The next step in beating the COVID-19 pandemic may be stepped up contact tracing and quarantine of people who’ve had contact with Covid-positive individuals. However, many people see that as too expensive and intrusive to be practical. An expert discusses how it might work, and how it might not.
Face Masks And Breathing
Some people insist that wearing a face mask smothers them and makes them feel like they’re not getting enough air. An expert discusses what might be going wrong and lays out the basics on how to wear a mask without needing to come up for air.
Protecting Your Eyes From Summer UV Rays
Summer is when people want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Skin protection and sunscreen are something most of us consider, but overexposure to UV rays is extremely dangerous to the eyes as well. An expert discusses.
Why Women Are Genetically Stronger
Women may have been known through the centuries as the weaker sex, but researchers have learned that they are anything but weak. Their 2 X chromosomes are both active and cooperate with each other, especially in immune response. An expert discusses new findings on their genetic superiority.
Androgens And COVID-19
For people under about age 70, COVID-19 is much harder on men than on women, especially those with strong male characteristics like scalp balding and plentiful body hair. A group of researchers has a theory as to why—that male hormones provide the virus with an entry into the cell. One of the researchers discusses what that could mean in terms of treatment.
The Loss Of Rituals
Spring is the season of rituals—prom, graduation, commencement and weddings. Social distancing has taken most of these rituals away. An expert discusses the importance of rituals in our mental health and why it’s OK to grieve their loss. She also discusses how changing rituals can be successful save for the tragic loss of funerals.
Telemedicine Finally Gets Its Chance
Doctor’s appointments via smartphone have been available for some time but were little used except in remote areas due to insurance reluctance. Now telemedicine has been forced on us and on insurers by COVID-19 restrictions, and many providers swear by them. Three experts discuss.
Nursing Homes Try to Fend Off COVID-19
Nursing homes have been a hotbed of fatal COVID-19 infections. The virus was loose in many of them before they could even know it. An industry expert discusses what nursing homes are doing now to keep the virus out and their patients safe.
Rules For Who Lives, Who Dies in the Pandemic
A lack of ventilators potentially puts doctors in the position of deciding which of their COVID-19 patients get a ventilator and live, and which ones don’t get one and die. New rules for making such decisions have been released which are designed to be fair and independent. The designer of the rules explains.
Staying Fit While Staying Home
The national effort to shelter in place has closed gyms and led many people to complain of weight gain. Two exercise experts discuss how people can maintain fitness at home with no equipment.
Foreign Accent Syndrome
People who suddenly speak with what sounds like a foreign accent often have a brain injury due to a stroke or other trauma. Experts discuss the syndrome and chances of recovery.
Easing Coronavirus Stress
Virtually no one in the US has been unaffected by the coronavirus pandemic, and stress is at high levels. A public health and brain expert discusses why “sheltering in place” is so important in spite of the stress it generates, and a few simple steps to ease the stress.
Kidney Disease And High Blood Pressure
Most people who have kidney disease are not aware of it. In fact, nearly half of people with severe kidney disease don’t know it. Kidney disease is often silent, and one of its main risk factors, high blood pressure, is silent as well. The head of the NIH’s kidney research organization discusses this major public health issue and what people should look for to receive early intervention.
The Effect of Public Policies on the Coronavirus Fight
The effectiveness of efforts to contain coronavirus often depend on governmental policies determined years or even decades ago that, at the time, had nothing to do with public health. A health policy expert discusses some of these policies and what they mean for coronavirus testing and treatment.
Intermittent Fasting
Studies show that by this time of year, most of us have failed new year’s resolutions to lose weight. A noted expert discusses how most people get in trouble with obesity and a more reasonable way to try to lose weight than most people follow.
