Larry Kramer, gay rights and AIDS activist, dies at 84

Larry Kramer, a prominent gay rights activist whose vociferous writings and actions took on a lagging government response to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, has died. He was 84 years old.

"Rest in power to our fighter Larry Kramer. Your rage helped inspire a movement. We will keep honoring your name and spirit with action," tweeted Act Up -- the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power -- one of several groups he founded as the HIV virus ravaged the gay community in the late 20th century.

Citing Kramer's husband, The New York Times attributed his death to pneumonia. The octogenarian had suffered a number of afflictions in his storied life, including HIV and liver disease, for which he underwent a transplant in 2001.

In 1981 Kramer founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis, the first organization supporting HIV-positive people, leaving a year later following disputes with his fellow organizers.

He went on to found Act Up in 1987, leading protest marches and disruptions of government offices, Wall Street and Catholic leadership to shock US leaders into combatting AIDS.

Born on June 25, 1935 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Kramer graduated from Yale in 1957 before doing a stint in the Army.

He then made a foray into film, working in London on "Dr. Strangelove" and "Lawrence of Arabia."

He was known as a provocative screenwriter, nabbing a 1971 Academy Award nomination for his adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love."

He later turned to themes of homesexuality, publishing in 1978 a lightning rod of a first novel -- "Faggots" -- which through its piercing satire explored promiscuity, drug use and sadomasochism in the gay community.

In the early 1980s Kramer was among the first activists to recognize AIDS as a fatal infection likely to spread and kill globally across lines of gender.

"Our continued existence depends on just how angry you can get.... Unless we fight for our lives we shall die," he wrote in a 1983 essay published in a gay-focused outlet, the New York Native.

Though his harsh rhetoric and often combative style alienated some, he channeled his furor over the government's perceived apathy on AIDS into urgent work that ultimately transformed American health care.

"In American medicine, there are two eras -- before Larry and after Larry," Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert now leading the US fight against the coronavirus pandemic, told The New Yorker in 2002.

Fauci, who became one of the nation's most prominent voices on federal AIDS research, developed a friendship with Kramer after the activist grabbed his attention after dubbing the doctor an "incompetent idiot" and killer in 1988.

Kramer's singular voice played a key role in pushing the federal government to improve testing and approval of drug regimes for HIV patients.

"Once you got past the rhetoric," Fauci told the NYT upon learning of the activist's death, "you found that Larry Kramer made a lot of sense, and that he had a heart of gold."

"Larry Kramer's death hits our community hard," tweeted GLAAD, a nonprofit centered on LGBTQ acceptance.

"He was a fighter who never stood down from what he believed was right, and he contributed so much to the fight against HIV/AIDS."

Agence France-Presse

Comedian Babajie has passed away, cousin confirms

MANILA — Comedian Babajie passed away on Monday due to pneumonia, a family member announced. He was 35.

Babajie, whose real name is Alfredo Cornejo, Jr., died past 3 p.m. at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, PEP.ph reported.

"Maaga pa, bata ka pa, alam mo Kuya na mahal na mahal kita," Cid Cornejo, a cousin of Babajie, wrote on Facebook.

Babajie, who was formerly part of "Bubble Gang," was known for his self-deprecating jokes about his chin.

Babajie, who had been confined since April 25, is survived by his mother, Minda, and siblings Almin, Alina, and Aljohn. 

While pneumonia is a symptom of the novel coronavirus disease, and San Lazaro Hospital is caring for COVID-19 patients, Babajie's family made no mention of the comedian being infected with the disease.

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China pneumonia outbreak may be linked to new type of virus: WHO

LONDON -- A cluster of more than 50 pneumonia cases in the central Chinese city of Wuhan may be due to a newly emerging member of the family of viruses that caused the deadly SARS and MERS outbreaks, World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

While the United Nations health agency said it needed more comprehensive information to confirm precisely the type of pathogen causing the infections, it said a new coronavirus was a possibility.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infections ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Some of the virus types cause less severe disease, while some - like the one that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) - are far more severe.

"The initial information about the cases of pneumonia in Wuhan...pointed to a coronavirus as a possible pathogen causing this cluster," the WHO said in a statement.

It added that since Chinese authorities have conducted laboratory tests and eliminated the SARS coronavirus and the MERS one as possible causes, as well as flu, bird flu, adenovirus and other common respiratory pathogens, "therefore, a novel coronavirus could not be ruled out".

The pneumonia outbreak started last month, and 59 cases had been reported by Chinese authorities by Sunday.

The WHO noted that coronaviruses emerge periodically - including in 2002 to cause SARS and in 2012 to cause MERS.

It said that according to Chinese authorities, the virus behind the Wuhan cases can cause severe illness in some patients and does not appear to pass easily from person to person.

"More comprehensive information is required to confirm the pathogen, as well as to better understand the epidemiology of the outbreak, the clinical picture, the investigations to determine the source, modes of transmission, extent of infection, and the countermeasures implemented," the WHO said.

In 2003, Chinese officials covered up a SARS outbreak for weeks before a growing death toll and rumours forced the government to reveal the epidemic. The disease spread rapidly to other cities and countries in 2003. More than 8,000 people were infected and 775 died.

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Brazil president suffers suspected pneumonia: doctors

SAO PAULO - Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro had a fever and possible pneumonia, his doctors said Thursday, 10 days after the far-right leader underwent surgery on the stomach wound he suffered when stabbed last year.

