Posts from Those Nerdy Girls

All the posts from our Those Nerdy Girls Facebook page dating back to May 1st, 2020, are currently archived here and can be searched for by category, key words, etc. Be sure to check back often as additional posts are being added each day.

Browse by Category

August 2, 2022

I suspect that my kids may have been exposed to COVID-19 at summer camp. What can I do to protect my family and my community from the risk of infection?

Thanks to guest author Dr. Katie Schenk (who recently picked up her kids at camp) for offering to write this post. It’s a great American summer tradition: sleepaway camp! Campfires, singing, sports, smores, and now… COVID-19? Despite best intentions and precautions, the BA.5 surge has already contributed to many COVID-19 outbreaks at summer camp. Camps Read more…

August 1, 2022

Where do new variants come from?

COVID Variants

Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD

BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, BA.5… while we’re all getting lost in an alphanumeric soup, it’s important to understand why we continue to see new variants. Some have speculated vaccines are to blame, arguing that vaccination itself drives the development of variants. Is this true? Vaccinations do not produce new variants. Thankfully, no. Variants are not Read more…

July 30, 2022

What is brain fog anyways?

Long COVID Mental Health

Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH

TL; DR: Brain fog is a general term used to describe many issues including poor attention, memory, and planning abilities. This can happen after an infection or injury. We are learning more about what causes it, but there do seem to be changes in the immune system and the way the cells work as a Read more…

July 29, 2022

How many kids are affected by Long COVID?

Data and Metrics Families/Kids Long COVID

Malia Jones, PhD MPH

A large study conducted in Denmark found that kids who recently had COVID-19 experienced symptoms of long COVID more often than similar kids who didn’t have a COVID-19 diagnosis. But, long COVID among children seems less common than it is among adults. Researchers asked thousands of parents about their kids’ symptoms that lasted more than Read more…

July 28, 2022

What is Parechovirus?

Infectious Diseases

Megan Madsen, DO

There’s a new infection in the news – parechovirus. While it’s not a new virus, recent reports of severe cases have garnered public attention. In this post, Those Nerdy Girls are here to help you get the facts straight and learn how to protect yourself. 🦠 What is parechovirus? Parechovirus is a virus that is Read more…

July 27, 2022

What is going on with Paxlovid rebound?

Testing and Contact Tracing Treatments

Chana Davis, PhD

A: Some people who use Paxlovid to treat COVID-19 experience a “rebound”, which is like a bad sequel that debuts 2-14 days after recovery. Once again, you’re testing positive with rapid antigen tests and /or feeling crummy. You’re also potentially contagious. While a COVID-19 rebound can be really frustrating, Paxlovid is still highly effective at Read more…

July 26, 2022

Vaccination rates are on the decline. We need to do better.

Vaccines

Sarah Whitley Coles, MD

TL;DR: Vaccination rates are dropping and millions of kids missed vaccines during the pandemic. We need to get kids caught up now. Vaccines are incredibly important to prevent serious childhood illness and save lives. Vaccines are among the most important public health interventions of all time. We have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life- Read more…

July 25, 2022

Q: How concerned should I be about Monkeypox?

Infectious Diseases

Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD

A: For most people, the current risk of contracting Monkeypox is very low. Fears of back to school Monkeypox outbreaks are likely overblown. (NOTE: this assessment of risk based on current data—as always, we will update as the situation develops). In the current outbreak outside of endemic areas in Africa, almost all cases of Monkeypox Read more…

July 23, 2022

📣Have you heard about 988?

Mental Health

Aparna Kumar, PhD CRNP MPH

⬇️Here is a little information about what it is and how it can help. 988 is the new three digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988 was signed into law in 2020). People can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat. 🪂 If you are in the U.S. (or five major U.S. Read more…

July 22, 2022

Q: How can I protect myself during this BA.5 surge?

Staying Safe

Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD

A: The new variants don’t defy the laws of physics and are transmitted the same way as all the other variants of SARS-CoV-2, so you can reduce risk by using your #SMARTS. We NEVER thought when we made this infographic in Summer 2020 together with Impact (updated in 2021 with “SHOTS”) that these basic principles Read more…

July 21, 2022

Q: What should I do if I get COVID on vacation 🌴?

Staying Safe Travel

Jennifer Beam Dowd, PhD

The “Summer of BA.5” is here (with apologies to Bryan Adams). BA.5 is better at evading existing immunity than even the super sneaky original Omicron variants. If you’re like us, you’re hearing of more COVID-19 infections than ever in your social circles, especially people who are traveling. We *totally* understand the urge to travel and Read more…

July 20, 2022

Why do long COVID estimates seem to vary so much from study to study?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy Long COVID

Amanda Simanek, PhD MPH

A: Different case definitions, study participants, data collection methods, and study timing across studies. TL:DR: Current estimates of the proportion of COVID-19 cases that develop long COVID range from 3-20% and have been as high as 50%! Considering how studies differ can help us understand why estimates vary so much across studies. Things to keep Read more…

Nerdy Merch

Get the Newsletter!