We recently told you about a strange early symptom of COVID-19. Patients were reporting that they had lost their sense of smell.
Since we brought you that article, loss of sense of smell has become one of the widely accepted symptoms that doctors use to diagnose coronavirus.
Now, COVID-19 patients are reporting another bizarre, possible early warning sign: foot sores. Doctors in Spain, Italy, and France have noted patients with purple, chicken pox-like lesions on their toes.… Read More
Suddenly masks are everywhere.
Americans are taking seriously the CDC’s revised guidelines to wear masks in public at all times. The problem is that many of us find them uncomfortable. So we tug on them. We pull them down so our noses are exposed. Or we pull them off completely to speak.
That’s exactly what you shouldn’t do.
“Wearing a mask takes some getting used to,” says anesthesiologist Dr.… Read More
The coronavirus crisis has left us with two food options: We can cook at home or we can order prepared takeout/delivery food.
But is the second option safe? What if the restaurant cook has the virus? Could it be passed on to us?
Professor Don Schaffner specializes in microbial risk assessment at Rutgers University. He ordered Thai takeout recently. And he intends to continue to do it throughout the pandemic. … Read More
It’s easy to be depressed about our coronavirus-infested world.
Many of us have lost our jobs. We’ve seen our investments tank. We wake up each morning fearing that this will be the day that we or someone we care about will get sick.
It’s natural to be sad. But new research shows there’s something you can do about it.
The study was published in the journal Health Psychology.… Read More
If you slept poorly last night, you’re not alone.
About a third of Americans say they often have difficulty sleeping. This makes insomnia one of the nation’s most prevalent health problems.[1]
Insomnia is not a matter of just feeling tired the next day. It increases your risk for a wide range of serious conditions, including stroke, weakened immunity, inflammation, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression.… Read More
By now, most of us know that older people are at greater risk from coronavirus. And so are people who are obese, diabetic, or have lung or heart disease.
But there’s another risk factor that may be more dangerous than any of these.
Smokers are 14 times more likely to develop pneumonia and get severely sick from COVID-19, according to a study from China[1]
This isn’t surprising when you consider that COVID-19 is primarily a disease of the lungs.… Read More