On what should have been a triumphant moment, Sweden's new Health Minister Elisabet Lann collapsed mid‐press conference in a surprising turn of events captured live on camera.

On Tuesday, 9 September 2025, just hours after being appointed, Lann fainted unexpectedly during her inaugural press briefing, creating a scene fraught with concern and urgency.

The footage shows the 48-year-old abruptly slumping forward and toppling a transparent lectern as colleagues and journalists rushed to assist. Though she later returned to address the media, attributing the episode to a sudden drop in blood sugar, the incident sparked a wider conversation about why such collapses are happening more often and how to respond when they do.

What Actually Happened?

Lann’s episode appears to be hypoglycaemia, a condition where blood sugar levels drop below 4 mmol/L. This can happen to people with diabetes or, more rarely, to those without it if they have not eaten enough, are dehydrated, or are under extreme stress.

NHS UK notes that the common symptoms include sweating, shaking, dizziness, tingling lips, blurred vision, heart palpitations, or confusion. In severe cases, the person may have a seizure or lose consciousness, as Lann did. The key difference? People who faint from low blood sugar usually regain consciousness quickly once they receive sugar or food.

Not an Isolated Incident

Podium collapses are not as rare as they once were. In 2022, UK journalist Kate McCann fainted during a live televised debate between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. In the US, political adviser Alex Bruesewitz collapsed during a Young Republicans event in December 2024, regaining consciousness soon after. Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia also collapsed mid-speech earlier this year but was able to continue after receiving help.

These incidents are unnerving but often end without lasting harm, provided the cause is something like hypoglycaemia, dehydration, or a vasovagal syncope (a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure leading to fainting).

The Other, Deadlier Side

While some collapses are temporary, others can be fatal. The sports world and public spaces have seen several tragic cases where apparently healthy individuals collapse and never get back up.

Moustapha Sylla (21), Footballer for RC Abidjan who collapsed mid-match and died.

Costa Tsobanoglou (27), South African rapper who collapsed during a live performance.

A badminton player in Oman, Collapsed and died during a game, footage went viral.

Mumbai cardiologist also collapsed in a hospital corridor while working, caught on CCTV.

Dr. Sreeram Gopalakrishnan, cardiologist at Aster Clinic, explains, as reported by Khaleej Times:

“Sudden cardiac arrest strikes without warning. It can affect young and apparently healthy people. Sometimes there are warning signs, fainting during exercise, chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, or unexplained seizures, but often the first sign is the collapse itself.”

Unlike fainting from low blood sugar, a person in cardiac arrest does not regain consciousness on their own. Immediate CPR and defibrillation are crucial within minutes to prevent death.

How to Tell the Difference

What To Do in Each Case

If you suspect low blood sugar or fainting:

• Lay the person flat and raise their legs.
• Give them a quick sugar source (juice, glucose tablets, candy) if they are alert.
• Allow them to rest and recover.

If you suspect sudden cardiac arrest:

• Check responsiveness and breathing.
• Call emergency services immediately.
• Begin CPR (chest compressions at 100–120 per minute).
• Use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) if available.

Note: This is only to be done if you are equipped in emergency situation. If not, call for emergency medical help.

Physiotherapists can no longer put ‘Dr’ prefix in their identification. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in India has issued a new order telling all physiotherapists to stop using the "Dr." title before their names. This is because the DGHS believes it is a violation of a law from 1916 called the Indian Medical Degrees Act. They want to make it very clear that only medical doctors should use this title.

Why Can Some Medical Professionals Not Use ‘Dr’?

The DGHS is worried that using the "Dr." title might confuse people. When a patient sees this prefix, they might think the physiotherapist is a full medical doctor who can diagnose illnesses. This is a problem because physiotherapists are not trained to diagnose medical conditions, and giving a person the wrong advice could make their health worse. For this reason, the DGHS says that physiotherapists should only treat patients who have already been seen and referred by a medical doctor.

Why Is There Pushback Against New Directive on ‘Dr’ Prefix?

This new order is confusing because it goes against a recent announcement. Just a few months ago, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) had said that physiotherapists would be allowed to use the "Dr." prefix as part of their new curriculum for 2025. This means there are now two different government bodies giving opposite instructions.

