Gretchen Peterson

đź’Ą Some Good News! BA.2.86 is looking less scary than we thought.

COVID Variants Vaccines

As we covered last week, the new BA.2.86 variant raised eyebrows because of its high number of mutations, which made it look as different from current variants as Omicron was from Delta. Since then, we’ve gotten new data from several different laboratories testing the behavior of BA.2.86. All reached similar conclusions which were reassuring: ➡️ Read more…

How can we help young people become more savvy consumers of online information?

Families/Kids Uncertainty and Misinformation

TL;DR The World Health Organization has identified mis/disinformation as a pressing public issue, for adults and children alike. There are steps both educators and parents can take to address this critical issue. The start of a new school year is an excellent time to examine what we can all do. Misinformation is generally defined as Read more…

Does nitric oxide nasal spray (Enovid/VirX/FabiSpray) help prevent or treat COVID-19?

Infectious Diseases Treatments

Dr. Chana Davis, PhD answers your question “Does nitric oxide nasal spray (Enovid/VirX/FabiSpray) help prevent or treat COVID-19?” This latest Nerdy Girl live was hosted on 8/24/2023 by: 🔸Andrea Harmony, NP-C, PMHS: TNG Contributing Writer & Family Nurse Practitioner 🔸Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science You can find the Read more…

Oh, no *another* new variant?! What do we know about BA.2.86?

COVID Variants Infectious Diseases

A: Once again, we’re in watchful waiting mode. We’ve got eyes on BA.2.86 because it is “highly mutated” compared to other variants currently circulating. But it’s currently at very low levels and could fizzle out—it’s too soon to tell. BA.2.86 is still an Omicron offspring, but it’s getting attention because it has more than 35 Read more…

Nerdy Girls Live 08/24/23

COVID Variants Infectious Diseases Treatments Vaccines Videos

Those Nerdy Girls answer your questions about COVID-19 and flu, including boosters, risk, new variant, and nasal sprays. Hosted by: – Andrea Harmony, NP-C, PMHS: TNG Contributing Writer & Family Nurse Practitioner – Chana Davis, PhD: TNG Contributing Writer & Founder of Fueled by Science ➡️ Welcome and Intros (0:00-0:46) ➡️ Is COVID-19 the new Read more…

COVID is not gone.

Infectious Diseases

Those Nerdy Girls wanted to remind everyone that COVID is not gone. In fact, we are in the midst of another surge in many parts of the world right now, notably in the US and some hints of that happening in Canada as well and some parts of Europe. Since cases are on the rise, Read more…

Do CPAP machines work?

General Health

A: TL; DR. Yes! CPAP machines are devices that help patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by preventing the collapse of the airway during sleep. If you have concerns about your sleep health, talk to your doctor. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common (and treatable) sleep-related breathing disorder with prevalence rates around 15% for Read more…

Is COVID the new Flu?

Infectious Diseases

A: No. For young babies and anyone over age 18, COVID-19 illness continues to hospitalize people at higher rates than the Flu. Even though COVID-19 has caused over 1 million deaths in the US (almost 7 million globally) and 6 million hospitalizations over the past 3 years, we are in a much better place. U.S. Read more…

A: The number of people estimated to be transgender in the U.S. has increased slightly over the past ~5-6 years, particularly among those aged 13-24 years. TL; DR: There has been an increase in the number of teens and young adults estimated to be transgender in the U.S. There may be several reasons for this, Read more…