimony to one witness per defendant.

This was in the context of a very hostile environment, where most people are afraid to go to the authorities, LCL lawyer Lorraine Leete told The Daily Beast. The trial, she adds, is proof of the lack of any fair procedure that migrants face when they arrive in Lesbos, whether its criminal procedures or asylum procedures.

Leete added that, in her opinion, the evidence used against the migrants appeared consistent with a practice of arbitrarily arresting and prosecuting migrants, especially when police believe they are responsible for organizing protests. On the day of the fire, there had been protests in the camp against lockdown measures, which the Greek government claimed the alleged arsonists had been involved in.

In 2018, an Iraqi community leader was reportedly coerced by police to name eight Syrian and Iraqi refugees after a peaceful protest against the conditions in the camp. After testifying, he was granted asylum, and later admitted in a video that he had been under threat and had given their names falsely, according to migrant advocacy groups.

He just looked wasted.

Faiz, Adams uncle.

Two police officers testified last month that they had identified Mehdi from a Sept. 10 Facebook video captioned: This is a depiction that confirms that Afghan immigrants were the ones who torched the camp, that they spoke the Afghan language.

The clip appears to show a male in an open field that is flaming with little fires. With his back turned to the camera, he speaks Farsi and spreads a few flames with a piece of cardboard. In the days that followed, the video was viewed 35,000 times. The Greek broadcaster Skai reported that, one of the minors, as it appears from the materials of the authorities, seems to have, as the police put it, burnt half of Moria.

In court, the two officers pointed to a photo of Mehdi wearing a similar outfit to the one worn by the person in the video: a pink shirt, sweatpants and slide sandals. Mass distribution of identical garments were common in the Moria camp, especially for minors, but The Daily Beast was not able to confirm whether the shirt or pants in the video had been ordered and distributed en masse before the fire.

According to LCL, one of the officers had described Mehdi as tiny and short, as the man in the video appears to be. But when Mehdi stands up, he appears visibly taller than the officer. According to Press Project, one officer also claimed to have identified Mehdi by his haircut, with Mehdis lawyer rebutting him by arguing that 90 percent of young Afghan refugees don the same hairstyle.

The video first appeared on Arabic Facebook page M.R.C ( rescue and follow up call), which is dedicated to sharing information for refugees travelling from Turkey to Europe. It includes posts about scam operations, documented incidents with the Greek and Turkish coast guards, and migrants who have gone missing.

The page, which has around 100,000 followers, is run by a group of 10 volunteers, mostly based in Greece and Turkey. One of them goes by the nickname Alaa Al Iraqi. His mantra: Dont follow the news, follow Alaa Al Iraqi.

"I thought I had to show who should feel bad [about the fire]. Its not everyone in the camponly certain communities, Alaa told The Daily Beast. Asylum seekers in Lesbos come from countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, as well as African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. The footage, Alaa says, was sent to him by a friend who'd lived in the Moria camp.

I dont care. Anything true, I put it on my page, says Alaa.

Underneath the video, hed written, Everyone should share the video and post it in all groups to lift the injustice against immigrants who are not at fault. His post was then shared by various Greek and German accounts, who left comments like Send them back and No more aid.

Some Greek people, they shared this video, they said. Look at these animals, setting fire to their own houses, says Alaa. I commented under their posts to say, you cannot take this video and talk like this. Nobody answered me.

Alaa says that, after uploading the video, no police officer or other public official ever contacted him or M.R.C to ask any questions about it.

They can forget it.

Greek government spokesman.

In October, after several high-ranking Greek politicians made statements about the Moria arsonists, the BBC released a documentary titled Who started the fire at Europes largest refugee camp?, which relied on footage taken by refugee journalists from ReFOCUS Media Labs, who had filmed the fire as it spread on Sept. 8 and 9.

Immediately after the BBC film aired, the ReFOCUS Media students got called in to Mytilini police station as potential witnesses. There, the officers demanded to know whether they had any footage of people, including local Greeks, starting fires. The student journalists told them that they didnt have or know anyone who had video evidence of suspected arsonists. But the police were relentless, playing and pausing the documentary to interrogate them on different frames.

