What do you think of the idea of “focused protection” or “shielding” the vulnerable so that everyone else can get on with normal life?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and SpreadJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: We *wish* it were this easy, but sadly it’s not. While this approach sounds appealing on the surface, the deeper you dig the more the argument collapses in on itself. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: • The death and hospitalization toll even in under 65s would be Read more…
October 4, 2020
If I have a symptomatic case of COVID, what are the chances I have a full recovery?
Clinical Symptoms Data and Metrics
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: On *average*, about 80% of symptomatic cases will recover without hospitalization. But (big big but): your mileage may vary. One of the things epidemiologists study is the “natural history” of a disease — or how a given disease progresses in individuals from start to finish. Most diseases and conditions have a stylized or typical Read more…
September 28, 2020
Any tips for combatting “tech neck?”
Clinical Symptoms
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: The pandemic’s been hell on our collective posture. These 3Ms can help: (1) Moving more; (2) Modifying your home office/school set-up; (3) Minding your mental health. MOVE MORE. AND MORE OFTEN Stretches targeting the neck, shoulders, and arms are awesome; as are aerobic activities (cites below). The most awesome exercises? Those that you’ll actually Read more…
September 23, 2020
Once a person has covid-19, when is it safe to interact with them again?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Socializing Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
Q: Can they continue to pass the virus to others even if they are immune for some period of time? A: If you had symptoms, you need to meet three criteria to come out of isolation: 1. 10 days from the day of the first symptoms, 2. No fever for 24 hours, and 3. Other Read more…
September 20, 2020
Are temperature checks an adequate screening tool for COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Unfortunately, no. Being fever-free at the time of a temperature check is not a guarantee that a person doesn’t have COVID-19, nor that someone with COVID-19 won’t spread the infection to others. Why is that? The period of infectiousness for someone with COVID-19 (i.e., the window of time when someone can infect others) starts Read more…
September 16, 2020
Can COVID-19 literally break my heart? What the heck is myocarditis?
Clinical Symptoms
A: In short, yes—COVID-19 infection can damage your heart. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, and recently social media has been blowing up with reports of athletes opting out of play due to myocarditis. We’ve got your back to give you some answers about myocarditis. The most recent reports suggest that myocarditis, or inflammation of Read more…
September 15, 2020
How can I tell if I have symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke or COVID?
Clinical Symptoms
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: In dramatic satellite images released yesterday, smoke from wildfires on the West coast is shown stretching across much of the United States. As if 2020 hasn’t already offered us enough uncertainty, wildfire smoke and COVID cause a set of common symptoms, making it hard to tell which you’re facing. Shared symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Read more…
September 13, 2020
As we approach seasonal influenza season, how will I know if my symptoms are from the flu or covid-19? If I am not sure, what should I do?
Clinical Symptoms Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
September 6, 2020
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: We *wish* it were this easy, but sadly it’s not. While this approach sounds appealing on the surface, the deeper you dig the more the argument collapses in on itself. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up: • The death and hospitalization toll even in under 65s would be Read more…
If I have a symptomatic case of COVID, what are the chances I have a full recovery?
Clinical Symptoms Data and MetricsAlison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
A: On *average*, about 80% of symptomatic cases will recover without hospitalization. But (big big but): your mileage may vary. One of the things epidemiologists study is the “natural history” of a disease — or how a given disease progresses in individuals from start to finish. Most diseases and conditions have a stylized or typical Read more…
September 28, 2020
Any tips for combatting “tech neck?”
Clinical Symptoms
Lindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: The pandemic’s been hell on our collective posture. These 3Ms can help: (1) Moving more; (2) Modifying your home office/school set-up; (3) Minding your mental health. MOVE MORE. AND MORE OFTEN Stretches targeting the neck, shoulders, and arms are awesome; as are aerobic activities (cites below). The most awesome exercises? Those that you’ll actually Read more…
September 23, 2020
Once a person has covid-19, when is it safe to interact with them again?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Socializing Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
Q: Can they continue to pass the virus to others even if they are immune for some period of time? A: If you had symptoms, you need to meet three criteria to come out of isolation: 1. 10 days from the day of the first symptoms, 2. No fever for 24 hours, and 3. Other Read more…
September 20, 2020
Are temperature checks an adequate screening tool for COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Unfortunately, no. Being fever-free at the time of a temperature check is not a guarantee that a person doesn’t have COVID-19, nor that someone with COVID-19 won’t spread the infection to others. Why is that? The period of infectiousness for someone with COVID-19 (i.e., the window of time when someone can infect others) starts Read more…
September 16, 2020
Can COVID-19 literally break my heart? What the heck is myocarditis?
