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A new study from CDC scientists shows that a dangerous strain of what some researchers have nicknamed a superbug is on the rise. The study, published on September 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examines a bacteria called NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE). Researchers found that, between 2019 and 2023, NDM-CRE infections surged by more than 460% in the U.S. These infections, which range from pneumonia to bloodstream and urinary tract infections, are extremely hard to treat and can be deadly due to their antibiotic-resistant propertieshence the name superbug. What is a superbug? A “superbug is a colloquial term for a strain of bacteria that has developed resistance to the drugs that were once able to kill it, particularly one that is spreading at a concerning rate. According to a January article from the CDC, antimicrobial resistance develops when drugslike antibiotics and antifungalspressure bacteria and fungi to adapt. These germs then develop resistance mechanisms in order to survive. Alarmingly, the CDC adds, antimicrobial-resistant germs can share their resistance mechanisms with other germs that have not been exposed to antibiotics or antifungals. Essentially, nightmare bacteria lead to infections that are very difficult for doctors to treat. What is NDM-CRE? NDM-CRE is a sub-group of the bacteria known as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), which are resistant to some of the strongest antibiotics available. A 2022 report from the CDC, COVID-19: U.S. Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance, showed that, in 2020 alone, CRE was responsible for 12,700 infections and 1,100 deaths in the U.S. The second part of the acronym, NDM, represents this strains particular properties. It stands for New Delhi metallo--lactamase, which, per the CDC, is an enzyme that makes these bacteria resistant to nearly all available antibiotics, leaving few treatment options. Why is an NDM-CRE infection so serious? NDM-CRE infection is dangerous for a number of reasons. To start, due to the strains former obscurity, many doctors may not suspect it when diagnosing CRE infections. Once it is identified, though, researchers told NBC News that there are just two antibiotics that work against the infection, though both are expensive and have to be administered by IV. Because of how difficult they are to treat, NDM-CRE infections are associated with high risks of morbidity and mortality. Why is it spreading? According to a September 23 article from the CDC, the exact reasons for the surge in NDM-CRE infections is unknown. However, the agency believes it may be related to gaps in infection control (like hand hygiene, wearing gloves, and proper disinfection in healthcare settings) and limited testing may be to blame. Many hospitals and clinics do not have the tools to rapidly detect NDM-CRE infections or the presence of these dangerous germs in patients who aren’t yet sick, the article explains. Delayed identification leads to slower treatment, increased transmission, and missed opportunities for infection control. What can be done? The CDC recommends four courses of action for healthcare providers to help contain the spread. These include staying informed about the rising threat of NDM-CRE; testing carbapenemase strains as quickly as possible in infected patients; prescribing antibiotics carefully; and following infection control protocol as closely as possible. The full breakdown can be found here.
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E-Commerce
Lately, the conversation about office policy has been dominated by reports of return-to-office mandates, with many employers aiming to get all of their workers back in-person by the end of the year. But a new study shows that, despite the best efforts of many RTO proponents, hybrid schedules represent a lasting shift in the way we workand employees like it that way. The study is the ninth annual State of Hybrid Work report from Owl Labs, a company that offers remote work tech like video conferencing. It found that, across industries, hybrid work isnt just a trend. Rather, its now become a priority that workers are often willing to trade compensation or quietly sacrifice productivity to protect. Here are three main takeaways from the data: When flexible work gets taken away, employees start looking for a way out A Resume Builder survey released in January found that nine in ten companies plan to require workers back in the office by the end of the year, with 30% already enforcing full five-day, in-office schedules. In the past several months, high profile companies like JPMorgan, TikTok, and Ford have implemented stricter RTO policies. Based on Owl Labs report, chances are pretty high that, once those new policies came into place, employees started looking a lot more closely at their LinkedIn Jobs page. Per the survey, 40% of employees reported that, if hybrid work were taken away, they would start job hunting. Another 22% said thatd expect a raise for the lost flexibility, while 5% said theyd quit on the spot. Some companies have already seen the impact of this trend: After Amazon implemented its RTO strategy late last year, more than half of its office workers started looking for new jobs. Hybrid workers have a clear preference on how many days to spend in the office Any company still working out its hybrid schedule has encountered one key question: How many days should we ask employees to come to work? The answer, according to Owl Labs, is fairly clear: Workers want to spend three days in the office, and two at home. Of the total respondents, 32% chose the three-day-a-week option, 24% voted for two, and only 14% voted for four. Quiet quitting is real; quiet vacationing is not quite as common Buzzwords like job hugging, job hopping, and clock-blocking have become popular ways to describe workplace trends, but it can sometimes be tricky to parse which are real practices and which are just passing fads. Owl Labs looked into some of the most popular terms to see which have been proven out, especially among hybrid workers. One trend that appears to be here to stay is polyworking, or juggling multiple jobs at once. Owl Labs found that 31% of hybrid workers have at least one additional job, compared to 27% of in-office workers. Coffee-badging, or showing up in-person just long enough to be seen by colleagues, is also common: 43% of hybrid employees said they show up to work just to get a bit of face time. Some much-hyped trends are less common in actuality. Only 17% of workers said theyd tried (and would try again) quiet vacationing, the art of taking time off without actually using vacation days. Meanwhile, though, 32% of employees said theyd engaged in quiet quittingwhich refers to performing only the bare minimum requirements of ones’ job to avoid getting fired. One rising trend that may become more popular, Owl Labs notes, is unbossing, which occurs when workers intentionally dodge management positions to focus on individual career progression versus managing others.
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E-Commerce
Two U.S. senators sent a letter to Tinder parent Match on Wednesday, pushing for action against dating scams on the company’s platforms and asking for information about its efforts to detect fraud and protect its users. In a letter to Match CEO Spencer Rascoff, Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan and Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn asked the company to provide documents about its policies and procedures related to fraudulent activity on its platforms. Romance scams often involve fraudsters creating alluring but fake profiles on dating apps, stringing along victims for weeks or months before asking for gifts or money. “We are also concerned that Match, through its algorithmic design, creates trust that romance scammers can exploit,” the senators wrote. Cybercrime of all stripes cost victims over $16 billion globally last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in an April report, including hundreds of millions of dollars in losses caused by romance scams. The senators have given Match, which also operates Hinge and OkCupid, until October 15 to provide evidence that it has made efforts to prevent romance scams and the factors that allow such fraud to occur on its platforms. Match said in an emailed statement to Reuters that it was looking forward to “constructive conversations” with the senators. “In recent years, we have made significant investments in advanced fraud detection, cutting-edge safety features, and expanded partnerships with law enforcement, industry, and civil society groups to better safeguard our communities,” said Yoel Roth, Match’s Trust & Safety head. Match has previously been caught in regulatory crosshairs, with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission alleging in 2019 that the company knowingly sent automated advertisements via Match.com with expressions of interest from accounts that it knew were likely fake. The Department of Justice closed its investigation related to the FTC lawsuit in 2020. Match has rolled out new features such as “face check” to detect fake profiles and prevent impersonation. Kritika Lamba, Juby Babu, and Steve Stecklow, Reuters
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E-Commerce
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