It was actually quite shocking when they came at us in October. The way they treated everyone just felt like harassment, says Douglas Herman, who helps run the media lab. They kind of presented to the public that they had already closed their investigation very quickly, that within days of the fire, they already had it all solved.

Shortly after the refugee camp had burned down, the Greek daily Ekathimerini reported that the key testimony for the arrest of the Moria 6 was supplied by a 42-year-old representative of the Afghan community of the Moria camp, who told police that a group of at least 15 young Afghans had set the fire and named five of his compatriots to be arrested.

In the Moria camp, the different nationality groups elect leaders to represent them at weekly meetings with the camp management and the police. At the time of Septembers fire, there were around 9,000 people from Afghanistan living in the Moria camp.

My nephew doesnt know who the leader is, and the leader doesnt know who my nephew is, said Faiz, speaking from his rain-drenched fabric tent. The UNHCR had attempted to deliver new housing containers to migrants as a replacement to the homes lost in the fire, but the delivery was reportedly road-blocked by angry locals protesting the establishment of a new camp.

From the evidence weve seen [the community leader] is the only witness who came forward to name people after the fire, says Leete.He gave five very common Hazara first names, not last names, then he was shown specific photographs by the police and he identified [the five defendants] from the few photos he was given.

The photos shown were from the suspects registration papers: thumbnail-sized, blurry black and white portraits with hazy grey backgrounds. Adding to this, the community leader is from the Pashtun tribe and only provided names of individuals who are ethnically Hazara, which is a persecuted minority in Afghanistan.

A few days before Adams trial, Faiz had tried to visit his nephew in jail. The police didn't let me talk to him. They told me even his parents cannot see him, he told The Daily Beast. When Faiz saw his nephew in the courtroom, he was crushed. He just looked wasted, he said.

Among the migrant community in Greece, rumors are still swirling about the circumstances, potential victims, and alleged culprits behind the fire that uprooted the thousands of migrants who had been living in the camp. Several migrants told the BBC that far-right Greeks were responsible for starting the fire after news broke of the first reported COVID cases in the camp.

I heard 10 different stories about what happened that night, says Harbi, who came from Syria and organizes apartments for refugee families in the city. The day after the fire, Harbi brought food to a friend in the camp. She told him that she had heard of five people who had died in the fire, including a girl and her mother, a baby from Congo and somebody from Somalia.

The UNHCR said that no casualties were officially reported. But officials had never kept an exact count of how many migrants were living in the camp in the first place, and the fire brigade reportedly forwent an extensive forensic investigation of the charred grounds.

After the fire, the Greek government justified its refusal to evacuate tens of thousands of now-homeless asylum seekers from the island with the argument that, Some [people] do not respect the country that is hosting them they thought that if they set fire to Moria they would leave the island indiscriminately. Whatever those who set the fires had in mind, they can forget it.

The prosecutors office in Lesbos declined to comment for this article, writing that, according to our cnstitution, the prosecutor never gives out information or interviews about any case which comes before him/her.

Adams uncle says he is still reeling from the ordeal. I thought it was going to be a fair court, but it wasnt. I thought my nephew was going to be freed, because he didnt do anything, said Faiz.

But he wasnt.

Visit link:

Were These Migrant Teens Framed for Arson That Left 13,000 Homeless? - The Daily Beast

Posted in Mind Uploading | Comments Off on Were These Migrant Teens Framed for Arson That Left 13,000 Homeless? – The Daily Beast

Stress and Psoriasis: Managing Your Mental Health – Healthline

Posted: at 5:51 am

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes red, scaly patches of dry skin. It can appear anywhere on your body, but it often affects the elbows, scalp, and knees.

Psoriasis occurs when an overactive immune system sends faulty signals, speeding up the growth of skin cells. This causes new skin cells to form before the old cells shed.

Different factors can trigger psoriasis flares, such as:

Heres what you need to know about the stress-psoriasis connection, as well as how you can manage stress and reduce flares.