Clinical Symptoms
A: In short, yes—COVID-19 infection can damage your heart. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, and recently social media has been blowing up with reports of athletes opting out of play due to myocarditis. We’ve got your back to give you some answers about myocarditis. The most recent reports suggest that myocarditis, or inflammation of Read more…
September 15, 2020
How can I tell if I have symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke or COVID?
Clinical Symptoms
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: In dramatic satellite images released yesterday, smoke from wildfires on the West coast is shown stretching across much of the United States. As if 2020 hasn’t already offered us enough uncertainty, wildfire smoke and COVID cause a set of common symptoms, making it hard to tell which you’re facing. Shared symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Read more…
September 13, 2020
As we approach seasonal influenza season, how will I know if my symptoms are from the flu or covid-19? If I am not sure, what should I do?
Clinical Symptoms Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
September 6, 2020
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: On *average*, about 80% of symptomatic cases will recover without hospitalization. But (big big but): your mileage may vary. One of the things epidemiologists study is the “natural history” of a disease — or how a given disease progresses in individuals from start to finish. Most diseases and conditions have a stylized or typical Read more…
Any tips for combatting “tech neck?”
Clinical SymptomsLindsey Leininger, PhD MA
A: The pandemic’s been hell on our collective posture. These 3Ms can help: (1) Moving more; (2) Modifying your home office/school set-up; (3) Minding your mental health. MOVE MORE. AND MORE OFTEN Stretches targeting the neck, shoulders, and arms are awesome; as are aerobic activities (cites below). The most awesome exercises? Those that you’ll actually Read more…
September 23, 2020
Once a person has covid-19, when is it safe to interact with them again?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Socializing Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
Q: Can they continue to pass the virus to others even if they are immune for some period of time? A: If you had symptoms, you need to meet three criteria to come out of isolation: 1. 10 days from the day of the first symptoms, 2. No fever for 24 hours, and 3. Other Read more…
September 20, 2020
Are temperature checks an adequate screening tool for COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Unfortunately, no. Being fever-free at the time of a temperature check is not a guarantee that a person doesn’t have COVID-19, nor that someone with COVID-19 won’t spread the infection to others. Why is that? The period of infectiousness for someone with COVID-19 (i.e., the window of time when someone can infect others) starts Read more…
September 16, 2020
Can COVID-19 literally break my heart? What the heck is myocarditis?
Clinical Symptoms
A: In short, yes—COVID-19 infection can damage your heart. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, and recently social media has been blowing up with reports of athletes opting out of play due to myocarditis. We’ve got your back to give you some answers about myocarditis. The most recent reports suggest that myocarditis, or inflammation of Read more…
September 15, 2020
How can I tell if I have symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke or COVID?
Clinical Symptoms
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: In dramatic satellite images released yesterday, smoke from wildfires on the West coast is shown stretching across much of the United States. As if 2020 hasn’t already offered us enough uncertainty, wildfire smoke and COVID cause a set of common symptoms, making it hard to tell which you’re facing. Shared symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Read more…
September 13, 2020
As we approach seasonal influenza season, how will I know if my symptoms are from the flu or covid-19? If I am not sure, what should I do?
Clinical Symptoms Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
September 6, 2020
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: The pandemic’s been hell on our collective posture. These 3Ms can help: (1) Moving more; (2) Modifying your home office/school set-up; (3) Minding your mental health. MOVE MORE. AND MORE OFTEN Stretches targeting the neck, shoulders, and arms are awesome; as are aerobic activities (cites below). The most awesome exercises? Those that you’ll actually Read more…
Once a person has covid-19, when is it safe to interact with them again?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Socializing Staying SafeAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
Q: Can they continue to pass the virus to others even if they are immune for some period of time? A: If you had symptoms, you need to meet three criteria to come out of isolation: 1. 10 days from the day of the first symptoms, 2. No fever for 24 hours, and 3. Other Read more…
September 20, 2020
Are temperature checks an adequate screening tool for COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Unfortunately, no. Being fever-free at the time of a temperature check is not a guarantee that a person doesn’t have COVID-19, nor that someone with COVID-19 won’t spread the infection to others. Why is that? The period of infectiousness for someone with COVID-19 (i.e., the window of time when someone can infect others) starts Read more…
September 16, 2020
Can COVID-19 literally break my heart? What the heck is myocarditis?