The 63-year-old remains in semi-intensive care in Sao Paulo following a procedure to remove his colostomy bag and reconnect the bowel.

"Last night he had a fever (and) was subjected to a CT scan of the chest and abdomen that showed good intestinal evolution" as well as "an image consistent with pneumonia," Bolsonaro's doctors said in their daily medical bulletin.

The president's spokesman, Otavio do Rego Barros, said the image "confirmed the possibility of pneumonia" but added that doctors "didn't seem more worried" than before.

"Beware of sensationalism," said Bolsonaro in a tweet, while he held up his thumb in a picture also posted to Twitter.

The former army captain is a prolific user of social media, where he conducted large portions of his successful presidential campaign last year.

"We're very calm, well and we're staying the course," he wrote.

Bolsonaro's sons have also been active on social media, posting positive updates on their father's health.

The president was due to leave hospital this week but still hasn't resumed eating normally and continues to be fed intravenously.

He underwent an operation on January 28, his third since the knife attack, to reconnect his bowel so he could resume natural waste evacuation.

It took twice as long as the three to four hours expected due to a number of complications.

Since then he's had several fevers as well as suffered from nausea and vomiting, and has been fitted with a nasogastric tube, a drain and has been given antibiotics.

Officially, Bolsonaro has continued to run the country from his hospital bed.

pt/bc/ft

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Vaping may boost pneumonia risk: study

PARIS, France – Vaping may help pneumonia-causing bacteria stick to cells lining the airways, likely boosting disease risk, researchers said Thursday.

A study published in the European Respiratory Journal did not directly compare vaping's effect to that of smoking tobacco cigarettes.

But the findings did suggest that users of electronic cigarettes may be at higher risk of lung infection than people who do not vape, the research team reported.

"If you choose to take up e-cigarettes... this indicates a red flag that there may be an increased susceptibility" to pneumococcal bacteria, study co-author Jonathan Grigg of the Queen Mary University of London told AFP.

Grigg and a team conducted three types of experiment. One exposed human nose lining cells to e-cigarette vapor in the lab, another involved mice inhaling vapor and then being exposed to pneumococcal bacteria, the main cause of pneumonia.

A third trial studied the nose lining of 11 e-cigarette users compared to six non-vapers.

The team noticed a sharp increase in the amount of bacteria sticking to airway cells after e-cigarette exposure. Such adhesion has previously been shown to increase susceptibility to disease.

"Some people may be vaping because they think it is totally safe, or in an attempt to quit smoking, but this study adds to growing evidence that inhaling vapor has the potential to cause adverse health effects," said Grigg.

"By contrast, other aids to quitting such as (nicotine) patches or gum do not result in airway cells being exposed to high concentrations of potentially toxic compounds."

- Less harmful? – 

Last month, a US study said vaping may increase cancer risk because it leads to DNA damage, despite containing fewer carcinogens than tobacco smoke.

That study, too, did not compare the effects of cigarette smoking directly to vaping.

Research in the journal Tobacco Control last October said a large-scale switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes would prevent millions of premature deaths by the year 2100, even assuming the gadgets are themselves not risk-free.

E-cigarettes, said to contain no tar and fewer toxins than tobacco cigarettes, were developed as a safer alternative to tobacco smoking.

But many people fear that a harmless veneer may make e-cigarettes a "gateway" for young people to lifelong nicotine addiction.

Commenting on the latest study, Peter Openshaw, an experimental medicine professor at Imperial College London, said any evidence that vaping raised lung infection risk was "only indirect".

"Although it is possible that vaping might increase susceptibility to pneumonia, the effect is likely to be lower than from smoking itself," he said via the Science Media Centre.

"This study should not be used as a reason to continue to smoke rather than vape –- the evidence to date is that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking."

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Clinton heads back to campaign trail after pneumonia scare

WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton hits the campaign trail once again Thursday after trying to put aside a badly handled health scare that rattled her bid for the US presidency.

The Democratic candidate had events planned in North Carolina and Washington as she resumed campaigning after a three-day break prompted by a bout of pneumonia.

Clinton, 68, fell ill during a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York on Sunday and was forced to leave. She was seen stumbling limp-legged into her vehicle.

It took several hours for her personal physician to disclose she had been diagnosed with pneumonia two days earlier, drawing criticism of her campaign's lack of transparency.

On Wednesday, Clinton looked to head off further questions about her health, releasing new medical records that purported to show she is fit to serve as president and is recovering from mild pneumonia.

The disclosure came as her Republican rival Donald Trump, 70, released health data of his own during the taping of a nationally televised medical chat show set to air Thursday.

Both candidates, among the oldest ever to run for the White House, were under intense pressure to share more medical information after Clinton fell ill.

Recent opinion polls have shown the gap between them narrowing with less than two months to go before Election Day, and the presidential hopefuls disclosed fresh information in a bid to score points with undecided voters.

In a detailed, two-page "summary update" on Clinton's health, her personal physician Lisa Bardack wrote that the candidate was bouncing back after a diagnosis of "mild, non-contagious" pneumonia.

She "is recovering well with antibiotics and rest" after being laid low over the weekend, when she suffered from fatigue and a low-grade fever, although her vital signs remained normal, Bardack said.

The nominee "continues to remain healthy and fit to serve as president of the United States," she wrote, noting she is in "excellent mental condition."

