Curing America’s loneliness epidemic would make us healthier, fitter and less likely to abuse drugs

A national health advisory issued by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on May 3, 2023, sheds light on the urgent public health issues of loneliness and isolation. The report reflects…

Tuberculosis on the rise for first time in decades after COVID-19 interrupted public health interventions and increased inequality

Before SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread across the world in 2020, tuberculosis was responsible for more deaths globally than any other infectious disease. But thanks to targeted public…

COVID-19 Worries Influence Emotional Quality of Daydreams

Summary: A new study investigated the connection between COVID-19-related anxieties and the emotional content of daydreaming and nighttime dreaming. It found a significant correlation between daily COVID-19 worries and the…

More than 1.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage in the spring of 2023 due to the end of pandemic policies – and paperwork problems

CC BY-ND At least 1.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage in April, May and the first three weeks of June 2023, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that…

Annual numbers of excess deaths in the US relative to other developed countries are growing at an alarming rate

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea People in the U.S. are dying at higher rates than in other similar high-income countries, and…

Pivotal points in the COVID-19 pandemic – 5 essential reads

Experts have made it clear that the end of the COVID-19 national emergency, which was lifted on May 11, 2023, does not mean an end to the pandemic. But this…

What does ending the emergency status of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US mean in practice? 4 questions answered

The COVID-19 pandemic’s public health emergency status in the U.S. expires on May 11, 2023. And on May 5, the World Health Organization declared an end to the COVID-19 public…

Disinfectants and cleaning products harboring toxic chemicals are widely used despite lack of screening for potential health hazards

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Concerns about unnecessary use of a common class of antimicrobial chemicals used in disinfectants reinforces recommendations…

Many people are tired of grappling with long COVID – here are some evidence-based ways to counter it

A patient of mine, once a marathon runner, now gets tired just walking around the block. She developed COVID-19 during the 2020 Christmas holiday and saw me during the summer…

Study Using AI Reveals Secondary Bacterial Pneumonia, Not Cytokine Storm, Found as Key Factor in COVID-19 Fatalities

Summary: A recent study found that secondary bacterial pneumonia, rather than the much-discussed “cytokine storm,” is a significant factor in COVID-19-related fatalities. Almost half of the patients who required mechanical…