A scratchy, sore throat, a relentless fever, a pounding head and a nasty cough – these symptoms all scream upper respiratory illness. But which one? Many of the viruses that…
Tag: COVID-19
Men are carrying the brunt of the ‘loneliness epidemic’ amid potent societal pressures
A few weeks before Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey, announced in May 2024 that they were expecting, the pop icon posted a selfie where he appears tearful and distraught.…
Wind phones help the bereaved deal with death, loss and grief − a clinical social worker explains the vital role of the old-fashioned rotary phone
My mother died in my home in hospice in 2020, on the day my state of Washington went into COVID-19 lockdown. Her body was taken away, but none of the…
COVID-19, flu and RSV shots − an epidemiologist explains why all three matter this fall
The Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization on Aug. 22, 2024, for the newest, updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and…
Avian flu has infected dairy cows in more than a dozen states – a microbiologist explains how the virus is spreading
The current strain of avian flu, H5N1, is responsible for the culling of millions of domestic birds and has sickened more than a dozen farmworkers in 2024, most recently in…
Creative arts therapy programs can help health care workers dance, write and draw their way through burnout and on-the-job stress
Doctors and nurses seldom learn in school how to tell a family that their loved one is not going to survive. Yet health care professionals face the immense burden of…
Infectious diseases spike when kids return to school − here’s what you can do about it
Ready or not, back-to-school season is here, and kids will be bringing home more than homework. They’ll be carrying germs, too. These viruses and bacteria will be agents that cause…
CDC says people ages 65 and up should get a shot this spring – a geriatrician explains why it’s vitally important
In my mind, the spring season will always be associated with COVID-19. In spring 2020, the federal government declared a nationwide emergency, and life drastically changed. Schools and businesses closed,…
