The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, go to school or work, and socialize. It has also increased mental health concerns, with a rise in levels of distress, anxiety and depression. Adolescents have been particularly affected. The shift to online learning and limitations on catching up with friends…
Climate change favors the spread of West Nile Virus in Europe
Increases in temperatures as a result of climate change is favoring the transmission of the West Nile Virus (WNV) in parts of Europe, by creating more suitable conditions for the virus and its mosquito vectors to proliferate. This is the conclusion of a study by the Institute of Environmental Science…
An ultra detailed map of the brain region that controls movement, from mice to monkeys to humans
Before you read any further, bring your hand to your forehead. It probably didn’t feel like much, but that simple kind of motion required the concerted effort of millions of different neurons in several regions of your brain, followed by signals sent at 200 mph from your brain to your…
Supporting the invisible, unpaid army of Alzheimer’s caregivers
There’s an invisible, unpaid workforce caring for the 6 million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease. The USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics estimates that 11 million family caregivers bear this emotional, physical and financial burden, mostly on their own. USC experts say that while we wait for…
Live by the sea? How to create a thriving, low-maintenance garden
Peter Shaw knows all about the perils of salty winds and sandy soils and if he had to give one piece of advice for those new to gardening by the sea it would be to keep it simple. After 30 years living in Anglesea and almost as many making coastal…
Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids?
Fox News Flash top headlines for September 23 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com. Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? Experts say there’s no strong evidence that it makes children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the virus,…
Tracking the shifting landscape of the opioid crisis
Few if any communities in the United States have escaped the opioid crisis, and in 2020, opioid overdose deaths rose sharply across the entire country. But the crisis plays out differently from place to place and over time. In some states, the crisis is more profound in rural communities while…
Breaking the cycle of shame about mental struggles in athletics
Long before sports superstars Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles braved the spotlight to defend their mental health, Graig Chow, a certified mental performance consultant at UC Berkeley, studied the culture that pushes elite athletes like NBA players Chamique Holdsclaw, Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan to their breaking points. What he…
Whiteness in the time of COVID: Australia’s health services still leaving vulnerable communities behind
Due to the ongoing effects of colonization, First Nations peoples often experience socio-economic disadvantage and health inequality. The pandemic has no doubt worsened these conditions for some. In addition, the health of Australia’s First Nations peoples is framed in a deficit focus. This means representing First Nations people through a…
Is the placebo effect just a myth?
Many people have accepted the idea that taking a placebo—for example, a pill with no active medicine in it—can have powerful effects on the body. The reality is quite different, according to the authors of a Perspective published today by the Medical Journal of Australia. A placebo is designed to…
Four factors that increase the risk of vaccinated people getting COVID
Two weeks after your second COVID-19 vaccine dose, the protective effects of vaccination will be at their highest. At this point, you’re fully vaccinated. If you still get COVID-19 after this point, you’ve suffered a “breakthrough” infection. Broadly speaking, breakthrough infections are similar to regular COVID-19 infections in unvaccinated people—but…