Between family, work, and other personal responsibilities, it can feel as if youre being pulled in multiple directions. And while everyone deals with everyday stressors, too much stress (or chronic stress) can impact your health and make conditions like psoriasis worse.

The exact link between psoriasis and stress isnt known. But psoriasis flares and relapses are likely due to a physiological reaction to stressful situations.

When under stress, your body turns on the fight-or-flight response. This is a natural, automatic reaction to a perceived threat. This prompts your body to release a surge of hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol.

Adrenaline gives you an energy boost. Cortisol, on the other hand, temporarily curbs the functioning of systems in your body that decrease the effectiveness of the fight-or-flight response. These might include digestion and your immune system.

Although cortisol is important to health, chronic stress can lead to too much cortisol in your body. This can throw your immune system out of balance, triggering a psoriasis flare.

Problems with your immune system can also cause an inflammatory response. Inflammation is how your body reacts to a threat. But these threats dont only include bacteria or viruses.

Your body can also perceive chronic stress as a threat, in which case your immune system triggers an inflammatory response as a defense mechanism.

Keep in mind, too, that stress isnt always caused by external factors such as work, family, or finances. A psoriasis diagnosis can also cause emotional stress, which can make your condition worse.

Plus, psoriasis is unpredictable. So while some people have mild symptoms, others have severe symptoms that may make them self-conscious.

Even though psoriasis isnt contagious, self-consciousness may cause you to limit your association with others. You may also feel anxious or stressed if treatment doesnt immediately work or if psoriasis returns after a period of remission.

Learning how to manage your stress levels can help you feel better. If youre less stressed and anxious, the appearance of your skin may improve.

Here are several techniques to help you manage chronic stress:

Regular physical activity can improve your mental outlook. Exercise releases feel-good hormones like endorphins and dopamine.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. You can start slow, with low impact exercises like:

A lack of sleep can worsen anxiety. Most adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night.

To promote restful sleep:

Breathing techniques can help clear your mind and promote relaxation.

With your eyes closed, breathe in through your nose, hold for a couple of seconds, and then exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times to reduce your heart rate, stress level, and blood pressure.

Massage therapy can help relieve tension, stress, and chronic pain which can help you feel more relaxed.

All work and no play also contributes to stress. Find enjoyable activities to take your mind off work or your health. Spend a few minutes each day engaged in a relaxing hobby.

It also helps to keep a stress journal and identify your stress triggers. Record what you do each day and how you feel. Once you identify possible stress triggers, take steps to reduce these from your life.

Keeping your feelings inside can also increase your stress level. Whether youre stressed about psoriasis or other problems, talk about how you feel. Confide in a relative, a trusted friend, or your doctor.

Psoriasis is a lifelong condition with no cure. Even after achieving remission, relapses can happen.

Although different factors can trigger a flare, theres a strong connection between stress and psoriasis.

Learning how to manage stress levels along with traditional treatments can help improve your condition, resulting in clearer skin.

See more here:
Stress and Psoriasis: Managing Your Mental Health - Healthline

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on Stress and Psoriasis: Managing Your Mental Health – Healthline

Psoriasis: paying attention to what you eat could help with symptoms – Chicago Sun-Times

Posted: at 5:50 am

Dear Doctors: Im 27 and have itchy skin my doctor says is psoriasis. It comes and goes, sometimes bad, other times not that noticeable. Can diet help?

Answer: Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition associated with a malfunction of the immune system.

Its marked by overproduction of skin cells, which results in raised areas of dry, reddened and flaking skin. These areas of inflammation, sometimes topped by silvery scales, typically appear on the elbows, knees and scalp but can occur anywhere.

Symptoms also can include burning, soreness and itching, nails thicker than normal or with pits or ridges and joint stiffness or swelling.

Susceptibility is inherited. The condition is much more common in adults than in children.

The reasons the immune system goes a bit haywire this way arent fully understood. But flareups are associated with triggers such as stress, cold weather, the use of tobacco products and skin injuries.

You are correct that some studies have found diet might play a role. Research suggests that avoiding inflammatory foods might help ease symptoms and lessen the frequency of flareups.