Clinton spent Wednesday at home in Chappaqua, New York for a third straight day.

News of Trump's appearance on "The Dr. Oz Show" -- though it appeared to reveal little detail -- had earlier flooded the US airwaves on Wednesday. This raised pressure on Clinton to share more health data before returning to the trail.

'I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE'

So far Trump had released only four, gushing paragraphs on his health, written by his doctor Harold Bornstein in December 2015.

Following the revelation of Clinton's pneumonia, Trump vowed soon to release specific numbers from a recent check-up with Bornstein.

Team Trump had raised -- then dropped -- the possibility of releasing them during an appearance on "Dr. Oz".

But during recording of the segment Wednesday morning, Trump finally did present its celebrity host with the results, according to a statement on the show's website.

In a snippet teased on the site, Mehmet Oz -- who is also a professor of surgery at Columbia University in New York -- is seen asking Trump:

"If your health is as strong as it seems... why not show your medical records?

"Well, I have really no problem in doing it," Trump responds. "I have it right here. Should I do it? I don't care."

The Republican nominee goes on to pull the documents from his pocket, to cheers and applause from the show audience.

A statement from the medical chat show said their hour-long one-one-one interview touched on Trump's cardiovascular health, family medical history and history of cancer, among other topics.

But the actual details revealed appeared to remain very generic.

According to US media who attended the taping, Oz declared Mr. Trump "slightly overweight" at 267 pounds (120 kilos) for roughly six foot two inches (1.88 meters).

Trump continued his barnstorming of key battleground states Wednesday with stops in Michigan and Ohio. On Thursday, he is due to deliver a major economic speech.

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'I didn't think it was a big deal,' Clinton says of pneumonia bout

WASHINGTON - Democrat Hillary Clinton said on Monday she could resume presidential campaigning in a couple of days after a bout of pneumonia that she initially had not believed was "that big a deal."

Clinton's health scare after she almost collapsed at an event on Sunday, causing her to cancel some campaign trips, revived concerns about a tendency toward secrecy that has dogged her campaign, and underscored perennial worries about the medical fitness of candidates for one of the world's most demanding jobs.

"Well, it will be in the next couple of days. ... I just want to get this over and done with and get back on the trail as soon as possible," she said in an interview on CNN on Monday night, adding she had ignored doctor's orders to rest.

"I just didn't think it was going to be that big a deal."

Her campaign acknowledged on Monday it may have been too slow disclosing her pneumonia diagnosis after she nearly fainted at a New York memorial ceremony for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. She was diagnosed with the lung infection on Friday.

"I think that in retrospect, we could have handled it better in terms of providing more information more quickly," Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon told MSNBC earlier in the day.

The health problem was the latest blow for the Democratic presidential nominee at a time when Republican rival Donald Trump has erased most of her lead in national opinion polls and is competitive again in many battleground states where the Nov. 8 election is likely to be decided.

Clinton, 68, said she had dealt with similar episodes of dizziness before. "You know, it is something that has occurred a few times over the course of my life. I'm aware of it and usually can avoid it," she told CNN.

Asked if she passed out during the incident on Sunday, she said: "No, I didn't. I felt dizzy and I did lose my balance for a minute. Once I got in. Once I could sit down. Once I could cool off. Once I had some water, I immediately started feeling better."

Her campaign said her husband, former President Bill Clinton, would campaign on her behalf while she rests.

Both Clinton and Trump, 70, said they intended to release more of their medical details in the coming days, as their campaigns gear up for the November election.

'DEEPLY SHOCKED'

Questions about the incident reinforced the perception of Clinton as secretive, a view fueled by the controversy surrounding her use of a private email server while serving as President Barack Obama's secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

A federal investigation of that issue said she was "extremely careless" in her handling of classified emails, but did not recommend criminal charges.

Trump said on Monday that health was a campaign issue but he did not attack Clinton over her physical condition. "I just hope she gets well and gets back on the trail," he said in an interview with Fox News.

He focused his criticism on comments by Clinton last week in which she dismissed half of his supporters as a "basket of deplorables" of racist, homophobic people. Clinton said she regretted the remark.

Trump has compared the comment with a much-criticized remark by 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney that 47 percent of the electorate was dependent on the government.

"I was deeply shocked and alarmed to hear my opponent attack, slander, smear, demean these wonderful, amazing people who are supporting our campaign by the millions," Trump told a conference of National Guard members in Baltimore.

Trump has himself aroused controversy with comments in which he called some Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists, questioned whether a US-born judge could be fair because of his Mexican heritage and criticized the Muslim parents of an American soldier who died in combat in Iraq.

'SHORT-TERM TURBULENCE'

Clinton's pneumonia disclosure was made public hours after her campaign said she had become "overheated" to explain why, her knees buckling and unsteady, she was rushed from the Sept. 11 ceremony.

"The short-term turbulence will be more about the handling of this than the substance," David Axelrod, a former political adviser to Obama, told Reuters.

"Antibiotics can take care of pneumonia," Axelrod tweeted later. "What's the cure for an unhealthy penchant for privacy that repeatedly creates unnecessary problems?"

Trump had suggested for weeks that Clinton lacked the energy needed to be president. He has raised questions about her stamina, reprising a tactic from the Republican primary campaign when he derided rival Jeb Bush as a "low-energy" candidate.

Democrats said her attendance at events despite her pneumonia diagnosis proved her toughness.

