Month: September 2023

There’s No Sign of Widespread COVID-19 Mandates. Republicans Are Warning of Them Anyway

by

As Americans fend off a late summer COVID-19 spike and prepare for a fresh vaccine rollout, Republicans are raising familiar fears that government-issued lockdowns and mask mandates are next. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] It’s been a favorite topic among some of the GOP’s top presidential contenders. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters that people are “lurching toward” COVID-19 restrictions and “there needs … Read more

What to Know About the New COVID-19 Vaccine Booster

by

In a long-awaited update to the COVID-19 vaccine schedule, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s vaccine committee recommended that everyone six months or older should get another booster shot. CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen endorsed the recommendation made by the agency’s committee of outside vaccine experts. That shot will be the newest vaccine greenlit … Read more

Syphilis: get tested, get treated

by

“You don’t really hear much about syphilis these days, very much the MySpace of STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]” is a line from Tom Wambsgans, a character in HBO’s hit show ‘Succession’. Unfortunately, the latest data on syphilis shows otherwise. Infectious syphilis diagnoses increased to 8,692 in 2022, up 15.2% compared to 2021 (7,543) and 8.1% … Read more

4 Ways to Help Your Child Adapt to Life’s Rapid Changes

by

If you’re a parent, you often feel that life today is complicated, overloaded, and moving at warp speed. Technological advances like AI are creating exponential change, the world is getting hotter, and the future is hard to imagine–both for ourselves and our kids. The world is brimming with uncertainty as life races forward. Scientists are … Read more

Common Nasal Decongestant Doesn’t Actually Work, According to FDA Advisors

by

A panel of US regulatory advisers said phenylephrine, a main component of over-the-counter cold medicines including some versions of Procter & Gamble Co.’s Nyquil, doesn’t actually work. The committee of 16 advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously on Tuesday that scientific evidence doesn’t prove that the nasal decongestant is effective when taken … Read more

Why It Takes Forever to Get a Doctor’s Appointment

by

Recently I faced consoling a patient of mine who couldn’t understand why I was unable to “hop on the phone” to discuss her new back pain. When she finally got an appointment with me weeks later, I decided to be honest. I shared that I had 1,300 patients who call me their primary doctor. After … Read more

Too Many Mothers Are Dying in Childbirth. Here’s How They Can Be Saved

by

[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] With recent reports of difficult pregnancies and births from celebrities like Beyonce, Serena Williams, and Alyson Felix, and the death of Olympian Tori Bowie during childbirth, the long-overlooked dangers of maternal and child mortality have become increasingly prominent. In a new report published by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the global health … Read more