How Long Exactly Is Long COVID?
Almost half of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 early in the pandemic had at least one lingering symptom a year after symptom onset, researchers in Wuhan, China found. A total of 49% of patients had at least one post-COVID symptom 1 year later, which included sleep difficulties, palpitations, joint pain, or chest pain, though that was […]
How To Say No To Social Invitations Without Getting FOMO
After the initial portion of the COVID-19 pandemic kept us apart for so long, many people pledged to take advantage of every opportunity to see loved ones again once vaccines were available. Thus, “hot vax summer” was born, with a focus on filling our social calendars with parties, trips, weddings and more. Now, as the […]
What To Do If You’re Fully Vaccinated And Feeling Helpless Right Now
If you’ve been taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously — you’ve worn your mask, social distanced and gotten fully vaccinated — you might be feeling anxious and angry at the current situation. It’s understandable: You did your part, and yet here we are. States with low vaccination rates, including Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana, are seeing scary […]
How We Reported on Nurse Rehabilitation Programs
The pandemic took a heavy toll on frontline healthcare workers, especially nurses, prompting our team to look into whether states would be prepared to handle a potential influx of nurses needing help with substance use disorders. Our reporting led us to alternative-to-discipline programs, which are charged with getting nurses back on the job while protecting […]
5 Ways Parents Can Help Their Kids With Reemergence Anxiety
The coronavirus pandemic has forced children to deal with many changes over the past 15 months. While adjusting to remote learning and limited social contact was difficult, the transition back to more “normal” ways of life can also be a challenge. Of course, the pandemic is still a reality, especially with contagious variants, rising case […]
Inside Olympic Precautions: Three Team Doctors Dish
While the Olympic games were cancelled due to the pandemic last year, Japan and host city Tokyo ironically are experiencing higher COVID-19 case numbers than last summer, with a 7-day average of about 5,000 cases. To mitigate spread, the Olympics are ‘bubbled’ and devoid of fans. So how are precautions playing out on the ground? […]
8 Lasting Changes Experts Think We’ll See In Kids After This ‘Lost’ Year
The COVID-19 pandemic changed all of our lives, but for developing children, its impact may have more long-term effects. “Every child’s experience of the pandemic is different based on their temperament and their home life,” Jacqueline P. Wight, director of mental health services at DotCom Therapy, told HuffPost. “Many children have experienced mental health challenges, […]
Leana Wen Discusses Patients’ Different Priorities, Bad COVID Policies
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Leana Wen, MD, MSc, has been one of public health’s most vocal advocates, offering smart analysis and calling out problems with the federal response. One of the most significant contributors to U.S. pandemic failures, she said, has been the prolonged devaluing of public health. That’s part of the reason Wen set […]
To Prevent Chronic Illness, Start With Mental Health
It should come as little surprise that the pandemic triggered a surge in mental health issues. Millions lost their jobs, life-threatening illness lurked at every corner, and socializing in person became dangerous. Indeed, the CDC recently reported that since the pandemic started, 41% of Americans reported symptoms of anxiety or depression — up from about […]
The COVID-Flu ‘Twindemic’ That Wasn’t
Influenza and several other respiratory viruses declined in circulation during the pandemic in 2020, but increased during the spring of 2021, researchers found. Flu activity declined in March of 2020, remaining low until May 2021, with less than 0.4% of respiratory samples testing positive for influenza per week of flu season, reported Sonja J. Olsen, […]