Official fired after refusing to call Black postgraduate ‘Doctor’ on Zoom despite her correcting him twice

A city council in North Carolina fired a white official who refused to use the honorific “doctor” for a Black woman even after she corrected him several times during a zoning commission meeting last week.

On Tuesday night, the Greensboro City Council decided to let go one of its Zoning Commission members, Tony Collins, for being “disrespectful” toward the Black resident, Dr Carrie Rosario.

The meeting, which was televised live a day before, saw some heated exchanges between Mr Collins and Dr Rosario after he refused to use her honorific when addressing her.

Sharon Hightower, a city councilwoman, said: “It was a very disrespectful exchange between an important commissioner and a public citizen. That should never happen.”

Dr Rosario, 38, is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and holds a doctorate in public health.

Councilwoman Hightower, who led the charge by calling the vote for Mr Collins removal, told McClatchy News: “As a Black female, I am not going to see another Black female treated in this manner.” 

The Greensboro City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to remove Tony Collins from the Zoning Commission following a tense exchange during a commission meeting that involved Dr. Carrie Rosario, an associate professor at UNC-Greensboro.

The blatant disrespect 😤 pic.twitter.com/Y9ZakjhMsj

— Natasha ⚯͛ (@ndelriego) April 23, 2021

The incident took place toward the end of a four-hour-long Zoning Commission meeting. Dr Rosario had expressed concerns about a new development project near her home. At one point during the meeting, Mr Collins said that Dr Rosario’s response was veering off-topic and called her Mrs Rosario. She immediately corrected him and said: “It’s Dr Rosario. Thank you, sir.”

Mr Collins ignored her request and again refused to call her Dr Rosario. She again corrected him. At another point, he called her by her first name, Carrie. To that Dr Rosario relied: “It’s Dr Rosario. I wouldn’t call you Tony, so please, sir, call me as I would like to be called.”

The @HER_Lab_Elon stands in solidarity with Dr. Carrie Rosario @cmrosari and all Black women who have been disrespected, dismissed and undervalued. As co-founders who are Black women with doctoral degrees, trust and believe, we get it. https://t.co/dYa0rFaLS9 pic.twitter.com/c67D3C6EFV

— H.E.R._Lab (@HER_Lab_Elon) April 23, 2021

At this point, Mr Collins said: “It doesn’t really matter.” And to this, Dr Rosario said: “It matters to me. And out of respect, I would like you to call me by the name that I’m asking you to call me by.”

Dr Rosario has said that his refusal to address her as she wanted to during the meeting felt like a “personal attack of disrespect.” She told Madamenoire that she tried to give him the benefit of doubt at first, “but as the exchange unfolded it was clear that he was intent on disrespecting me. I was hurt, upset, angry — because this was a public forum — and the public should feel safe to be themselves, to present their concerns, and feel respected in the process.”

Councilwoman Sharon Hightower said that zoning board member Tony Collins was exercising “white privilege” for refusing to refer to Dr. Carrie Rosario as “doctor” after she requested he do so. https://t.co/HUisu0HhhW

— Winston-Salem Journal (@JournalNow) April 22, 2021

After being fired from the Zoning Commission, Mr Collins reached out to Dr Rosario and apologised, she said. Speaking more broadly about micro-aggressions faced by Black women all across the country, Dr Rosario said: “I would love to say that people don’t operate off of appearances, but that has not been my experience. Black women, regardless of level of education, are consistently dismissed and overlooked or judged in our society.”

I believe the comments of this biased article reflect exactly why I chose to use my title in the first place. Black women are not respected in our society. This article is evidence of it. A 🧵 https://t.co/lnU1DQEQ2c

— Carrie Rosario, DrPH (@cmrosari) April 22, 2021

Meanwhile, Greensboro News & Record reported that Councilwoman Hightower told other council members that Mr Collins was using his “white privilege” by continuously refusing Dr Rosario’s request. She said she was angry when she watched the exchange and that: “It is not going to be tolerated.”