Chief among the culprits: sugar, long linked to inflammation. In a mouse study last year in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, researchers triggered inflammatory changes in the skin in just a few weeks on a high-sugar diet.

Other foods linked to inflammation include alcohol, red meat, saturated fats and highly refined carbohydrates found in snack foods and ultra-processed foods.

Some studies have found the Mediterranean diet, with its focus on seafood and olive oil as well as a wide range of fresh vegetables, fruit and leafy greens, might improve symptoms. This eating plan is rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, known as omega-3s, which appear to influence eicosanoids that have a role in causing inflammation.

Researchers suspect eating more omega-3 fatty acids might suppress inflammatory processes.

But diet alone hasnt been found to control or cure psoriasis.

Some people find a vegetarian diet can lessen the severity. Pay attention to whether what you eat appears to correspond to changes in your level of inflammation. You might uncover dietary triggers that can help you.

Dr. Eve Glazier is an internist and associate professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Dr. Elizabeth Ko is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health.

The rest is here:
Psoriasis: paying attention to what you eat could help with symptoms - Chicago Sun-Times

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on Psoriasis: paying attention to what you eat could help with symptoms – Chicago Sun-Times

The incidence of psoriasis in Chile: an analysis of the national Waiting List Repository – DocWire News

Posted: at 5:50 am

This article was originally published here

Clin Exp Dermatol. 2021 Apr 29. doi: 10.1111/ced.14713. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a serious, chronic non-communicable disease. However, the fundamental measure of disease occurrence, incidence, has been scarcely reported globally. There are no previous studies of psoriasis incidence in Latin America.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate incidence rates of psoriasis in Chile during 2016 and 2017 using an administrative database, the Waiting List Repository.

METHODS: We examined referrals of psoriasis at onset, made by physicians to dermatologists, evaluated the agreement of diagnosis, and estimated the incidence of the disease considering the eligible population at risk.

RESULTS: The referrals corresponded to incident cases of psoriasis 73.3% (95% CI: 66.6% 79.2%) of the time. National incidence rates of psoriasis were 22.1 (95% CI:21.1-23.1) and 22.7 (95% CI:21.8-23.6) per 100,000 person-years in 2016 and 2017. The most common type of psoriasis was the late-onset type. We observed a high variation in the figures throughout the country, with a range from 0.75 (95% CI: 0.3-1.5) to 164.9 (95% CI: 138.6-195.1) per 100,000 person-years at the Metropolitan and Aysen region, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: We describe, for the first-time, the incidence of psoriasis in a Latin American country. Our findings could potential guide collaborations to improve our global understanding of psoriasis in Latin America.

PMID:33914930 | DOI:10.1111/ced.14713

Go here to read the rest:
The incidence of psoriasis in Chile: an analysis of the national Waiting List Repository - DocWire News

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on The incidence of psoriasis in Chile: an analysis of the national Waiting List Repository – DocWire News

Psoriasis on Lips: Symptoms, Treatment, Other Rashes – Greatist

Posted: at 5:50 am

Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Is it the doctor I should call?

If your lips are looking flaky, it might just be a case of chapped lips. Its pretty rare for psoriasis to break out on your lips. But if you have the signs of a psoriasis rash (scaly plaque or a burning sensation) its a good idea to get it checked out by a doctor or dermatologist.

Heres what you need to know about psoriasis on your lips.

Not just lip service: Psoriasis on lips

Psoriasis is a chronic medical condition that causes red, sometimes itchy or burning patches covered by silver, scaly plaques. During a flare-up you might even find these spots on your lips.

Theres no cure for psoriasis, but your doctor can prescribe effective treatments (like steroids) that can ease your symptoms.

You can also help prevent future by trying to avoid any of your personal triggers. (These might include stress, sudden weather changes, or spicy foods.)

FYI: If youre dealing with a psoriasis rash, exfoliators or makeup could irritate it. Please, step away from the lipstick and let yourself heal.

