Why the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is so much more transmissible than previous variants remains an ongoing topic of scientific inquiry, but one clue has emerged: It's much better at traveling through the air.

In a Hong Kong University study, research found that over the first 24 hours, omicron multiplied roughly 70 times faster in the respiratory tract than the delta variant, but when they ran the same experiments with lung tissue, omicron was worse at infecting lung cells than previous variants.

That suggests that omicron more easily causes infections because it simply overwhelms in numbers. It may also help explain why omicron doesn't produce as severe sickness as other variants do.

Air, Apparently, Part 2

Exercise builds bigger, stronger bodies, but it can be hard on the brain if it's done in polluted air. A study of more than 8,000 people found that air pollution was associated with a decrease in brain volume and health.

"This study shows that air pollution is associated with worse brain health, including white matter lesions, which are linked with increased risk of stroke and neurodegenerative disease," said study author Melissa Furlong at the University of Arizona.

"We observed that the benefits of physical activity on white matter lesions in the brain significantly diminished as air pollution increased, so that there was no benefit of physical activity on these white matter lesions for people in areas with the highest levels of air pollution. This new analysis underscores the importance of re-evaluating emissions standards, since even low levels of air pollution can affect the brain."

Body of Knowledge

There can be a lot less of you and you might still survive. It's possible to live without a stomach, spleen, 75% of the liver, 80% of the intestines, one kidney, one lung and virtually every organ from the pelvic and groin area. You're not going to feel great, but the missing organs might not kill you.

Get Me That, Stat!

Four out of five vaccinated Americans say they would wear a mask inside public places, thanks to the omicron variant, according to a new survey, but only 63% of people who are not vaccinated say they would mask up. Frustration levels of the former with the latter are estimated to be 100%.

Counts

750,000: Estimated number of U.S. residents who travel abroad each year to get medical care, attracted by lower costs, shorter wait times and fewer medical requirements

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Doc Talk

Cyanotic: when a patient's skin and mucous membranes are bluish in color from an inadequate supply of oxygen in the blood

Phobia of the Week

Blennophobia: fear of mucus and other slimy substances

Best Medicine

Old age is when your old classmates are so gray, wrinkled and bald that they no longer recognize you.

Observation

"If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food." — Errick McAdams

Medical History

This week in 1988, Retin-A got a boost when a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association said the anti-acne drug could also reduce wrinkles caused by exposure to the sun.

Sum Body

The 10 most expensive medical bills sustained by Homer Simpson, according to Mental Floss and the law firm Downtown LA Law Group:

No. 1: Brain damage: $1,525,500

No. 2: Paralysis: $508,904

No. 3: Radiation exposure: $150,000

No. 4: Skull fracture: $100,000

No. 5: Loss of consciousness: $80,000

No. 6: Multiple broken bones: $48,000

No. 7: Electrocuted/electrical burns: $46,540

No. 8: Thumb amputation: $40,000

No. 9: Fracture: $39,041

No. 10: Heart attack: $38,500

The legal team scrutinized Homer's 50 most notable injuries over more than 700 episodes. They estimated his total lifetime medical bills to be approximately $141 million and speculated that his consistent pattern of poor choices made it unlikely he had either health or life insurance.

Medical Myths

Men are not more susceptible to heart disease than women. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death for both sexes. The difference is that women are affected later in life than men because estrogen is protective against heart disease, but levels drop after menopause.

Last Words

"I don't feel well. I don't think we should go on." — Actor Stephen Boyd (1931-1977, played Messala in "Ben-Hur" opposite Charlton Heston). Boyd was playing golf with his wife when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: neelam279 at Pixabay