Trump's campaign has issued a short letter from his doctor saying he was in excellent health with "extraordinary" strength and stamina. But the letter did not mention what medicine Trump might be taking or other details typically included in such disclosures.

In July 2015, Clinton released a two-page letter outlining her medical condition that sought to reassure Americans about her health after she fell and suffered a concussion at home in 2012 near the end of her tenure as secretary of state.

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Clinton diagnosed with pneumonia, 'dehydrated' at 9/11 event

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is suffering from pneumonia and was overheated and dehydrated when she quickly left a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York on Sunday, her doctor said.

The incident at Ground Zero, in which the 68-year-old Clinton seemed to lose her footing as she was helped into her vehicle, sparked new questions about her health -- and offered Donald Trump a new opening to attack his White House rival.

Clinton had been seeking to bounce back from a campaign blunder Friday, when she told donors that half of Trump's supporters belonged in a "basket of deplorables" -- so Sunday's episode was certainly ill-timed.

The former secretary of state spent 90 minutes at the high-profile ceremony in lower Manhattan, greeting some family members of those killed in the deadly terror strikes 15 years ago, her campaign said in a statement.

"During the ceremony, she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughter's apartment, and is feeling much better," it added.

Later, the campaign released a fresh statement from her personal doctor, Lisa Bardack, who revealed that Clinton had been diagnosed with pneumonia and was suffering from dehydration.

"Secretary Clinton has been experiencing a cough related to allergies. On Friday, during follow-up evaluation of her prolonged cough, she was diagnosed with pneumonia," Bardack said.

"She was put on antibiotics, and advised to rest and modify her schedule. While at this morning's event, she became overheated and dehydrated. I have just examined her and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely."

A campaign aide said Clinton had been examined at her home in Chappaqua, New York, after she was forced to leave Ground Zero.

- Stumble -

A video posted on Twitter showed Clinton seeming unsteady as she waited to get into a black van to leave the emotional 9/11 service.

She appeared to stumble as she was helped into the vehicle, and had to be held up on either side by members of her entourage.

It was a humid day in New York, with temperatures around 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius).

"I didn't see anything unusual. What I can tell you is that many of us (had) a sigh of relief when a gust of wind would come by because it was incredibly stifling," Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley, who stood near Clinton for about an hour at the ceremony, told MSNBC.

Clinton appeared better as she walked out of her daughter Chelsea's home a few hours later, smiling for the media and posing for pictures with a young girl before departing for Chappaqua.

"I'm feeling great, it's a beautiful day in New York," Clinton said.

But a senior campaign aide said a planned fundraising trip to California on Monday was "currently in discussion."

- Health issues? -

Trump -- who also attended the 9/11 ceremony -- was uncharacteristically silent on Twitter about Clinton's illness, as both candidates took a break from formal campaigning to mark the somber day of remembrance.

But the businessman, his spokespeople and surrogates have promoted the idea in recent weeks that Clinton has serious health problems.

The internet is awash with claims that she may have a brain tumor, Parkinson's or dementia.

Trump, 70, has said Clinton is "not strong enough to be president" and that she "lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS."

The root of the claims lies in 2012, when Clinton was nearing the end of her stint as secretary of state. A stomach virus and dehydration prompted her to faint, causing what her doctor said was a concussion.

They said they found a blood clot on the brain and Clinton temporarily suffered from double vision. She was later given the all-clear.

The former first lady has dismissed "conspiracy theories" about her health and pointed to a letter from her doctor declaring her fit to serve as president.

- 'Vitality and viability' -

Clinton's illness is unlikely to be a turning point in the White House race, said Jennifer Lawless, a professor of government at American University in Washington.

"What the Clinton campaign needs to do over the course of the next several days is demonstrate her vitality and viability. She has to be at tons of events and seem very energetic," Lawless told AFP.

Larry Sabato, a veteran political scientist at the University of Virginia, said Clinton's team needs to release a full health record to put the story to rest.

"We really haven't gotten very much, essentially a letter from her doctor," he told CNN, but added that Trump should be held to the same requirement.

Clinton's illness struck after she told a crowd at a fundraiser late Friday that "to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables."

"The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic -- you name it."

Trump and his supporters slammed the remarks. Clinton said she regretted saying "half," but then listed a number of "deplorable" things about Trump.

"I won't stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign," she said.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll out Sunday -- conducted in the days before she made the remark -- shows Clinton leading Trump 46 percent to 41 percent among likely voters, with a 4.5 percentage-point margin of error.

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UFC legend Kevin Randleman dies at 44

Former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman passed away on Thursday (Friday in Manila) after checking himself in a hospital due to pneumonia.

According to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Botter, the 44-year-old suffered a heart failure.

Sad to confirm the passing of MMA pioneer Kevin Randleman at 44 years old. Went to hospital with pneumonia and had heart failure.

— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) Pebrero 12, 2016

Randleman was one of UFC’s top fighters while the promotion was still in its infancy back in the late 1990s.
He bid for the vacant heavyweight title but lost to fellow legend Bas Rutten in 1999. He later defeated Pete Williams in UFC 23 to become the UFC heavyweight champion.

Randleman later competed in PRIDE fighting championships where he battled the likes of Fedor Emilianenko, Mirko Cro Cop, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

One of his former competitors, former UFC champion Randy Couture, paid tribute to Randleman.