Shining a light on what is so wrong and what is so right. Thank you Dr Carrie Rosario @cmrosari! https://t.co/jpLRZrRRyM

— Kathleen Roe (@KathleenMRoe) April 26, 2021

Dr Rosario told The Lily, that as a Black woman who says she looks young for her age, people tend to dismiss her opinion and expertise. “It [the title] adds legitimacy to what I’m saying.” 

'Hidden diabetes': the symptoms you might miss

One in 10 people over the age of 40 is now living with a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in the UK. However, delays to diagnoses caused by missed symptoms, and 12 months of lockdown restrictions, could be creating a ticking timebomb when it comes to our health. 

A new study undertaken by the University of Exeter revealed that those with Type 2 diabetes wait an average of 2.3 years, and sometimes more than five, before getting diagnosed. The findings, which are based on data from more than 200,000 patients, stress the importance of regularly screening people over the age of 40, who are more at risk of developing the condition. The wait to get diagnosed often leads to delays in getting treatment, which increases the risk of serious complications such as heart disease, strokes or eye problems. 

Dan Howarth, head of care at charity Diabetes UK, explains the delay could be down to how difficult it is to identify the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes; often they occur slowly, and are easily confused with other conditions. Normal blood sugar levels range between 3.5mmol/L and 6.9mmol/L, and the diagnosis point is generally 7mmol/L. “[However] you only start to get symptoms, such as needing the toilet more often, when your blood sugar levels are above 11mmol/L. Even then, people often don’t notice the symptoms and put them down to something else, such as their stress levels or their age,” explains Howarth.  

Although men are more at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the study showed that women are more likely to experience a delay to their diagnosis. “There is some speculation here, but it could be because women put their symptoms down to other factors such as hormones, stress or daily activities,” explains Howarth. Those who aren’t considered to be obese, or whose blood sugar was at the lower level of the diabetes range, were also more likely to have a delayed diagnosis. 

Lockdown has also been a driving factor in the number of undiagnosed diabetes cases: at least 60,000 cases of Type 2 diabetes in the UK were missed after lockdown began in March 2020, as patients were less likely to see GPs and get referred for checks, according to research from the University of Manchester. Experts are warning that the reduction in diagnoses rate means that the NHS now faces a “huge backlog” of undiagnosed patients. 

This comes at a crucial time for the nation’s health. Being obese is a crucial risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes, yet over lockdown one in three people gained weight and decreased their physical activity. A separate study found that more than half admitted to snacking more, meaning that delays in diagnosis rates could only add to the number of people developing serious complications later down the line.

In patients with Type-1 diabetes, the body attacks the cells in the pancreas, which stops insulin from being created. In Type-2, the pancreas either doesn’t produce enough insulin or it becomes ineffective at transporting glucose - something known as insulin resistance. Dr Prash Vas, consultant in Diabetes at London Bridge Hospital, explains that Type-2 diabetes “exists on a continuum”. At its earliest stage it is known as prediabetes, which occurs when your blood sugar levels are just higher than normal, but not high enough to warrant a diagnosis with Type-2. 

“[Prediabetes] has no symptoms. As your blood sugar levels go higher, the body will mount symptoms. Even this group of individuals can have complications, such as a three times higher risk of developing eye problems such as diabetic retinopathy. There is also an increased chance of developing kidney problems and early nerve damage,” he says.

The good news is that prediabetes is reversible through lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and more physical exercise. However, a delay to diagnosis means you can lose the opportunity to “optimise your blood sugar levels” as early as possible, explains Dr Vas. He adds that high blood sugar levels often interplay with other metabolic conditions, such as high blood pressure, obesity and abnormal cholesterol - all of which can trigger an "inflammatory state" in the body. This balancing act influences how likely you are to experience serious complications later down the line.

Experts are also concerned about the rise in hidden diabetes, which is where people already have blood sugar levels that are above the World Health Organisation guidance. Research by the University of Exeter last year showed that half a million adults may have type 2 diabetes without realising.