Although its rare, its possible to get a psoriasis rash on your lips.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects 7.5 million people in the U.S. alone. Theres no proven cause, but your immune system and your genetics both seem to have something to do with psoriasis. It often shows up as red, scaly plaques on your skin.

Usually, those plaques show up on your knees, elbows, or chest. But no part of your body is truly immune. That includes the area around your eyes, your cheeks, your genitals, and yep, even your lips.

The rashes are usually thick and whitish-silver, but can come with thick red patches as well. On darker skin, it can appear more purple in color. Sometimes, those patches can crack and bleed.

Psoriasis can be uncomfortable anywhere on your body. When its on your lips, it may affect the way you talk or eat.

How does psoriasis work?

If you have psoriasis, your immune system attacks your own healthy skin cells. Your body hurries to make more skin cells in response, but that leads to overproduction.

When you have so many new skin cells that they dont have time to fall off, these extra cells build up on each other. This causes those flaky scales that can show up across your body and on your lips.

Whats the deal with the redness underneath? The friendly-fire from your white blood cells (the misplaced immune response) can cause inflammation.

First, the bad news: Theres no cure for psoriasis.

Now, the good news: There are effective and safe treatments for managing your symptoms.

There are a few different treatments your doctor might explore with you, according to Dr. Orit Markowitz, Board-Certified Dermatologist.

For example, they may explore topical anti-inflammatory creams, such as corticosteroids. Corticosteroids control the inflammatory responses in the body, she explains. Steroids come in different strengths from strong and super-potent to weak and less potent. Your doctor will decide what kind you need.

If you have psoriasis, you might also be prescribed systemic immunossupressants. These lower the immune response that is telling your system to attack the skin, Markowitz says, and they work on the entire body.

Other treatments could include:

There are also some home remedies that can help you manage the appearance of your symptoms.

Psoriasis PSA

At-home remedies should never replace medical treatments prescribed by your doctor. You should also check in with your doc before starting a new DIY remedy for psoriasis to make sure it wont interfere with your treatment plan.

The best remedies for chronically psoriatic lips are over-the-counter (OTC) hydrocortisone ointment and [hydrating] ointments, Markowitz says.

In addition, youll want to avoid using any scrubs (like a sugar scrub) on your face because these could aggravate your skin. And unhappy skin would make your symptoms worse.

Psoriatic patients are tempted to use scrubs and exfoliants, says Markowitz, but this will further damage their already damaged skin and irritate their psoriasis, possibly causing a flare-up.

You should also avoid most things that cover up your psoriatic lips. Makeup or lipstick arent great ideas at least not every day while youre experiencing a flare-up.

Lips are sensitive, just like most of the skin in and around the face, so its important to treat it carefully, Markowitz says.

Markowitz also recommends using moisturizing products that have SPF. Its important to keep the affected lip area protected from the sun, she says. Look for OTC products with the National Psoriasis Foundations Seal of Recognition program.

If you do use makeup, do so sparingly, so as to not further irritate or infect the lips, Markowitz says. I always recommend keeping the lips moist, especially under makeup.

If you must use a coverup, she continues, try to avoid cosmetics that contain fragrance and drying ingredients. Makeup that is not easily absorbed into the skin, such as water or sweat resistant ones, will most likely work better here.

A psoriasis flare-up can usually be traced to a specific trigger. If you can figure out whats setting off your rashes, it might be possible to avoid it.

Here are some of the most common triggers for psoriasis:

If youre not sure whats triggering your psoriasis, you can try keeping a log of your symptoms to see if you can make any connections.

In general, if this is the first time youre noticing red, flaky lips, give your doc a call. Theyll be able to diagnose whether its a psoriasis rash. Its also important to reach out if your symptoms are getting worse.

If you start to notice symptoms such as pain, swelling, tenderness, stiff muscles and joints, or a noticeable change in the appearance of your nails, says Markowitz, call your doctor.

Never try a new treatment including OTC ones without checking with your doctor either.

The short answer: Yes.

Psoriasis on lips is pretty rare. Here are some more common things that can cause a rash on your lips:

Here are a few examples of what psoriasis and other causes may look like on lips.

