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This study evaluates the impact of preferred information sources on Medicare beneficiaries' perception of COVID-19 severity compared with flu and examines factors influencing preventive health behaviors using the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) winter 2021. Medicare beneficiaries who primarily relied on traditional news, guidance from government officials, and healthcare providers, beneficiaries who were female, older than 65 years, metro residence, or living in the West were more likely to believe that the COVID-19 is more severe than flu and take vaccine than their counterparts. Compared to White, Black and Hispanic were more likely to agree with COVID-19 severity, but less likely to take vaccine. Factors associated with preventive health behavior utilization included perceived severity of COVID-19, primary information source, gender, race, language, annual income, and chronic health conditions. It is crucial to provide accurate information in lay terms to help people understand the importance of taking preventative actions against COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of an abnormal P terminal force of the P wave in lead V1 (PTFV1) was demonstrated on the initial electrocardiograms in 69 of the 200 patients with transmural acute myocardial infarction. 61.5% of the total cases with a lethal outcome during hospitalization belonged to this group. The mortality of the patients who presented this ECG sign of left atrial hypertension at the onset was 53.7%, thus differing significantly from that in patients without the sign (22.1%). The PTFV1 anomaly has a prognostic value in patients without complications as well as in those with heart failure at the onset of the disease. The appearance during hospitalization of major arrhythmias and disturbances of conduction and of sudden death is significantly correlated to the presence of abnormal PTFV1 on the admission electrocardiograms.