Two well established symptoms to look out for are polydipsia and polyuria; feeling thirsty all the time and needing to go to the bathroom more often. “You feel like you want to drink sweet things, because the body is asking for sugar. Because you are drinking a lot, you end up urinating more often,” says Dr Vas. Another sign is unexplained weight loss.“If the body can’t use the glucose in its system, it will start to use alternative fuel such as fat,” he says. “Because the muscles, and other organs, are unable to access the blood sugar they need, you will also feel tired.”

Thrush is a lesser known sign of Type 2 diabetes. It usually occurs around the genitals, but also around the mouth, armpits and in between the fingers. “Because you are losing fluids - water, salt plus glucose - the content of your urine has changed, allowing for the formation of candida yeast [thrush],” says Dr Vas.

Skin changes are also something to be aware of. "Glucose and insulin help to regulate wound healing, so the process can be impaired by Type 2 diabetes,” he says. This increases the risk of wound infections - and in the worst cases, amputations - later down the line. 

One study found that insomnia could also be a risk factor associated with developing Type-2 diabetes. Researchers from the  Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, found that people with insomnia were 17 per cent more likely to develop diabetes than those without. 

Because of how tricky it can be to recognise symptoms, it is crucial to understand your risk factor. Being overweight, your ethnicity, your family history and smoking can all increase your chances of developing Type-2 diabetes, and regular screening is recommended for those who are at risk. “Screening and detecting early gives people extra years to understand their diagnosis, and hopefully prevent them suffering from more serious complications later down the line,” says Dr Pras. 

Reference: The Telegraph: Alice Hall  3 days ago

Israel investigates 62 Pfizer vaccine recipients' heart inflammation

Israel is investigating a small number of cases of heart inflammation among people who have been vaccinated with the Pfizer coronavirus jab. Health officials said 62 out of 5million people given the American-made vaccine developed myocarditis, the medical name for swelling in the heart. Pfizer said it has not seen a higher rate of the condition than would normally be expected in the population, but experts are investigating in order to be sure.

Early analysis of the country's rollout suggests the condition is occurring more frequently in men under 30 and in people given both doses. The condition often has no symptoms and heals on its own, but in some people it can cause more serious problems including heart failure or weakening of the heart.

Viral infection is a known cause of the condition and chemicals released by the immune system when it is fighting a virus can trigger the swelling. Israel's pandemic response coordinator, Dr Nachman Ash, said two of the 62 patients in the records had died while the rest made full recoveries.

Statistics suggest around 3million people per year are diagnosed with cardiomyopathy worldwide, but many more are thought to have it but never know. The concerns come after a storm about possible links between the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines and bloot clots culminated in many countries refusing to give the AZ jab to young people.

Dr Ash said that a study showed 'tens of incidents' of myocarditis occurring among more than five million vaccinated people, primarily after the second dose. He said it was unclear whether this was unusually high or whether it was connected to the vaccine. 

Among all people who had received the vaccine the condition occurred at a rate of one in 100,000 people, but for men aged between 18 and 30 it was one in 20,000 – five times higher, Bloomberg reported.Despite this, there is no proof the vaccine is causing it to happen. Dr Ash said: 'The Health Ministry is currently examining whether there is an excess in morbidity [disease rate] and whether it can be attributed to the vaccines.' 

He described the issue as a 'question mark' in a radio interview. Determining a link, he said, would be difficult because myocarditis, a condition that often goes away without complications, can be caused by a variety of viruses and a similar number of cases were reported in previous years.

Pfizer told Reuters it was in regular contact with Israel's Health Ministry while it reviewed data on its vaccine. The company said it 'is aware of the Israeli observations of myocarditis that occurred predominantly in a population of young men who received the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine'. 'Adverse events are regularly and thoroughly reviewed and we have not observed a higher rate of myocarditis than what would be expected in the general population. A causal link to the vaccine has not been established,' the company said.