The DGHS's new order is based on a long history of legal decisions. Their letter points to rulings from various courts and medical councils that have always said the "Dr." title is a special title reserved only for specific medical practitioners, such as those in modern medicine, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, and Unani. The DGHS is now officially asking for the "Dr." prefix to be removed from the new physiotherapy curriculum and for a different, more suitable title to be used instead.

Who Can Use ‘Dr’ Prefix In India?

According to the Indian Medical Association, as per the Supreme Court of India, a "quack" is a person who practices a system of medicine they are not qualified in. In India, there are three main recognized systems of medicine:

• Modern Medicine (Allopathy)
• AYUSH (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani)
• Homeopathy

Different laws govern each of these systems, and a person is only allowed to practice the specific system they are qualified in. The "Dr." title is legally reserved for practitioners of these three recognized systems.

California is once again seeing COVID-19 climb back into the headlines, with test positivity rates nearly doubling since late July, even as hospitalizations remain far below levels seen in previous summers. While some counties suggest the wave may be peaking, health experts warn the coming fall and winter could bring a much more challenging season for infections, hospital strain, and vaccine availability.

COVID-19 Levels Rising, But Milder Than Previous Years

Statewide data show California’s test positivity rate hit 12.8% for the week ending August 30, up sharply from 7% at the start of the month. Los Angeles County, which historically sees some of the state’s highest case counts, reported an even higher positivity rate at 14.8%, compared with 9.3% just four weeks earlier.

Wastewater surveillance, now one of the most reliable early indicators of community spread, shows elevated levels of coronavirus in multiple regions, including Santa Clara County, Northern California’s most populous county, where viral concentrations remain in the “high” category.

Despite the rise, this summer’s surge has been relatively mild compared with prior years. COVID-19 hospital admissions statewide have increased to 3.93 per 100,000 residents, up from 2.38 in early August. But hospitalization levels remain much lower than in the summer surges of 2023 and 2024.

“This is not the kind of severe surge we saw during previous pandemic years,” L.A. County’s Department of Public Health said in a statement. “But it is still enough to disrupt workplaces, schools, and daily life.”

Signs of a Possible Plateau

While statewide metrics remain high, there are early indicators that the current wave may be leveling off. In Orange County, positivity rates dropped from 18% in mid-August to 13.1% at the end of the month. Wastewater data in Los Angeles County also show a slight week-over-week decline.

San Francisco reported a similar trend: its positivity rate dipped to 8.1% after peaking at 8.7% the week prior, though it remains significantly higher than the 5.8% seen in early August.

Health officials caution that these declines could be temporary, and a return to schools and workplaces after summer holidays may affect transmission patterns.

Uncertain Outlook for Fall and Winter

Even if the summer wave continues to slow, epidemiologists warn that California is not necessarily in the clear. Historically, respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, intensify during colder months when people spend more time indoors.

State health models have left open two possible scenarios: either a stronger summer wave followed by a quieter winter or a mild summer followed by a more significant winter surge. “We are preparing for the possibility of a more severe wave later this year,” the California Department of Public Health said in July.

Vaccine Access Emerging as a Major Challenge

The biggest shift this year is not just viral activity, but how Californians can access vaccines. Federal policy changes under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal vaccine skeptic, have restricted eligibility for the latest COVID-19 shots.

The Food and Drug Administration now authorizes COVID-19 vaccines primarily for people 65 and older and those with certain underlying health conditions. Adults under 65 who wish to get vaccinated must either provide documentation of a qualifying condition or sign an attestation at a pharmacy.

Public health experts worry these new hurdles could suppress uptake just as protection from earlier doses wanes. “Barriers to vaccine access, even minor ones, can lead to fewer people getting immunized, which increases the risk of larger outbreaks,” said one infectious disease specialist at UCLA.

West Coast Pushes Back With Alternative Guidance

In response, California has joined Washington, Oregon, and now Hawaii to form the West Coast Health Alliance, a regional pact aimed at issuing independent, science-based guidance on vaccines. State officials hope this will reassure residents and counter mixed messaging from federal authorities.

However, it remains unclear whether this alliance will improve actual access to shots at major pharmacy chains, where most Americans receive their vaccines. Medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, are also issuing their own recommendations to guide individuals and families.