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Glenn Frey, founding member of rock band the Eagles, dead at 67

LOS ANGELES - Guitarist Glenn Frey, a founding member of rock band the Eagles, died in New York on Monday at age 67, the band said on its website.

Frey died of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia, the band said.

Frey co-founded the Eagles with singer Don Henley, and they enjoyed a career at the top of the rock charts with hit songs such as "Hotel California" and "Take It Easy."

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World's oldest man dies at 112 in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - The world's oldest man, Yasutaro Koide, died on Tuesday at the age of 112 in central Japan, a local official said.

Koide, born just months before the Wright brothers made their first successful flight, died in hospital in the central Japanese city of Nagoya, where he had lived for many years, said the city official.

The super-centenarian, recognised as the world's oldest male at 112 last year, died of heart failure and pneumonia, the official added.

Koide, a former tailor who was born on March 13, 1903 in Fukui prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, received a certificate from Guinness World Records confirming the achievement after another Japanese man who was just a month older died in July.

Asked about the key to longevity, Koide had reportedly said: "The best thing to do is avoid overwork and live with joy."

Japan is known for the longevity of its people and around a quarter of its population of 127 million is aged 65 or older.

It was not immediately clear who would succeed Koide as the world's oldest male.

Currently, the world's oldest person is American Susannah Mushatt Jones who is 116 and was born on July 6, 1899, according to the Guinness World Records website.

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How to know if your child has pneumonia

MANILA - What seems like common cough and colds may actually be a symptom of a deadly disease.

Based on 2010 records, pneumonia is the number one cause of death in children in the Philippines.

The disease is characterized by an infection on the lining of the air sacs, which may be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

In an interview on dzMM, Dr. Katrina Florcruz, a pediatrician, explained that there are some types of pneumonia that do not have symptoms.

In children, it is better for parents to monitor the condition of their children to know when to get them checked.

"Ang mahirap po kasi sa bata, hindi po sila marunong magsabi kung anong nararamdaman. Madalas lang po nakikita natin, iritable o kaya lupaypay," Florcruz said.

It is also essential to count the number of breaths per minute. For children younger than 10 months, less than 50 breaths per minute is normal, while less than 40 breaths per minute is normal for children aged one to five.

Less than 30 breaths per minute is normal for children five years and older.

Aside from difficulty in breathing, some children may also be irritable, and may suffer from skin discoloration, which is a sign that the pneumonia is already severe.

In certain cases, the parent must bring their child to the hospital even when they do not have cough or colds.

Some children also suffer from aspiration pneumonia, which occurs when fluid enters the child's lungs. This may happen when a child is overfed, or when the child is fed while in a lying position.

"Halimbawa, kung ang laman ng tiyan ay biglang bumalik, pwede po kasi siyang pumunta sa baga, and that can be a cause for pneumonia," Florcruz said.

To prevent aspiration pneumonia, parents are advised to be careful in feeding their children, especially when they have a cough.

According to Florcruz, a lot of children die from pneumonia because parents are not aware that the disease is treatable and preventable.

A vaccine against pneumonia can be given to a child as early as six weeks after birth. The doctor will then prescribe a schedule for the remaining shots.

In case a child is already infected, Florcruz advises bringing him or her to a doctor for proper treatment.

November 12 is World Pneumonia Day.

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Muhammad Ali hospitalized with pneumonia

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has been hospitalized with pneumonia and is expected to recover because the illness was caught early, a spokesman said on Saturday.

Ali, 72, was admitted to a hospital in an undisclosed location Saturday morning and is being treated by a team of doctors and remains in stable condition, spokesman Bob Gunnell said.

"Because the pneumonia was caught early, his prognosis is good with a short hospital stay expected," Gunnell said in a statement.

He declined to give any further details of the boxer's condition and said Ali's family was asking for privacy.

The boxing great, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, made a public appearance in September to attend a ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, for the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards.

A three-time world heavyweight champion, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's about three years after he retired from boxing in 1981.

(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Former First Lady Barbara Bush in hospital

WASHINGTON - Former First Lady Barbara Bush has been hospitalized in Texas for a "respiratory related," issue, a short statement said Tuesday.

The office of former president George H.W. Bush said the 88-year-old was taken into hospital on Monday but was in "great spirits."

"Former First Lady Barbara Bush was admitted to Methodist Hospital in Houston's Texas Medical Center yesterday for treatment on a respiratory related issue," the statement said.

"She is in great spirits, has already received visits from her husband and family, and is receiving fantastic care."

No further information was given but several US media reports said the former first lady was admitted after displaying symptoms of pneumonia.

Bush was first lady from 1989 to 1993. She is also the mother of former president George W. Bush, who served between 2001-2009.

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Mandela 'comfortable,' treated for pneumonia

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela is comfortable and able to breathe without problems as he continues to respond to treatment in hospital for a recurrence of pneumonia, President Jacob Zuma's office said on Saturday.

After the revered 94-year-old statesman and former South African president spent a third night in hospital, the presidency said doctors had drained excess fluid from his lungs to tackle the infection.

"This has resulted in him now being able to breathe without difficulty. He continues to respond to treatment and is comfortable," the statement added.

In the first detailed mention of his medical condition since his latest hospitalization, the third in four months, the presidency said the Nobel Peace Prize laureate had "developed a pleural effusion which was tapped".

Previous bulletins since he was taken to hospital late on Wednesday have reported him responding well, in "good spirits".