'There is no evidence at this time to conclude that myocarditis is a risk associated with the use of Pfizer/BNT Covid-19 vaccine.' Myocarditis is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes swollen, which affects its ability to pump blood, usually making it weaker. It is most often triggered by another infection, such as a viral flu infection – suggesting coronavirus could cause it – or bacterial, parasite or fungal infection. Scientists believe the reason infection can trigger the condition is that it is caused by chemicals called cytokines, which are released by the immune system when it's in attack mode. These can then lead to changes inside the body which result in the swelling in the heart.

Generally, when the original illness is over and the immune system goes back to normal, the myocarditis will fade away on its own. But in some people it can trigger severe or even deadly complications such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac arrest.  Israel has been a world leader in its vaccination rollout, with close to 60 per cent of its 9.3million population having received the Pfizer vaccine. 

Its nationwide database has already showed the vaccine to be highly effective in preventing the symptoms and severe illness associated with Covid-19. Since January, shortly after the vaccine campaign began, daily infections dropped from a peak of more than 10,000 to just 129 before the weekend.

Nadav Davidovitch, director of the school of public health at Israel's Ben Gurion University, said that even if a correlation between the myocarditis cases and the vaccine were established, it did not appear to be serious enough to stop administering the vaccine. 'It's a situation that should be looked into, and we need to wait for a final report, but in an interim analysis it seems the risk of getting sick from Covid-19 is much higher than from the vaccine's adverse events, and the risk of myocarditis following the vaccine is low and temporary,' he said. 

Reference: Daily Mail: Sam Blanchard Deputy Health Editor For Mailonline and Reuters  1 day ago

Pfizer's at-home COVID pill might be available by the end of the year

Pfizer's Inc experimental oral drug that would be the first specifically designed to stop the novel coronavirus could be available by the end of this year.  

The antiviral pill prevents the virus from spreading inside the body by blocking an enzyme that coronavirus needs to copy itself. The treatment belongs to a class of drugs known as protease inhibitors. 

Known as PF-07321332, the medication would be prescribed to patients at the first sign of infection with COVID-19.   

According to The Telegraph, the ongoing trial is split into three phases, running for a total of 145 days, meaning it is set to conclude in mid-July. 

The first phase is concluding in May and, if larger trials go well, the drug could be distributed to hospitals and doctors' offices by autumn 2021.

Developing drugs for respiratory diseases is tough, partly because doses have to be high enough for the medicine to reach deep into the lungs yet not so high that they're toxic.

Research on Covid treatments was also throttled because the U.S. government initially gave priority to vaccines. 

It wasn't until the end of April 2020 that the first COVID-19 treatment showed benefit in a big government-sponsored study.

That drug - remdesivir, sold as Veklury by Gilead Sciences Inc - remains the only one approved for COVID-19 in the U.S., though some others are authorized for emergency use (a form of tentative approval with a lower bar for safety and efficacy). 

According to clinicaltrials.gov, the Covid pill trial is being run at two Pfizer locations, one in New Haven, Connecticut, and the other in Brussels, Belgium.  

A total of 60 participants are enrolled between the ages of 18 and 60 with some participants will be given one of four doses of the drug and others the placebo, but even researchers won't know what pill the volunteers.

The website, run by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, states that study is estimated to be completed by May 25. 

If results show the medication is safe and effective, the company will move on to Phase II and recruit a larger group of participants, and even be available later this year.  

'If they have moved to this stage, they will be quietly optimistic,' Dr Penny Ward, a visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King's College London, told The Telegraph.

'The question will be about how the drug is tolerated...They will be going like the clappers.'

In the U.S., the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) on April 17.

The program is focused on developing therapeutics against the coronavirus, its variants and other viruses with the potential to cause pandemics. 

Although Pfizer is listed as one of the member companies of ACTIV, it is unclear if PF-07321332 is one of the drugs being studied or if the NIH is helping to fund the trial.

Neither the NIH nor the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services immediately returned DailyMail.com's request for comment in time for publication.

A spokeswoman for Pfizer refused to answer questions about whether any government agencies are funding clinical trials and if the U.S. has placed any orders for the drug.

Reference: Mary Kekatos Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.com and Associated Press  23 hrs ago