Author: Shannon Becker
Authorities are urging indoor masking in major cities as the ‘tripledemic’ rages
(NPR) Public health officials are revisiting the topic of indoor masking, as three highly contagious respiratory viruses take hold during the holiday season. Over the past few weeks, a surge in cases of COVID, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus — known as RSV — has been sickening millions of Americans, overwhelming emergency rooms and […]
Dec 12, 2022
Trolls continue to harass Dr. Fauci and family over COVID misinformation
(Washington Post) Dr. Fauci points to an “extraordinary amount of misleading information” propagated online as a key factor of stirring up abuse toward him and his family. He said the United States is faced with a “tsunami of misinformation and disinformation that is stimulated and kindled by a great deal of divisiveness in the country.” […]
Dec 9, 2022
When You Get Your Flu Shot And COVID Shot At The Same Time, This Is What Happens To Your Body
(MSN) Considering how health experts are forecasting a high number of flu cases even as we are still battling COVID-19, many are advocating for eligible people to get the flu vaccine and the new COVID-19 booster shot at the same time. But what happens to your body if you get these two doses simultaneously? While you may […]
Dec 9, 2022
How to Help Prevent Flu and RSV? You Might Not Like the Answer.
(WSJ) As respiratory viruses surge across the country, a number of public-health officials and doctors are encouraging masking to protect against flu and RSV, in addition to Covid-19. Whether masks are enough—and whether people are willing to wear them after the country has largely moved on from pandemic precautions—is another matter.
Dec 9, 2022
Flu vaccine appears to be a very good match to circulating strains, CDC says
(KSL Utah) This year’s flu shot appears to be “a very good match” to the circulating strains, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a news briefing Monday. However, she noted that flu vaccinations are lagging behind the pace of previous years. Through the end of October, CDC data shows that […]
Dec 9, 2022
The negative impact of COVID-19 on working memory revealed using a rapid online quiz
(PLoS) Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects the respiratory system, it can also have neurological consequences leading to cognitive deficits such as memory problems. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on working memory function. We developed and implemented an online anonymous survey with a working memory quiz incorporating aspects […]
Dec 6, 2022
Feeling forgetful after COVID? Study shows the virus can affect short-term memory
(The Conversation) Although it’s well known that COVID affects the respiratory system, it’s perhaps less well known that the virus can also affect cognitive function. Many people with COVID experience a phenomenon commonly called “brain fog”, which can include problems remembering, concentrating and performing daily tasks. Brain fog can also be a symptom of long COVID, […]
Dec 6, 2022
Covid Depression Is Real. Here’s What You Need to Know.
(NYT) The World Health Organization noted this year that anxiety and depression increased by 25 percent across the globe in just the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. And researchers have continued to find more evidence that the coronavirus wreaked havoc on our mental health: In a 2021 study, more than half of American adults reported symptoms of major […]
Dec 6, 2022
Her Baby Needs Heart Surgery. But She Is Demanding ‘Unvaccinated’ Blood.
(NYT) New Zealand’s health service is seeking to take temporary custody of a critically ill infant so it can perform a lifesaving operation. A New Zealand couple is refusing to allow their infant son to undergo lifesaving heart surgery using blood from people vaccinated against Covid-19, showing how vaccine misinformation continues to manifest in unexpected […]
Dec 6, 2022
Where Did All the Monkeypox Go?
(MedPageToday) Testing, vaccination (Jynneos), treatment (tecovirimat, Tpoxx), community cooperation, and a mass targeted communications campaign that was particularly aimed towards LGBTQ+ communities slowed the virus such that the mpox epidemiology (epi) curve has returned to where it was in June. The Biden administration announced last week that mpox will no longer have health emergency status after January.
Dec 6, 2022