They have appeared to indicate that the recurrence of the lung infection afflicting Mandela is being successfully treated.

Mandela, who became South Africa's first black president in 1994 and stepped down five years later, has been mostly absent from the political scene for the past decade. But he remains an enduring and beloved symbol of the struggle against racism.

Global figures such as U.S. President Barack Obama have sent get well messages and South Africans have included Mandela in their prayers on the Easter weekend, one of the most important dates of the Christian calendar.

Mandela is revered at home and abroad for leading the struggle against white minority rule, then promoting the cause of racial reconciliation when in power.

His fragile health has been a concern for years as he has withdrawn from the public eye and mostly stayed at his affluent homes in Johannesburg and in Qunu, the rural village in the destitute Eastern Cape province near where he was born.

'Father of the nation'

South Africans of all ages and walks of life have been following the official medical bulletins closely.

"He is the father of the nation, our Abraham Lincoln, our George Washington," said South African economics student Curtis Richardson, 19, as he visited Nelson Mandela Square in an upscale Johannesburg shopping mall with friends.

Mandela remains an inspirational figure worldwide.

"If he dies, it will be a tragedy, because he's such a symbol," said Kagisho Paterson, 19, a visitor from Britain, snapping photos near a towering statue of Mandela in the square.

English Premiership League soccer team Sunderland AFC designated Saturday "Nelson Mandela Day" to kick off its new deal supporting the ex-president's charitable foundation. The partnership would start with fundraising efforts during the team's home clash with Manchester United, Sunderland added.

Mandela's ruling African National Congress (ANC) is still the dominant force in South African politics, but critics say it has lost the moral compass bequeathed it by the previous generation of anti-apartheid freedom fighters.

Under such leaders as Mandela and the late Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo, the ANC gained wide international respect when it battled white rule.

Once the yoke of apartheid was thrown off in 1994, it began governing South Africa in a blaze of goodwill from world leaders who viewed it as a beacon for a troubled continent and world.

Almost two decades later, this image has dimmed as ANC leaders have been accused of indulging in the spoils of office, squandering mineral resources and engaging in power struggles.

Mandela was in hospital briefly earlier this month for a check-up and spent nearly three weeks in hospital in December with a lung infection and after surgery to remove gallstones.

He has a history of lung problems dating back to when he contracted tuberculosis as a political prisoner.

A Nigerian visitor to Johannesburg, civil engineer Gregory Osugba, 35, called Mandela "an icon of greatness and freedom" for the entire African continent and the world.

"When he goes ... the symbol will remain," he said.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Flu reaches epidemic level in US - CDC

Influenza has officially reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with 7.3 percent of deaths last week caused by pneumonia and the flu, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

The early start and fast spread of flu this season - especially after 2011-2012's very mild outbreak - has overwhelmed doctors' offices and hospitals, forcing some patients to wait through the night to be seen in emergency departments.

Nine of the 10 U.S. regions had "elevated" flu activity last week, confirming that seasonal flu has spread across the country and reached high levels several weeks before the usual late January or February, CDC reported.

Only one region - the Southwest and California - had "normal" flu activity last week.

Tens of thousands of Americans die every year from flu, even in non-epidemic years. The threshold for an epidemic is that it causes more than 7.2 percent of deaths, but as yet there is no definitive count of the total caused by flu this year.

In Boston, flu cases are 10 times higher than they were last year, causing Mayor Thomas Menino to declare a public health emergency on Wednesday.

In Illinois, 24 hospitals struggling to cope with the flood of flu cases had to turn away people arriving in the emergency department, while in Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley Hospital outside Allentown has set up a tent for people who arrive with less-severe flu.

A total of 20 children have now died from this season's flu, up two from the previous week, the CDC said. That compares to 34 during the full 2011-2012 flu season and 282 during the severe 2009-2010 season.

The outbreak has led to attempts at prevention that go beyond the standard advice of getting vaccinated, avoiding contact with sick people and frequently washing hands with soap.

In Boston, the Catholic Archdiocese has told priests they could suspend the offering of communion wine using a shared chalice and bow rather than shake hands while exchanging the Sign of Peace, a Christian greeting.

Auxiliary Bishop Robert P. Deeley urged priests to use hand sanitizer before and after communion and to avoid touching congregants' tongues or hands. He said parishioners who were ill "should remain at home and return to church when they are well."

'MODERATELY EFFECTIVE' VACCINE

While flu vaccines offer protection, they are not failsafe.

This year's flu vaccine is 62 percent effective, scientists reported on Friday in the CDC's weekly publication, meaning that almost four in 10 people who receive the vaccine and are exposed to the virus will nevertheless become infected.

This is considered "moderate" effectiveness and is in line with previous years' flu vaccines, which range from 50 percent to 70 percent effective, Dr. Joseph Bresee, chief of the CDC's influenza division, told reporters.

Experts recommend the vaccine for everyone over 6 months of age. Even if it does not prevent flu, immunization can reduce the severity of the illness, preventing pneumonia and other life-threatening results of flu.

Public health authorities were correct in their forecast of which flu strains would emerge this season and therefore what vaccine to make: one that contains two strains of influenza A and one strain of influenza B. An A strain, called H3N2, predominates this season, though the B strain has caused about 20 percent of cases.

About 10 percent of cases have been caused by a B strain that is not in the vaccine, which "has space for only three strains," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said.

