How Much Did Celebrities Influence Public Opinion on COVID?
Through the use of social media, celebrities and other people in the public eye helped to shape the public discourse and opinions on the COVID-19 pandemic and public health efforts, according to an analysis of over 45,000 tweets posted from January 2020 to March 2022. While there were small differences in sentiment observed, a “broadly […]
Shawn Mendes Shaved His Head For A Very Simple Reason
Mendes attends the 8th Annual “We Can Survive” on Oct. 23, 2021 in Los Angeles. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin via Getty Images After going through a breakup at the end of 2021, Shawn Mendes followed in the footsteps of many single people before him, and underwent what looked like a bit of a drastic haircut earlier this year. […]
Affordable Care Act Enrollment Just Hit A New Record High
More than 16 million Americans have signed up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, setting a new record, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday. The private plans at HealthCare.gov and state-run marketplaces like Covered California are designed for people who can’t get affordable coverage through an employer and whose incomes are too high […]
HHS Proposes Rule to Ensure Better Care Coordination for Patients With SUD
In an effort to enhance care coordination for patients with substance use disorder (SUD), HHS, acting through its Office for Civil Rights and in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, proposed changes to “Part 2” rules to better align privacy measures with those of HIPAA on Monday. If implemented, the proposed […]
Too Cold Or Dark Outside To Walk? Try This Instead.
As we barrel through the fall and winter, the idea of walking outdoors may seem like a far-off, warm-weather memory. Earlier sunsets and colder days make walking outside tough for many people. But if you’re someone who counts on their walk for fitness or a mental health boost, there are still ways to get in […]
FDA OKs Tdap Vaccine for Whooping Cough Protection Before Birth
The FDA announced approval of the first vaccine to be delivered through a pregnant mother to unborn babies for protection in the first 2 months of life. The tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine Boostrix is to be given during the third trimester of pregnancy to deliver antibodies to the developing […]
Opinion | Two Years of Excess Deaths: What Can We Learn?
Has anyone noticed that the nation has been going through a 3-month surge in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations that is just now beginning to abate? The CDC community levels on July 28 reported over 80% of counties at medium or high risk levels, an all-time high since the CDC began reporting such information back in […]
Opinion | Pharmacists Can Now Prescribe Paxlovid, but Why Not Other Drugs?
In early July — through 11 pages, a pen stroke, and a stamped envelope en route to Murray Hill in New York City — an FDA lifer changed the landscape of American healthcare. But the letter, written by the agency’s acting chief scientist, Jacqueline O’Shaughnessy, PhD, didn’t actually contain any new science. There were no […]
I Am A Brain Cancer Doctor. I Thought I Understood My Patients — Then I Got A Brain Tumor.
As I heard the sci-fi clangs and bellows of the MRI scanner, all that rang through my mind was the near-familiarity of this experience. As a neuro-oncologist, I have often listened to my patients’ experiences in MRI scanners, from the loud noises to the claustrophobic abyss, and seen their anxiety that preceded the results. Though […]
I Believed I Was Destined To Be A Nun. But When I Moved Into A Convent, Things Changed.
The divine signs came to me through all channels and mediums. Even the girl in the ill-fitting naughty nun costume on my doorstep Halloween weekend was a message. The fact that she was trick-or-treating with a shot glass necklace did nothing to curb the impact of this divine appeal. This was just another of the […]