By September 2020, just six months after COVID-19 triggered shutdowns across the U.S., it was clear that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, had mutated from its original form. The…
Category: Anthropology
What is IVF? A nurse explains the evolving science and legality of in vitro fertilization
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022 ended the federal right to abortion, legislative attention has extended to many other aspects of reproductive rights, including access to…
Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores
From the very early days of the pandemic, brain fog emerged as a significant health condition that many experience after COVID-19. Brain fog is a colloquial term that describes a…
Hundreds of thousands of US infants every year pay the consequences of prenatal exposure to drugs, a growing crisis particularly in rural America
Nearly 1 in 12 newborns in the United States in 2020 – or about 300,000 infants – were exposed to alcohol, opioids, marijuana or cocaine before they were born. Exposure…
Omega-3 fatty acids are linked to better lung health, particularly in patients with pulmonary fibrosis
Omega-3 fatty acids have garnered significant interest among patients and clinicians for their potential protective health effects, including lung health. In our recently published research, my colleagues and I found…
Early COVID-19 research is riddled with poor methods and low-quality results − a problem for science the pandemic worsened but didn’t create
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers flooded journals with studies about the then-novel coronavirus. Many publications streamlined the peer-review process for COVID-19 papers while keeping acceptance rates relatively high. The…
Your heart changes in size and shape with exercise – this can lead to heart problems for some athletes and gym rats
Exercise has long been recognized by clinicians, scientists and public health officials as an important way to maintain health throughout a person’s lifespan. It improves overall fitness, helps build strong…
What is Alaskapox? A microbiologist explains the recently discovered virus that just claimed its first fatality
Alaskapox, a virus in the same family as smallpox, cowpox and mpox, claimed its first fatality in January 2024 when an elderly Alaskan man died of the illness. The virus,…
Nearly 2 million Americans are using kratom yearly, but it is banned in multiple states: A pharmacologist explains the controversy
Kratom products are sold online and at smoke shops and gas stations, like this one in Lone Tree, Colo. Amanda Mascarelli The herbal substance kratom, derived from the leaves of…