Clinical Symptoms
A: In short, yes—COVID-19 infection can damage your heart. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, and recently social media has been blowing up with reports of athletes opting out of play due to myocarditis. We’ve got your back to give you some answers about myocarditis. The most recent reports suggest that myocarditis, or inflammation of Read more…
September 15, 2020
How can I tell if I have symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke or COVID?
Clinical Symptoms
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: In dramatic satellite images released yesterday, smoke from wildfires on the West coast is shown stretching across much of the United States. As if 2020 hasn’t already offered us enough uncertainty, wildfire smoke and COVID cause a set of common symptoms, making it hard to tell which you’re facing. Shared symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Read more…
September 13, 2020
As we approach seasonal influenza season, how will I know if my symptoms are from the flu or covid-19? If I am not sure, what should I do?
Clinical Symptoms Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
September 6, 2020
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
Q: Can they continue to pass the virus to others even if they are immune for some period of time? A: If you had symptoms, you need to meet three criteria to come out of isolation: 1. 10 days from the day of the first symptoms, 2. No fever for 24 hours, and 3. Other Read more…
Are temperature checks an adequate screening tool for COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Staying SafeAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Unfortunately, no. Being fever-free at the time of a temperature check is not a guarantee that a person doesn’t have COVID-19, nor that someone with COVID-19 won’t spread the infection to others. Why is that? The period of infectiousness for someone with COVID-19 (i.e., the window of time when someone can infect others) starts Read more…
September 16, 2020
Can COVID-19 literally break my heart? What the heck is myocarditis?
Clinical Symptoms
A: In short, yes—COVID-19 infection can damage your heart. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, and recently social media has been blowing up with reports of athletes opting out of play due to myocarditis. We’ve got your back to give you some answers about myocarditis. The most recent reports suggest that myocarditis, or inflammation of Read more…
September 15, 2020
How can I tell if I have symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke or COVID?
Clinical Symptoms
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
A: In dramatic satellite images released yesterday, smoke from wildfires on the West coast is shown stretching across much of the United States. As if 2020 hasn’t already offered us enough uncertainty, wildfire smoke and COVID cause a set of common symptoms, making it hard to tell which you’re facing. Shared symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Read more…
September 13, 2020
As we approach seasonal influenza season, how will I know if my symptoms are from the flu or covid-19? If I am not sure, what should I do?
Clinical Symptoms Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
September 6, 2020
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: Unfortunately, no. Being fever-free at the time of a temperature check is not a guarantee that a person doesn’t have COVID-19, nor that someone with COVID-19 won’t spread the infection to others. Why is that? The period of infectiousness for someone with COVID-19 (i.e., the window of time when someone can infect others) starts Read more…
Can COVID-19 literally break my heart? What the heck is myocarditis?
Clinical SymptomsA: In short, yes—COVID-19 infection can damage your heart. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, and recently social media has been blowing up with reports of athletes opting out of play due to myocarditis. We’ve got your back to give you some answers about myocarditis. The most recent reports suggest that myocarditis, or inflammation of Read more…
How can I tell if I have symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke or COVID?
Clinical SymptomsMalia Jones, PhD MPH
A: In dramatic satellite images released yesterday, smoke from wildfires on the West coast is shown stretching across much of the United States. As if 2020 hasn’t already offered us enough uncertainty, wildfire smoke and COVID cause a set of common symptoms, making it hard to tell which you’re facing. Shared symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Read more…
September 13, 2020
As we approach seasonal influenza season, how will I know if my symptoms are from the flu or covid-19? If I am not sure, what should I do?
Clinical Symptoms Staying Safe
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
September 6, 2020
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: In dramatic satellite images released yesterday, smoke from wildfires on the West coast is shown stretching across much of the United States. As if 2020 hasn’t already offered us enough uncertainty, wildfire smoke and COVID cause a set of common symptoms, making it hard to tell which you’re facing. Shared symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Read more…
As we approach seasonal influenza season, how will I know if my symptoms are from the flu or covid-19? If I am not sure, what should I do?
Clinical Symptoms Staying SafeAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
September 6, 2020
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: Spoiler alert: It will be challenging. Many symptoms overlap between seasonal flu and COVID-19 which will unfortunately make it hard to know whether you have flu or COVID-19. For a thorough comparison of symptoms and other clinical characteristics of flu vs. COVID-19 see here. Symptoms common to both COVID-19 and flu include: -Fever or Read more…
Why do men suffer more severe COVID-19 and a higher risk of death? Do we know anything new?
