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.

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First the COVID-19 pandemic, now winter….is seasonal depression coming my way?

Mental Health

A: Not necessarily! There are things you can do to ward off the blues. TL; DR: Focus on variables you can change: sleeping, scheduling, using a bright light, planning activities, and allowing yourself breaks. The Long Version: We know that the pandemic has worsened mental health symptoms (primarily anxiety and depressive symptoms), especially for young Read more…

Are there any updates on COVID-19 “long-haulers”?

Clinical Symptoms

A: Yes and no. Unfortunately, we still don’t know enough about how many people might fall into this group and the best ways to help them. However, these challenging long-term cases of COVID-19 are getting more national attention, with renewed focus on helping these patients! You might have heard of this term, “long-hauler,” or perhaps Read more…

Can COVID-19 cause erectile dysfunction (ED)?

Biology/Immunity Clinical Symptoms

A: It’s possible. #MaskUptoGetItUp TL;DR: Due to its impact on inflammation and the vascular system, it is biologically plausible that COVID-19 contributes to erectile dysfunction. But as with much COVID-19 research more, ahem, hard data is needed. This eyebrow raising headline made the rounds recently based on comments during a television interview by Dr. Dena Read more…

I have family members and close friends who say they don’t want to get the Covid-19 vaccine when it’s their turn. How can I encourage them?

Uncertainty and Misinformation Vaccines

A: Lead with love, then with facts. Share your enthusiasm and commitment. Make it easy and fun. Acknowledge past hurts. We already know that hesitancy about the Covid-19 vaccine is running high. Recent survey data (linked below) show that anywhere from 20-40% of US residents report being “unlikely” or “very unlikely” to get the vaccine. Read more…

Dear Pandemic COVID Q&A

Vaccines Videos

On this week’s Live COVID Q&A, we’ll be taking all the questions about vaccines!! We have four nerdy girls today: Drs. Kinder, Coles, Leininger and Jones will be tackling a few of your MANY vaccine questions! If you have a question, please put it in our question box at www.dearpandemic.org! ➡️ Intros (0:00 – 2:15) Read more…

How can I navigate mourning the death of loved ones during Covid-19?

Infection and Spread Mental Health

A: This is hard. We celebrate life and grieve loss with our Dear Pandemic community. Traditional grieving practices such as funerals require additional considerations during the present pandemic to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 while also supporting normal grief following a death. The combination of tragic circumstances, social isolation, and in some cases multiple losses Read more…

Can you address divorced families navigating the transition between two homes safely this winter?

Infection and Spread

A: The CDC defines a “household” as one or more individuals living together in a single dwelling unit and sharing common living areas, and cross-lists this definition with their definition for “family.” But for all those divorced, separated and blended families sharing custody of children, we know it isn’t that simple. Fewer than half of Read more…

Are we over-counting COVID-19 deaths? Wouldn’t lots of people dying of COVID19 be dying from other causes anyway?

Data and Metrics Data Literacy

A: Sadly, it is clear that we are NOT over-counting COVID deaths. It’s true that some people who died of COVID-19 over the past 9 months would have died anyway, but we can account for this by counting OVERALL deaths compared to the same period in previous years. Among the COVID-19 myths that just won’t Read more…