This is one of those silver lining sorts of things: The COVID pandemic appears to have at least temporarily reduced the incidence of tuberculosis, a highly infectious disease spread by airborne droplets that can cause serious illness, primarily in the lungs.

Reported TB cases have been declining in recent years, from more than 16,000 in 2000 to 8,000 in 2021, but it's estimated up to 13 million Americans are living with latent TB. (The bacterium lives in their bodies but doesn't make them sick.)

The case count dropped most precipitously during the first years of the COVID pandemic, probably due to underdiagnosis and efforts like masking and social distancing that reduced infectious disease transmission.

Since 2021, TB incidence has partially rebounded. Public health experts are urging a renewed effort to test and treat, which remains a global menace, killing approximately 1.5 million people worldwide in 2020.

CBD Also TBD

Major food makers are clamoring to produce and market foods and drinks containing cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive ingredient found in marijuana that many purport possesses therapeutic properties.

But so far, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration isn't high on the idea. Currently, CBD is technically illegal in food products and dietary supplements, but the FDA appears to be softening its stance on the latter.

"They seem to concede that there should be a pathway for dietary supplements, but they seem opposed to food and beverages," Jonathan Miller of the Hemp Roundtable, which lobbies for companies that produce CBD products, told STAT.

Any change, however, would likely require congressional approval.

Body of Knowledge

Americans eat a lot of protein, more meat (219 pounds per person per year) than any other country. Much of that excess protein is secreted in urine, which researchers say is causing environmental problems because the nitrogen load can find its way into rivers, lakes and even the atmosphere, where it can lead to algae blooms and even acid rain.

Get Me That, Stat!

A CDC study found that nearly 42% of people who said they had never contracted COVID-19 possessed antibodies for the disease, indicating they had been infected but possibly asymptomatic.

Stories for the Waiting Room

Between 1936 and the late 1950s, an estimated 50,000 lobotomies were performed in the United States, at least 3,500 by one man: Walter Jackson Freeman, dubbed the father of the lobotomy.

The surgical procedure involved severing nerve pathways in parts of the brain from other parts of the brain in the belief that it would ameliorate symptoms in patients with mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Lobotomies were never proven effective, and the fatality rate was approximately 14%. The emergence of effective medications ended the era of lobotomies. Freeman was banned from performing surgery in 1967, following the death of a patient who had already endured two previous lobotomies by him.

Phobia of the Week

Arachibutyrophobia: fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of the mouth

Food for Thought

For many folks, Christmas continues the tradition of sitting down to a big meal or three. Specifics vary, but odds are, it was an immoveable feast (the immoveable part being you after you've finished gorging).

Here's the calorie and nutritional count for a traditional plate:

One turkey leg with skin: 213 calories, 0 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fat, 28 grams protein

Mashed potatoes with gravy: 280 calories, 39 carbs, 12g fat, 4.1g protein

Moist stuffing: 352 calories, 43.6g carbs, 16.8g fat, 6.28g protein

Green bean casserole: 227 calories, 20g carbs, 15.4g fat, 4.3g protein

Cranberry sauce: 105 calories, 22g carbs, 0.1g fat, 0.1g protein

Dinner roll: 84 calories, 14.11g carbs, 2.04g fat, 2.35g protein

Tablespoon of butter: 102 calories, 0.01g carbs, 11.52g fat, 0.12g protein

Slice of pumpkin pie: 323 calories, 42.04g carbs, 14.63g fat, 6.01g protein

Slice of pecan pie: 503 calories, 63.68g carbs, 27.08g fat, 5.98g protein

Scoop of ice cream: 210 calories, 22g carbs, 13g fat, 2g protein

These estimates are based on average-size servings. They don't account for extra big or extra helpings, or the gastronomic wonder of Aunt May's apple, bacon and fennel stuffing. Nor do they include counts for sugar and salt.

The recommended daily calorie intake for adult men is 2,500 and 2,000 for adult women. Nutritionists suggest 45% to 65% of total calories come from carbohydrates, 20% to 35% from fat and 10% to 35% from protein.

If you eat the meal above, you will consume approximately 2,400 calories, 266 grams of carbohydrates, 113 grams of fat and 59 grams of protein — not so bad if you skipped a meal or two in anticipation of seconds.

Best Medicine

Doctors don't worry about the bird flu because it's tweetable.

Observation

"I never dreamed that six months later, when anybody who wanted the vaccine could get it, that 50 million people weren't and still aren't (vaccinated). I never saw that coming. And the consequences of that are all around us now. And it continues." — Former National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins on the availability and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines

Medical History

This week in 1985, Mary Lund of Minnesota became the first woman to receive a Jarvik-7 artificial heart, following the first transplant into Barney Clark by almost exactly three years. Lund died a year later from a viral infection that that caused her own heart to fail.

Medical Myths

The notion that one needs to wait 30 minutes after eating before going swimming doesn't hold water. The premise was that your body diverted blood and energy to digestion, disrupting the function of your limbs. But it's really not enough to matter, apart from maybe a minor cramp. In fact, endurance swimmers often consume food midswim.

More important: Don't drink alcohol while swimming. According to the CDC, alcohol plays a role in up to 70% of water recreation-related deaths.

Last Words

"It is not painful, Paetus." — Arria, the wife of Aulus Caecina Paetus. In 42 CE, Aulus was condemned to death but given permission to kill himself. When he hesitated to do so, his wife stabbed herself first and handed the dagger to him.

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: DarkoStojanovic at Pixabay