In this live Q&A, Dear Pandemic contributing scientists Drs. Sandra Albrecht and Malia Jones will be taking questions about pet birds, what 95% efficacy really means, when safety measures are just too much, and what’s up with that CDC thing about vaccines wearing off in 3 months. If you have a question, put it in Read more…
A: Very possible and normal, specifically on the side you received the vaccination. Throughout your body, hundreds of lymph nodes work to filter your lymphatic fluid. When your body is mounting an immune response, after an infection or a vaccine, lymph nodes can swell with fluid. Lymph nodes are located all over our bodies, with Read more…
Q: It looks like Covid-19 infection rates have dropped significantly in the US since the vaccine became available. Is the vaccine already having an impact? What else would account for the drop?” A: Of all the possible explanations — vaccination, immunity from prior infection, behavior change, seasonality, and less testing — the best answer seems to Read more…
We’re getting a lot of questions about what is (and is not) in the COVID-19 vaccine made by Oxford-AstraZeneca. So here’s an explainer on the ingredients. This vaccine contains a virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees. It has been genetically modified so that it can’t infect you, and also so that it delivers Read more…
A: No. The mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna contain a message which instructs your cells to make a protein shaped like a small part of the virus that causes COVID-19. The message is called messenger RNA or mRNA. Messenger RNA only contains the information it takes to make a certain protein. This can’t change Read more…
We’re getting a lot of questions about what is (and is not) in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. So here’s a handy guide in plain language. Both vaccines contain ingredients in four main categories: messenger RNA, a blend of fats, sugar, and a blend of salts, acids, and acidity stabilizers that keep the acidity Read more…
A: Caregivers need a back-up plan, a much deserved recharge, and financial support. Caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic has been further strained by disrupted child care, social isolation, unemployment, and a contagious and debilitating virus. If the caregivers fall, so does everything else. Caregivers come in many forms and are the backbone of daily life Read more…
Q: What is holding us back from knowing whether those who have been vaccinated can still be carriers of the virus and spread it to others? A: COVID-19 vaccine trials were designed to measure how well they protect people from developing moderate to severe disease, not how well they prevent spread of the virus to Read more…
In this live Q&A, Dear Pandemic contributing scientists Drs. Ashley Ritter and Malia Jones will be taking questions about pantyhose, vaccine safety, herd immunity, & keeping kids safer. If you have a question, put it in our question box at www.dearpandemic.org. ➡️ Welcome, Intros, and Announcements (0:00-2:03) ➡️ Should we be wearing nylon pantyhose over Read more…
Q: The last year has been tough financially for my family, and now, in addition to worrying about health, we’re fighting about money. A: This Valentine’s Day, forget flowers. Talk money with your honey (or have a heart-to-heart with yourself) about setting up an emergency fund, rethinking your budget and planning what’s next for your Read more…
Q: I took my second Pfizer vaccine along with several friends and my mom. We all had minimal to no side effects. Is that worrisome that it didn’t “take”? Do side effects frequency vary with age or by vaccine? A: Good questions! So glad you got your shot! While “reactogenicity” symptoms are common, not having Read more…
A: Good news, double-masking or tightening up ear loops works! Remember the key features of effective masking: FILTERING and FIT. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new experimental study testing ways to improve mask fit for cloth and medical masks to reduce leakage around the edges. Using mannequin “headforms” and Read more…
R: Es posible que si. Debido a su impacto sobre la inflamación y el sistema vascular, es biológicamente plausible que el COVID-19 contribuya a la disfunción eréctil. Pero, como con todos los ensayos del COVID-19, aún se necesita más data. Este titular sorprendente se difundió recientemente en base a los comentarios durante una entrevista televisiva Read more…
Q: I just received the first Pfizer vaccination dose today and am scheduled to donate double red blood cells in one week. Should I reschedule? Will donating blood impact the success of the vaccination? A: According to the American Red Cross, if you received the Pfizer, Moderna, J&J, Novavax, or AstraZeneca vaccine and are you’re Read more…
A special message from the author of Your Local Epidemiologist, Dr. Katelyn Jetelina. She has personally asked Dear Pandemic to post this, and it’s also available on her blog (which has NOT been hijacked, and you should go check it out! THE SHOW MUST GO ON. As many of you already know, last Thursday there Read more…
A: No, but a small trial of this approach has just begun in the UK. What is a mix and match strategy? This refers using different types of vaccines for the first and second dose. While some incorrect headlines a few weeks back suggested the UK was adopting this strategy, in fact their guidelines merely Read more…
Time to meet another Nerdy Girl! Introducing Dr. Shoshana Aronowitz, PhD, FNP-BC, MSN, RN. Dr. Aronowitz is a researcher and clinician studying low-barrier substance use treatment, innovative delivery of harm reduction supplies, racial disparities in pain treatment in the context of the overdose crisis, the intersection of criminal justice and healthcare, and reproductive/sexual health. Here Read more…
Hoy empezamos una nueva serie: ¡Una oportunidad de conocer a las Nerdy Girls – las científicas que manejan esta página Querida Pandemia, y la página en inglés, Dear Pandemic! Vamos a presentar a una de nuestras expertas cada semana para que ustedes puedan conocernos un poco mejor. En primer lugar, nos gustaría presentarle a nuestra Read more…
In this live Q&A, Dear Pandemic contributing scientists Drs. Aparna Kumar and Christine Whelan will be joined by Lauren Ross, founder of Project Village! We’ll be tackling questions from our readers about mental health and community in the pandemic. If you have a question, put it in our question box at www.dearpandemic.org. ➡️ Welcome, Intros, Read more…
Q.) My family is staring at screens all day now. What are the effects on our eyes? What can we do about it? A.) Eye doctors are indicating that increased time on screens is related to vision changes, dry eyes, blurry vision, eye fatigue, and headaches. Here are some ocular health tips for you and Read more…
