Infectious diseases Archive

Articles

Bracing for contact tracing

As states reopen, contact tracing — locating and testing people known to have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 — will be an important tool to help contain further spread of illness. But how does it work, and what do you need to know about it?

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children — what parents need to know

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, is a rare syndrome in some children that affects the heart and other organs. It may be a reaction to a current or past COVID-19 infection, but test results for the coronavirus are sometimes negative.

No spleen? What you need to know to stay healthy

You don’t need your spleen to live a normal, healthy life, but the spleen does play an important role in defending the body against infection, so those without it need to take certain precautions to ensure they remain healthy.

U=U: Ending stigma and empowering people living with HIV

People living with HIV can suppress the virus by taking medication daily. If the level of virus in a person’s blood is suppressed successfully, research shows that the virus isn’t passed on to others. U=U means “undetectable equals untransmittable.”

As the pandemic drags on, when can we get back to work?

As the coronavirus pandemic stretches on, many people wonder when they can go back to their workplaces. The answers may depend on where a person lives and works, findings from antibody tests, and other factors.

A tale of two epidemics: When COVID-19 and opioid addiction collide

In our inner cities, the COVID-19 pandemic comes on top of another crisis that has plagued our country for years: the opioid epidemic. The combined effects of these two events are immense, and highlight already-existing problems with our society and our health care system.

Intimacy, sex, and COVID-19

Since most of us have been at home for several weeks, it’s natural to be thinking about intimacy with our partners. But is it safe to have sex during this time? What factors might make it unsafe?

What’s it like to be a healthcare worker in a pandemic?

Millions of healthcare workers on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus have a much higher risk of becoming infected, and are being put in further danger due to shortages of protective equipment, but they continue to do their jobs while adapting to current conditions.

Scrubbing your hands dry? Soaps, moisturizers, and tips to help keep skin healthy

We all know we’re supposed to wash our hands thoroughly many times a day to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but doing so can make skin dry and cracked. What’s the best way to combat this?

How does cardiovascular disease increase the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19?

Initial investigation into COVID-19 focused on its respiratory effects, but a more recent report describes serious cardiovascular complications in people with pre-existing heart disease. How does this underlying condition increase risk for these people?

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