Alive & In Color - The BLK+Cross

Alive & In Color - The BLK+Cross A movement for the community, by the community, towards a thriving future.

Epilepsy medications such as Levetiracetam (leh-vuh-tuh-RASS-eh-tam) and Lamotrigine (luh-MOH-tri-jeen) are effective at...
05/25/2026

Epilepsy medications such as Levetiracetam (leh-vuh-tuh-RASS-eh-tam) and Lamotrigine (luh-MOH-tri-jeen) are effective at controlling seizures, but many patients do not take them consistently as prescribed.

Staying on schedule and improving patient education can significantly reduce seizure risk and improve overall quality of life.

Water is a community resource, and right now it's under pressure. This week's Watch spotlights the hidden water cost of ...
05/25/2026

Water is a community resource, and right now it's under pressure.

This week's Watch spotlights the hidden water cost of AI data centers and what accountability looks like when communities are left holding the bill, plus maternal mental health, public health preparedness, misinformation, local history, and the power of creativity.

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Skipping fruits and veggies might not hurt today… but over time it can increase your risk for serious diseases. Stay ah...
05/21/2026

Skipping fruits and veggies might not hurt today… but over time it can increase your risk for serious diseases. Stay ahead of it!


Creator of the Newsletter, The Research Roundup, Shared news of a recent medical break through. Check out page to subs...
05/20/2026

Creator of the Newsletter, The Research Roundup, Shared news of a recent medical break through. Check out page to subscribe to their free newsletter.
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Hot off the presses from the New England Journal of Medicine with some good news! A new double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on Ensitrelvir (Xocova) a Japanese antiviral approved for treating COVID since 2022 (emergency approval) and then fully approved in 2024 has been studied and found to be successful as a post-COVID exposure prophylaxis. While it is not a silver bullet or 100% effective, it helps fill a gap that so many of us are in!

In this study of over 2,000 household contacts, 9% who received the placebo within 72 hours of their housemate developing symptoms and testing positive for COVID became symptomatic and tested positive as well. Whereas, only 3% who received the 5-day course of Ensitrelvir within 72 hours did.

Important caveats/a few limitations that are worth noting: the trial population was nearly fully some form of “pre-immune” (98%+ vaccinated or previously infected) and absolute infection rates were low overall. The drug also requires access within 72 hours of exposure and is not yet FDA-approved in the US, but we should get an updated on this in June. They also didn’t count asymptomatic cases - if they had it would be a 34% risk reduction rather than 67% reduction of symptomatic infections.

*I disagree with the second paragraph on the second slide as everyone is at risk for COVID/Long COVID but included to show how it is being marketed

Study: Ensitrelvir for Covid-19 Postexposure Prophylaxis in Household Contacts

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2509306

🔗: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2509306

Article: At last, a pill that can prevent COVID after exposure to infected people: Drug arrives years after pandemic’s peak, but could still offer protection to vulnerable populations.

🔗: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01546-0

Your gut does more than just digest food. It plays a role in how you feel every day. The gut and brain are connected thr...
05/20/2026

Your gut does more than just digest food. It plays a role in how you feel every day.

The gut and brain are connected through what is known as the gut-brain axis, meaning your gut health can influence mood, stress, and overall mental well-being.

Supporting your gut with the right foods can be a strong first step in prevention. When that is not enough, medications like probiotics or antidepressants may be used to help manage symptoms.

Taking care of your gut is another way to take care of your mind.

Hello all! We'd like to introduce you to, Zachary Pugh, a recent AAIC intern and Public Health graduate from Georgia St...
05/19/2026

Hello all! We'd like to introduce you to, Zachary Pugh, a recent AAIC intern and Public Health graduate from Georgia State University.

Zach currently works as a pharmacy technician and through his experience, he recognized a gap in pharmaceutical literacy. Many people do not fully understand their medications, how they work, or how to use them safely.

To help address that gap, Zach created a series for AAIC Social Media to provide clear, simple, and useful medication information to better inform and support the community: Zach’s Pharma Tips.

We're so excited to share this series with you throughout the coming month and look forward to your feedback!

When communities show up for each other, the load gets lighter, and making change gets easier. This week's Watch spotlig...
05/18/2026

When communities show up for each other, the load gets lighter, and making change gets easier.

This week's Watch spotlights how senior volunteers are quietly becoming the most active demographic, the air quality report stating half of America's kids are living in toxic air, the impact of weaving mental health care into everyday community spaces, and more.

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When gun violence follows people into the spaces built to care for them, the entire community pays the cost.Hospitals sa...
05/14/2026

When gun violence follows people into the spaces built to care for them, the entire community pays the cost.

Hospitals save lives. But for 25 years, incidents of gun violence have increased at their doorstep. A new JAMA study found hospital shootings have risen over 6% per year, with parking lots, ERs, and hospital floors among the most common sites.

This , think of those who work to heal others and call for the safe environment every patient and doctor deserves.
Check the link in bio to read more.

This National Hospital Week, honor the folks on the front lines of care by protecting yourself!Here's a reminder: Rese...
05/13/2026

This National Hospital Week, honor the folks on the front lines of care by protecting yourself!

Here's a reminder: Research published in Eurosurveillance found that people who got a COVID vaccine had less than half the hospitalization rate of those who didn't and were less likely to develop long COVID, miss work, or face serious complications.

Check the link in bio to read more.

When AANHPI communities are supported, seen, and protected, we all move forward together. This week's Watch honors Asian...
05/11/2026

When AANHPI communities are supported, seen, and protected, we all move forward together.

This week's Watch honors Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month alongside the policies and pressures those communities are navigating right now. We're also revisiting the legacy and unfinished work of Brown v. Board, online health misinformation, new research on the link between COVID vaccines and hospitalization, and more!

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Didn’t our parents say the withholding of facts is also a lie? Science is important and the truth matters. R/p The FDA ...
05/06/2026

Didn’t our parents say the withholding of facts is also a lie? Science is important and the truth matters. R/p
The FDA blocked publication of research that found widely used Covid-19 and shingles vaccines were safe. The studies, which cost millions of dollars in public funds, analyzed millions of patient records. Researchers found serious side effects to be very rare.

The withdrawal of the studies is the latest step by the administration to try to limit access to vaccines. It has sharply cut research funding for vaccine development, released unvetted information casting doubt on vaccines, and blocked other information supporting their safety.

At the link in our bio, read more about what the studies found. Photo by

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