Dr. Arnold Monto of the University of Michigan, a co-author of the vaccine-effectiveness study told Reuters this year's vaccine was "a good vaccine, but not a great vaccine."

It is less effective for the frail elderly, for people receiving chemotherapy for cancer, and for people taking oral steroids, as their immune systems have been weakened and are often unable to produce an effective number of antibodies in response to the vaccine.

One reason flu vaccines are far from perfect, said Monto, is where in the body the viruses find a home - congregating on the surface of small airways in the respiratory tract, while virus-fighting antibodies that are stimulated by vaccines mostly stay in the bloodstream.

According to the most recent CDC data, 37 percent of Americans - 112 million people - had received the flu vaccine as of mid-November.

Of the 135 million doses produced this year, 128 million have been distributed to doctors' offices, drug stores, clinics and other facilities.

Although public health officials believe enough doses were produced, some spot shortages have developed. "You may have to call a few places," before finding one with vaccine, said the CDC's Bresee, "but it should be available."

MAY HAVE PEAKED

In its weekly flu update on Friday, the CDC reported that 24 of the 50 U.S. states as well as New York City had experienced "high activity" in flu-like illnesses last week. In 16 states, activity was moderate, while in 10 it was low or minimal.

The 24 states reporting high activity was down from 29 the previous week, raising hopes that the disease may have peaked in some regions, particularly the Southeast, and that a flu season that began early may also end early. It typically starts in December, peaks in January or February and peters out by late March or early April.

The percentage of visits to healthcare providers last week for flu-like illness - 4.3 percent - is comparable to that during the 2007-2008 flu season, which was characterized as "moderately severe" but which peaked some two months later. By comparison, in the 2009 H1N1 "swine" flu pandemic, 7.7 percent of visits were for flu-like illness.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Lindsay Lohan Stressful Arrest Caused Pain Beneath My Breasts

Lindsay Lohan believes getting arrested is bad for her health ... 'cause she's telling friends the stress from her NYC bust aggravated her pre-existing pneumonia so badly, she had to be hospitalized.

We broke the story .. Lohan was rushed to the emergency room in NYC Sunday night with a lung infection ... but was released a short time later.

Now, Lindsay's telling friends the arrest caused her so much anxiety, it landed her in the hospital -- exacerbating the "walking pneumonia" she's been suffering from the last few weeks.

That's right, Lindsay is blaming stress for her damaged lungs ... Lindsay, the infamous chain smoker who blew through 49 packs of cigarettes in 47 days while she stayed at the Chateau Marmont this summer.

Makes total sense.

source: tmz.com

Pneumonia tops killer diseases among children

MANILA, Philippines - If heart attack is the dreaded silent killer among adults, pneumonia can be considered its counterpart among children.

According to the World Health Organization, pneumonia is the leading cause of death among children worldwide.

Every year, around 150 million cases of pneumonia among children below 5 years old are recorded worldwide.

Pneumonia, a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs, causes almost 1 out 5 under-five deaths worldwide, according to UNICEF.

In its 2006 report, UNICEF found that pneumonia kills more children than any other disease—more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined.

Among five-year-olds in the Philippines, 2 out of every 10 suffer from pneumonia.

One of them is Liezel Cernechez’s 9-months old grandson, Baby Chris, was suffering from cold cough for days. Cernechez suspected that her grandson has pneumonia but could not confirm this since lack of funds kept her from bringing him to the hospital.

“In the Philippines, it’s in the top 10 leading causes of mortality and morbidity of all age group,” said Dr. Anjanette De Leon, a Pediatric Pulmonologist.

With the help of the Journo team, Cernechez was able to bring Baby Chris to the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center. After examining him, the doctors confirmed that Baby Chris indeed has moderate distress Pneumonia.

Cernechez blamed herself for what happened to her grandson. She recalled using cold water when she bathed Baby Chris, and said this might be gthe reason he caught pneumonia.

But experts proved her hypothesis false.

“Kasi ang problema is hindi alam ng tao kung ano yung pneumonia. Hindi nila alam kung ano ang nangyayari sa batang may pneumonia, paano gagamutin at saka kung paano ito nakukuha… Edukasyon, kulang pa rin ng tamang kaalaman ng mga magulang at tsaka ng mga tao sa ating paligid,” said Dr. De Leon.

According to WHO, pneumonia is caused by a number of infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Living in Payatas, Quezon City, Baby Chris could have gotten pneumonia from their environment.

“Minsan kasi ang pagkuha ng pneumonia ay droplet infection. So pag nasinghot ng isang bata ang mikrobyo, pwede ito pumunta sa ilong, pumunta sa daanan ng hangin at the same time, pumunta sa ating mga baga para apektuhan upang maging ganap na pneumonia ito,” explained Dr. De Leon.

Baby Chris, who was a premature baby, was an easy target of the respiratory disease. Deepening his vulnerability, he was breastfed for only three months.

“A healthy child has many natural defenses that protect its lungs from the invading pathogens that cause pneumonia. However, children and infants with compromised immune systems have weakened defenses. Undernourished children, particularly those not exclusively breastfed or with inadequate zinc intake, are at higher risk of developing pneumonia,” said the UNICEF report.

Discovered at the start of the century, pneumonia is now considered an old disease, especially in progressive countries where vaccines and antibiotics that fight pneumonia have been invented. But as a third-world country, the Philippines is still struggling to fight the killer disease.

