Medical Notes: August 28, 2022
Are robots helping or hurting the human workforce; Rewarding someone for a job well done may be a mistake; Pregnant women no longer have to give up caffeine; One more reason to get your eight hours of sleep each night.
How Has Covid-19 Shaped the Public Response to Monkeypox?
Public health agencies have issued safety recommendations, but with growing mistrust in these institutions, will anyone heed the advice? An expert discusses how the pandemic helped foster this rocky relationship.
A Look at the Blood Diamonds Helping Fund Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
Russia produces one-third of the world’s rough diamonds. The Russian government owns 33% of Alrosa, a Russian company that owns 90% of Russia’s diamonds. An expert discusses how a global embargo of Russian diamonds would send a strong economic message to its leaders.
Climate Change & National Security
The future of climate change impacts a lot more than our crops. Natural disasters and mass migrations of people threaten the health and safety of populations and governments around the world. Experts discuss how climate change creates economic, sociological, political, and military issues.
Kids Who’ve Lost Parents to Covid
New estimates show that more than 167,000 children under 18 (a number growing rapidly) have lost a parent or major caregiver to Covid-19. Psychologists say deaths under such circumstances are also much more difficult for survivors to adjust to and will have a major impact on the US. Experts discuss how these “forgotten grievers” are coping and what actions …
Building the Covid Vaccine
The vaccine for Covid-19 was developed with record speed while still following required safety protocols. A noted investigative reporter discusses the development process he uncovered for his exhaustive book and explains why the hundreds of interviews he did have reassured him that the vaccine is safe.
Improving Vaccine Communication
The White House and many health officials have taken an aggressive approach to communicating the need for Covid-19 vaccines. Most people are prompted to get vaccinated by mandates and words that generate fear, but it’s clear that they backfire with a sizable minority of others. A communications expert discusses how certain words motivate some groups and …
Medical Notes: Week of January 24, 2021
A study finding that 60 percent of all cases of Covid-19 are spread by people who have no symptoms. Then, children under age two may suffer effects from antibiotics later in childhood. And finally, new recommendations suggesting kids under age two should have no added sugar in their diet.
Food Insecurity In 2020
An estimated 35 million people were food insecure last year, and the dislocations due to Covid-19 have made it much worse now.
Planning for the Next Pandemic
The next pandemic is only a matter of “When and what,” according to health security experts, who here discuss what’s needed to be ready for a variety of possible pandemics and infectious threats, both natural and terror.
Who Gets a Vaccine?
Development of a coronavirus vaccine is proceeding at a breakneck pace. What needs to happen to make sure it’s safe and effective? And if a vaccine is successfully made, who should get it first?
The Economy After the Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a quicker economic crash than we’ve ever seen. Opening the nation too fast will likely trigger a “W” shaped recovery with wide swings of growth then decline. Either way, the effects will last for years. Experts discuss likely scenarios.