Biology/Immunity Clinical SymptomsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
September 5, 2020
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: Women may mount a stronger T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to a recent paper in Nature from the lab of immunologist Dr. Akiko Iwasaki. In the study, researchers collected blood, saliva and other samples from 17 men and 22 women aged 60+ admitted to the hospital after a positive COVID-19 test and Read more…
Dear Pandemic Q&A
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread VideosMalia Jones, PhD MPH
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
August 19, 2020
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
Dear Pandemic: Follower Questions–Sept 5, 2020 Dr. Malia Jones and Dr. Lindsey Leininger crack open the follower question box and tackle your questions on this Facebook Live! Link to original FB post
What do we know about the true prevalence of COVID-19 “long-haulers”?
Clinical Symptoms Mental HealthAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
August 1, 2020
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental Health
Sandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: We are still learning about how many people who get COVID-19 fall into this category. A new article by Ed Yong (linked below) provides a comprehensive overview of the experiences of people who have suffered long-term symptoms and sequelae from this infection and highlights some of the key knowns and unknowns. A few take-aways: Read more…
HELP! I’ve had COVID-19 and now I’m losing my hair! Are the two related?
Clinical Symptoms Mental HealthSandra Albrecht, PhD MPH
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
July 12, 2020
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe Videos
Malia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A. Frustratingly, yes. More and more COVID-19 survivors have reported excessive hair loss following infection. Although this complication may not rank up there with some of more serious consequences that have been reported among “long-haulers,” excessive hair loss is still pretty disconcerting. It also adds yet another source of distress, with impacts on morale and Read more…
Doctors discuss COVID-19 and what they have learned
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Infection and Spread Staying Safe VideosMalia Jones, PhD MPH
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
July 11, 2020
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread
Alison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
Drs. Vineet Arora and Eve Bloomgarden, MDs and co-founders of IMPACT, discuss what they’ve learned these last few months about how COVID-19 impacts physicians and patients with Dear Pandemic Nerdy Girls Malia Jones, PhD, MPH and Lindsey Leininger, PhD. Link to original FB post
Is it true that Covid-19 symptoms can last for months?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and SpreadAlison Buttenheim, PhD MBA, Co-founder & Advisor
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
July 11, 2020
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening School
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
Introducing Nerdy Guest Michelle L. Frisco, PhD, who joins us to talk about “Covid long haulers”. Dr. Frisco is Associate Professor of Sociology & Demography at Penn State University. She studies population health. A: Yes. Some people who contract Covid-19 seem to deal with consistent or recurring symptoms for a long time. Q: How common Read more…
Will temperature checks actually work? What else can schools and businesses do to quickly scan for potentially infectious people?
Clinical Symptoms Infection and Spread Reopening SchoolLauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
July 6, 2020
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: There’s reason to be skeptical about temperature checks. COVID-19 is infectious for several days before symptoms appear. Scanning folks as they enter a building for a fever won’t do much to prevent people who are pre-symptomatic from entering and spewing infectious droplets all over the place. Gross. At this point, we need to embrace Read more…
Who is at risk for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19?
Clinical SymptomsAparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
June 11, 2020
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids
Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: The CDC recently updated its list to include older adults as well as people of any age with underlying medical conditions (chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromised from organ transplant, obesity, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and type II diabetes). This is consistent with data from early 2020 and has been Read more…
Why are men more likely to be hospitalized and die from COVID than women?
Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms Families/KidsJennifer Beam Dowd, PhD
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
June 7, 2020
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe Treatments
Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: Most likely due to biological sex differences in immune function, though other social and behavioral factors may contribute as well. Sadly, men are more likely be hospitalized, admitted to the ICU, and die from COVID-19 than women. This pattern first emerged in China and has been relatively consistent across countries, supporting the notion of Read more…
If someone in my household tests positive for COVID-19, how can I best care for them and keep the rest of my household safe?
Clinical Symptoms Families/Kids Staying Safe TreatmentsAmanda Simanek, PhD MPH
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
June 6, 2020
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical Symptoms
Lauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: If someone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 (see link below for symptom list), or suspects they have been exposed to COVID-19, they should contact their health care provider to get a test or, if available, visit a community testing site to get tested for COVID-19. If COVID-19 is suspected based on symptoms Read more…
What are the long-term effects of COVID-19?
Clinical SymptomsLauren Hale, PhD MA
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…
A: There’s still a ton we don’t know about the lasting effects of COVID-19 on the body — Heck, the disease has only been around for 6 months! The WHO reports that approximately 80% of cases are mild or asymptomatic. However, among this group, thousands of previously healthy individuals don’t recover within the average 2 Read more…