“Ang pneumonia, gaya ng iba pang preventable diseases, ay sumasalamin lamang dun sa kung ano yung economic at social state nung isang community. Dahil ang mahirap na pamayanan ay ibig sabihin, hindi malusog na pamayanan… Ano yung nagiging salik kung bakit mas nagiging vulnerable sila? Yun nga yung kagutuman, kagutuman dahil sa kahirapan,” said Dr. Beng Reyes, Secretary-General of Health Alliance for Democracy.

Almost 5,000 Filipino children die of pneumonia every year. One of the reasons for these deaths, as experts point out, is the parents’ lack of knowledge about the disease.

“Halimbawa kasi sa edukasyon lang; kasi pag may simpleng ubo ka lang, simpleng lagnat, nagse-self-medicate ang marami sa mga caregivers natin o yung mga caretakers natin ng mga pasyente lalo na sa mga bata. Kung ano yung nabibili sa tindahan, kung ano yung pinapayo ng kapitbahay, yun ang ginagamot. At kapag nahihirapan nang huminga ang pasyente, malala na, saka palang dadalhin sa ospital,” Dr. Reyes said.

In 2009, WHO and UNICEF launched the Global Action Plan Against Pneumonia (GAPP), believing that “we can reduce child pneumonia deaths by two-thirds simply by scaling up existing interventions to prevent pneumonia infections, protect children from conditions that increase the risk of pneumonia and treat infections that do occur with life-saving antibiotics.”

The project aimed to save children from pneumonia-caused deaths through vaccines that prevent pneumonia or pneumonia-related illness, exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, and antibiotics.

Of the three, breastfeeding is the easier solution in the case of the Philippines, where vaccines and antibiotics are not free.

“Noon kung nasa private clinic lang, o eh di yun lang ang may kayang makaka-afford. Pag ang DOH na ang nagbigay, eh di ibig sabihin libre. Ngayon ang mga tao na lang ngayon ang kailangang sabihan na wag silang magpawalang bahala na kung ang gobyerno natin ay mayroong sinasabing makakapagbigay sila ng bakunang ito, ay i-take advantage nila. At sa lahat ng pagkakataon na makakakuha sila ng bakuna ay gawin nila, di ba?” said Dr. Lulu Bravo, Professor in Pediatrics at the University of the Philippines-Manila College of Medicine.

But the Department of Health is expecting to receive free vaccines this year, for delivery to barangay health centers nationwide. This is part of the P3.7- billion fund of the Health department for infectious diseases, such as pneumonia. But Dr. Reyes believes that this would still be insufficient to address the problem.

“Sa ngayon kasi napakaliit na porsyento nung budget ng health ang nilaan for the promotion of health and prevention of diseases… mga programa na bagamat sinasabi ng gobyerno na ito daw ang magso-solve ng malaking problema natin, may mga immediate problems kagaya ng pneumonia na dapat pagbuhusan nila ng pinaka-immediate na pondo para sa mga mas effective na program,” said Dr. Reyes.

source: interaksyon.com

Dolphy remains critical but stable

MANILA, Philippines -- King of Comedy Dolphy remains critical but stable as he continues to undergo treatment at the Makati Medical Center (MMC).

"Dolphy's condition remains critical but stable, and his vital organs continue to function well," doctors said in a medical bulletin released by MMC on Friday afternoon.

They added that the Comedy King continues to undergo dialysis sessions and treatment for pneumonia, his twelfth in almost a year.

"Dialysis procedure is being done today, after a very restful day yesterday. Treatment for his pneumonia is also being done, and we are all waiting for results of his response to the treatments," the bulletin read.

Meanwhile, 16 of Dolphy's children are in Manila to be by his side as he remains confined at the MMC's intensive care unit.

“Funny nga, agawan, madami kasi kami. Even Zsa Zsa said every moment now has to be enjoyed. She said that and I was already thinking of that days ago. We are happy,” said Ronnie Quizon, one of Dolphy’s sons.

Despite a prolonged confinement -- he was admitted to the hospital last month -- Dolphy continues to show signs of improvement, according to Quizon.

“There were moments when I said my goodbyes to my dad... everyone had closure but my dad is a fighter. Even the doctor said ‘Fighter talaga si Mang Dolphy,'” he said.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Dolphy hospitalized for almost one month

Birthday celebrations for veteran actor Rodolfo "Dolphy" Quizon will most likely be simple, as the Comedy King has been hospitalized for almost one month.

Dolphy's son Ronnie Quizon said they will have a family get-together to celebrate his father's 84th birthday on July 25, according to a report on GMA News’ Unang Balita on July 5.

Earlier, Dolphy's son Eric Quizon said they have no plans for a big celebration. "Usually ‘pag may malaking selebrasyon kami, doon siya nagkakasakit," Eric said in a previous report.

"Definitely, we will have something if he goes back home… We have a reason to celebrate," he added.

Doctors at the Makati Medical Center continue to monitor the condition of the Comedy King, who has pneumonia for the 12th time in the past month.

According to the report, Dolphy remains in critical condition, but is responding well to treatment.

Dolphy underwent dialysis and received blood transfusion on Monday, a previous report said.

Last week, his son Eric Quizon said the doctors may transfer Dolphy to a regular room.

Dolphy has been in the Intensive Care Unit since he was brought to the hospital on June 9. The 83-year-old has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). –Carmela G. Lapeña/KG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com