Remember, its always best to see a doctor for a diagnosis. That way youll know what kinds of treatments will work best for you.

Psoriasis on your lips is possible but its rare. If you do have psoriasis on your lips, theyll likely be red, inflamed, cracked, or covered in whitish scales.

Just remember that theres other conditions that could be causing your cracked lips. Your doctor is the one who can truly diagnose psoriasis. Theyll also be able to recommend the most effective, safe treatments for you.

Link:
Psoriasis on Lips: Symptoms, Treatment, Other Rashes - Greatist

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on Psoriasis on Lips: Symptoms, Treatment, Other Rashes – Greatist

Complete Skin Clearance and Improved Joint Symptoms With Guselkumab in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis – Dermatology…

Posted: at 5:50 am

The following article is part of our coverage of the American Academy of Dermatologys annual meeting (AAD 2021) that is being held virtually from April 23-25, 2021. Dermatology Advisors staff will report on the top research in dermatologic advances and clinical care. Check back for the latest news from AAD 2021.

Treatment with guselkumab was found to be associated with durable, complete skin clearance through 5 years in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) and improved disease activity and axial symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) through 1 year, according to a recent press release and study results presented at the American Academy of Dermatologys Virtual Meeting Experience (AAD VMX) 2021, held online from April 23 to April 25, 2021.

Continue Reading

In the VOYAGE 2 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02207244), approximately 55.5% of patients who received guselkumab had complete skin clearance, as determined by an Investigators Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0, by week 252. In addition, 53% of patients had a Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 100 skin clearance response (PASI 100) by the 252-week follow-up. Up to 82% of patients achieved a PASI 90 skin clearance response, and 85% of patients had an IGA score of 0/1, indicating complete skin clearance. Efficacy rates were maintained through the 5-year treatment period.

In the DISCOVER-1 and -2 trials (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT03162796 and NCT03158285, respectively), patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) received either placebo or 100 mg guselkumab every 4 weeks and every 8 weeks. Treatment with guselkumab improved disease activity in the joints as well as across several different domains through 52 weeks. Differences in response rates between the active treatment and placebo groups were observed at 8 weeks of treatment.

In addition, in the phase 3 VOYAGE 2 trial, the researchers showed that a significantly greater percentage of patients who received guselkumab vs placebo for 16 weeks had an IGA 0/1 response (84% vs 9%, respectively; P <.001).

Safety data from the VOYAGE 1 and 2 trials show that 78.3% of patients who received guselkumab continued treatment through week 252. Guselkumab featured a safety profile from year 1 through year 5 that was consistent with its safety profile shown in other studies. Low rates of adverse events due to treatment discontinuation were reported.

The signs and symptom improvement seen with [guselkumab] is noteworthy for both patients who live with fear of disease recurrence and their physicians, as these data add to a growing body of evidence for this first-in-class [interleukin] (IL)-23 inhibitor treatment for moderate to severe plaque [PsO] and active [PsA], noted the lead author of the VOYAGE 2 study.

Disclosure: The clinical trials included in this analysis were supported by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Please see the original reference for a full list of study authors disclosures.

New phase 3 data showed first-in-class TREMFYA (guselkumab) provided durable complete skin clearance through 5 years in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (PsO) and robust joint symptom improvement through 52 weeks in active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Press release. Published April 23, 2021. Accessed April 26, 2021. https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/new-phase-3-data-show-first-in-class-tremfya-guselkumab-achieved-complete-skin-clearance-and-favorable-joint-efficacy-in-adult-patients-with-active-psoriatic-arthritis-psa-through-two-years/

Read the original post:
Complete Skin Clearance and Improved Joint Symptoms With Guselkumab in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis - Dermatology...