California’s current COVID-19 wave is not yet overwhelming hospitals, but the rise in cases serves as a warning ahead of the fall and winter respiratory season. Health experts recommend Californians stay alert to local data, consider masking in crowded indoor settings, and speak with their healthcare providers about vaccine eligibility, especially those with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.

With vaccination policy now more fragmented than at any time since the pandemic began, public health agencies stress that timely communication will be key. Whether California can maintain relatively low hospitalization rates through winter may depend as much on clear access to vaccines as on the trajectory of the virus itself.

A decade-old clip of Fox News host Greg Gutfeld has resurfaced recently. In that video, Gutfeld can be seen fiercely defending vaccines, and calling out Donald Trump for spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric. The video that made waves is going viral again, sparking fresh debate over how the right’s stance on public health has shifted in the years since.

The resurfaced clip, originally aired on The Five in September 2015, shows Gutfeld taking direct aim at then-candidate Trump, who had linked vaccines to autism during a Republican primary debate. “This is a really bad thing to happen to the Republican Party, an anti, hysterical anti-science point of view about vaccines,” Gutfeld said at the time. “Using the anecdote with a child is destructive and it’s ignorant because it’s not science.”

He didn’t hold back, calling the claim “stupid,” “dangerous,” and “bad for Republicans.”

A Clip From the Past: Why Is It Relevant Today?

The clip was compiled and circulated by Media Matters for America this week, drawing attention to how starkly Gutfeld’s position appears to have shifted since those pre-Trump years. The timing of its resurgence is no accident: it comes as Gutfeld has recently thrown his support behind Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the most prominent vaccine skeptics in American politics.

Kennedy, who was confirmed to the post earlier this year with unanimous Democratic opposition, has since pushed out top vaccine officials from federal agencies, including the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. His tenure has seen a wave of resignations from CDC scientists and a renewed push to examine debunked theories linking vaccines and autism, a position rejected by decades of research.

Gutfeld Then vs. Gutfeld Now

In 2015, Gutfeld used one of his sharpest analogies to dismantle the idea that vaccines cause autism:

“It’s a false causal argument to say because vaccines and autism symptoms appear at the same time, ergo, the vaccines cause autism,” he said. “That’s the same as saying, you know, when you have ice cream and you get sunburns in the summertime, therefore ice cream causes sunburns.”

Fast-forward to 2025, and Gutfeld is singing a different tune, reports several media outlet, in fact, his own statements echoes that of the HHS leader.

In January, during Kennedy’s confirmation process, Gutfeld praised him as “passionate,” “persuasive,” and “not woke.” While he conceded that Kennedy’s views on vaccines “seem more reliant on his gut instinct than science,” Gutfeld ultimately told viewers, “If I were in the Senate, and who’s to say I’m not?...I would vote for him. All Republicans should say yes.”

By September, his tone had grown even warmer. On The Five last week, Gutfeld defended Kennedy after a tense Senate hearing, framing Democrats as “unglued” in their criticism of the HHS secretary and presenting Kennedy’s ousting of the CDC director as justified.

“Junior says it’s time for new blood at the health agency after they failed Americans during COVID,” Gutfeld said on air, with no hint of the skepticism that once defined his coverage of vaccine conspiracies.

A New Shift, But At Health's Cost

The resurfaced clip is more than just a personal contradiction, it’s a reflection of Fox News’ broader transformation over the last decade. In 2015, the network was still somewhat divided on Trump’s rise and occasionally hosted sharp criticism of his more controversial claims. But as Trump cemented his hold over the Republican Party and conservative media, Fox News’ editorial line increasingly aligned with his agenda.

Today, vaccine skepticism is a recurring theme on the network, often framed as a matter of personal freedom rather than public health. Gutfeld’s evolution from calling vaccine misinformation “dangerous” to defending one of the country’s most prominent vaccine skeptics underscores that shift.

Why It Resonates Now

The clip’s resurgence resonates in a moment where public health policy remains politically charged. COVID-19’s aftermath, declining vaccination rates for children, and growing partisan divides over science and medicine have brought vaccine debates back into the spotlight.

For critics, Gutfeld’s change of heart exemplifies how leading conservative voices have moved from defending science to embracing figures who question it. For supporters, it shows a willingness to challenge the “establishment” health bureaucracy, even if it means revisiting debunked theories.

Fox News did not respond to a request for comment on the resurfaced clip, reported The Wrap.