Dr. Megan Madsen is a primary care physician practicing in Philadelphia, PA. She received her medical training from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency in Family Medicine and fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Abington-Jefferson Hospital. Her education as a D.O. allowed her to obtain excellent medical training that focused on treating the Read more…
💥Breaking News !!💥 ✔️ Pfizer initiated a request for FDA emergency use authorization of their vaccine in kids aged 6 months to <5 years today! Back in December, Pfizer announced that 2, 3 µg doses given 3 weeks apart in kids aged 6 months to <5 years, was *SAFE*, but did not produce as strong Read more…
Yes! But likely not the only symptom. TL;DR: Many viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, can cause a rash, usually in addition to other more common symptoms. There have been cases of different kinds of rashes associated with COVID-19 infections, although it’s too early to tell if there is a specific Omicron rash. If you have a new Read more…
A: The best time to test for COVID-19 depends on your situation. NOTE: Updated for clarity on 2/8/22 ➡️ If you were exposed, the sweet spot to test is 3-5 days later* ➡️ If you develop symptoms, test right away* ➡️ If testing to leave isolation, check for a negative rapid test on day 5 Read more…
A: Sort of…. Remember that even if cases come down as quickly as they rise, there will be as many cases *after* the peak as before (think area under the curve!). ➡️ And if the downward slope is *slower* than the rise, we will see *more* cases during the decline from a surge. One potential Read more…
🤓 NERD ALERT! 🤓 It’s National News Literacy Week! Those Nerdy Girls are working hard to grow a bright spot of sane science here on social media. Our biggest asset? YOU. Thanks to our science-loving community for spreading the good and debunking the junk. We are grateful for each and every one of you, each Read more…
YES! YES! YES! People are more likely to listen to information from someone they already trust. Here are a few wonderful resources to support YOU in becoming a community resource from Dr. Rupali Limaye, a behavioral and social scientist from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Tips on starting discussions about vaccines. See the Read more…
A: Isolation is meant to keep others from getting infected. If multiple people in a household are positive, it is OK for them to isolate together. It gets a little more complicated when some people are infected, and others aren’t. Read on for tips and tricks to help you navigate this tricky situation. Many folks Read more…
Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health dropped a public health bombshell this week in the journal Science: multiple sclerosis (MS) is likely caused by infection with Epstein-Barr virus, also known as EBV. MS is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. The disease involves an immune response that attacks the Read more…
A: 🎱 Signs point to yes. TL;DR: In a new study, vaccinated people infected with SARS-CoV-2 had the same risk of reporting Long Covid symptoms as *uninfected* people. That is SOME GOOD NEWS!! With Omicron infections piling up even among the vaccinated, we know many are worried about the prospect of Long Covid. Even with Read more…
🙋 Asking for a friend… No wait, actually, I’m asking for me. After almost two years of precautions and a total of 10 vaccine shots, this Nerdy Girl’s family of four came down with COVID over the winter holidays, most likely the omicron variant. Now that we’re all fully recovered (thank you, vaccines!), it’s time Read more…
TL;DR: Sadly, it definitely could be COVID-19. The Omicron variant is more likely to cause sore throat and less likely to cause a loss of taste and smell. Don’t blow off that scratchy sore throat. It could be a symptom of COVID-19. The symptoms of COVID-19 have shifted a little bit as new variants take Read more…
If you get a positive antigen rapid test, it’s best to assume that you are contagious. A positive PCR test doesn’t tell you whether you’re contagious, because PCR can be positive for weeks after the infectious period. Neither PCR nor rapid tests directly measure contagiousness, but they both shed light on what’s going on inside Read more…
Yes, it’s true! The covidtests.gov website is now open and ready for your order! Each household in the US can request 4 free rapid antigen COVID-19 self-tests. The request form is super quick and easy. Nerdy Girl Alison submitted her test request in way less time than it took to make this post. Tests will Read more…
A: If you are eligible for a booster shot and haven’t gotten one yet, you are considered NOT ‘up-to-date’ on your COVID-19 vaccine series. TL; DR If you are not ‘up-to-date’ this impacts your level of immune protection and it’s also recommended you follow the same quarantine protocol as those who are not vaccinated. Boost Read more…
An antigen test (aka Ag test, rapid test) looks for the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19 itself in a sample taken from your nose (or sometimes throat). They are an excellent tool for figuring out if you are infected–especially if there’s a good chance you are. This post will describe what an antigen Read more…
No te confíes! Aú con síntomas puedes resultar negativo en las pruebas, lo más aconsejable es aislarse por unos días, hacerse el test y siempre, siempre, siempre, utilizar tu mascarilla. Fuente: Pictoline Enlace a la publicación original de Facebook
Hopeful news from 💩 data Omicron stinks big time. But there’s hope on the horizon, popping up in the most unexpected of places – our collective poop. Tracking 💩 – aka “wastewater surveillance” – is a proven way to predict the overall burden of infection in a community. Happily, 💩 trends are ⬇️ nationwide. It Read more…
It sure doesn’t feel all that mild… We hear you! Many people who have had a “mild” COVID-19 infection might disagree with that descriptor! There is a lot of talk about mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19 infections, but what does that actually mean? These distinctions have a specific medical meaning and do matter, because they Read more…
The short answer is: 10 days after you first felt sick or tested positive, assuming you’re feeling better by then. If you’re not better, consult your clinician about ending your isolation period. There have been lots of updates to these guidelines for the time periods around COVID-19 exposures and infections, and reading them can feel Read more…