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on Complete Skin Clearance and Improved Joint Symptoms With Guselkumab in Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis – Dermatology…

Taltz delivers more cumulative days with completely clear skin for adults with psoriasis compared to seven other biologics in novel network…

Posted: at 5:50 am

Results from first network meta-analysis based on area under the curve of 52-week clinical trial data. Taltz also helped patients stay on treatment longer and have more days without additional therapy in three real-world analyses of U.S. claims data

TORONTO, April 30, 2021 /CNW/ - Through clinical trial meta-analysis and real-world evidence, Eli Lilly and Company's Taltz (ixekizumab) demonstrated greater success in key measured treatment outcomes compared to other biologics in adults with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis. In the first one-year network meta-analysis based on area under the curve, Taltz showed numerically greater cumulative benefits on completely clear skin over one year compared to seven other biologics, as measured by Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 100. In three real-world analyses of U.S. claims data ranging from one to three years, patients treated with Taltz stayed on treatment longer, were more adherent to the prescription and had more days on monotherapy compared to the other biologics studied. These results were presented virtually at the American Academy of Dermatology's Virtual Meeting Experience (AAD VMX), April 23-25, 2021.

"Results of the clinical trial meta-analysis showed Taltz offered more cumulative days of clear skin for patients with moderate- to severe psoriasis, compared to seven other biologics," says Dr. Doron Sagman, vice president, R&D and Medical Affairs, Eli Lilly Canada. "This further anchors Taltz as an important treatment option for patients who are looking for completely clear skin long-term."

Taltz provided patients with longest-lasting complete skin clearance over a one-year period1

In the network meta-analysis to assess the cumulative clinical benefits of biologics in psoriasis, using PASI 100 to measure the early and sustained effect of biologic medications approved for psoriasis over one year, Taltz offered patients with psoriasis the greatest number of cumulative days of completely clear skin compared to adalimumab, brodalumab, etanercept, guselkumab, risankizumab, secukinumab and ustekinumab. In this analysis, Taltz showed one to 18 more cumulative weeks of completely clear skin over one year compared to these seven other biologics.

Taltz provided patients with a total of 159 cumulative days (95% credible interval, 147.4-170.0 days), or 23 weeks of completely clear skin (PASI 100), which translates into a patient having completely clear skin for approximately 44% of the year compared to:

For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

Taltz helped patients stay on prescribed treatment, and to avoid additional psoriasis therapy significantly longer, compared to secukinumab, ustekinumab, adalimumab and etanercept2

People with psoriasis taking Taltz achieved greater success taking medication as prescribed (adherence) and staying on medication for the prescribed duration (persistence), without needing additional medications (monotherapy), compared to those taking secukinumab, ustekinumab, adalimumab and etanercept up to three years. Patients on Taltz stayed on treatment an observed median of nearly 22 weeks longer vs. all other biologics pooled (414 vs. 259 days, [59 vs. 37 weeks], p<0.001) and approximately 11 to 34 weeks longer vs. individual treatments: secukinumab (335 days [48 weeks]), adalimumab (301 days [43 weeks]), etanercept (181 days [26 weeks]) and ustekinumab (176 days [25 weeks]). Compared with the pooled set of other biologics where patients stayed on prescription for less than half of the year (45.7%), patients on Taltz took treatment as prescribed for over half of the year (53.2%), as measured by proportion of days covered (PDC) by prescribed treatment (p<0.001). Patients taking Taltz also experienced more time (52.7% of the year) on monotherapy compared to the pooled set of other biologics (44.8% of the year) (p<0.001). For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

Patients on Taltz took treatment as prescribed nearly eight weeks longer than guselkumab, despite more frequent dosing3

Compared to guselkumab, patients with psoriasis on Taltz adhered to treatment for nearly eight weeks more time (Taltz: median of 272 days or 39 weeks [PDC=0.75]; guselkumab: 219 days or 31 weeks [PDC=0.60], p=0.001) and had approximately six weeks more time on monotherapy (Taltz: median of 247 days or 35 weeks [PDC=0.68]; guselkumab: 202 days or 29 weeks [PDC=0.55], p=0.002) over one year. Among those patients who required additional psoriasis therapies, the need for systemic medication was similar for patients taking Taltz or guselkumab over the year. For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

Patients on Taltz with prior biologic use were more likely to continue treatment as prescribed compared to secukinumab4

Among participants who had previously used a biologic, patients with psoriasis treated with Taltz were more likely to be "highly adherent," which was measured by more than 80% of days where they took treatments as prescribed (Taltz: 42.0% vs. secukinumab: 35.0%, p=0.019). Taltz was associated with 25% lower risk of switching treatments, 20% lower risk of stopping treatment before the end of the prescribed duration (non-persistence), 19% lower risk of discontinuing treatment, and 36% higher odds of taking treatment as prescribed (adherence) than secukinumab. For methodology, see "About the studies" section below.

"When compared to seven other biologics over a period of one year, Taltz provided patients with the greatest number of days of complete skin clearance. This real-world evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of Taltz. Taltz-treated patients had more days without the need for additional therapy," says Dr. Kim Papp, MD, PhD, FRCPC.

More than 175,000 patients have been treated with Taltz worldwide since launch, giving healthcare providers confidence in making informed prescribing decisions for patients with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, as well as in other approved conditions including ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

About the studies

About Taltz Taltz is approved for the treatment of patients 6 years of age and older with moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy and for the treatment of adults with active psoriatic arthritis, active ankylosing spondylitis, or active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis with objective signs of inflammation.5

About Moderate- to Severe Plaque Psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic, immune disease that affects the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis affects approximately 125 million people worldwide, approximately 20 percent of whom have moderate- to severe plaque psoriasis. The most common form of psoriasis, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. Patients with plaque psoriasis often have other serious health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease and experience negative impact on their quality of life.

About Lilly in Dermatology By following the science through uncharted territory, we continue Lilly's legacy of delivering innovative medicines that address unmet needs and have significant impacts on people's lives around the world. Skin-related diseases are more than skin deep. We understand the devastating impact this can have on people's lives. At Lilly, we are relentlessly pursuing a robust dermatology pipeline to provide innovative, patient-centered solutions so patients with skin-related diseases can aspire to live life without limitations.

About Lilly CanadaEli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by Colonel Eli Lilly, who was committed to creating high quality medicines that meet people's needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to people who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and contribute to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Eli Lilly Canada was established in 1938, the result of a research collaboration with scientists at the University of Toronto which eventually produced the world's first commercially available insulin. Our work focuses on oncology, diabetes, autoimmunity, neurodegeneration, and pain. To learn more about Lilly Canada, please visit us at http://www.lilly.ca.

For our perspective on issues in healthcare and innovation, follow us on twitter @LillyPadCA and @LillyMedicalCA.

This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about Taltz (ixekizumab) as a treatment for patients with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis and reflects Lilly's current belief and expectations. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of research, development and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that future study results will be consistent with the results to date or that Taltz will receive additional regulatory approvals or be commercially successful. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

References

1Blauvelt et al. Cumulative Clinical Benefits of Biologic Treatments for Psoriasis Over 1 Year. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

2Blauvelt et al. Ixekizumab Demonstrates Greater Medication Adherence, Persistence, and Longer Monotherapy Duration Than Secukinumab, Adalimumab, Ustekinumab, and Etanercept up to 3 Years in the Treatment of Psoriasis: Real-world Results From IBM MarketScan Databases. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

3Blauvelt et al. Real-World Comparison of Monotherapy and Concomitant Medication Use with Biologic Therapies for Psoriasis: Ixekizumab vs. Guselkumab. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

4Blauvelt et al. Comparison of Long-Term Treatment Patterns between Ixekizumab and Secukinumab Users among Biologic-experienced Psoriasis Patients. American Academy of Dermatology (AAD VMX); Virtual; 23-25 April 2021.

5Taltz Product Monograph, March 29, 2021

To read Lilly's 2021 AAD disclosures, click here.

SOURCE Eli Lilly Canada Inc.

For further information: Media Contact: Samira Rehman, [emailprotected], 647-617-1994

http://www.lilly.ca

Here is the original post:
Taltz delivers more cumulative days with completely clear skin for adults with psoriasis compared to seven other biologics in novel network...

Posted in Psoriasis | Comments Off on Taltz delivers more cumulative days with completely clear skin for adults with psoriasis compared to seven other biologics in novel network…