Month: May 2021

Photo: Leena Robinson (Shutterstock) Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, there were countless people across the country who, for a variety of reasons, weren’t able to get the mental health help they needed. Now, after more than a year of economic, physical, psychological and emotional hardship, increasing numbers of people have found themselves in a position where they are actively seeking out some type of mental health therapy or counseling. Specifically, the the number of people dealing with symptoms of depression or anxiety has tripled or quadrupled since the start of the pandemic, according to research from the Kaiser Family Foundation. While having more people realize that they could benefit from therapy is, overall, a step in the right direction, unfortunately, finding a the...

Now is a "dangerous" time to be unvaccinated, warned Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH, physician, health policy researcher, and Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health this morning. He appeared on This Week opposite host Martha Raddatz to discuss the raging cases in India, what's safe to do here in America and why the pandemic isn't over—but we may approach normality sooner that you think (he gave a date). Read on for his 5 essential pieces of advice that can save your life—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You Had COVID and Didn't Know It. ShutterstockThe CDC released new guidelines last week about being allowed to wear a mask indoors. Vaccinated people had more freedoms. ...

Representative images of vascular endothelial control cells (left) and cells treated with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (right) show that the spike protein causes increased mitochondrial fragmentation in vascular cells. Credit: Salk Institute Salk researchers and collaborators show how the protein damages cells, confirming COVID-19 as a primarily vascular disease. Scientists have known for a while that SARS-CoV-2’s distinctive “spike” proteins help the virus infect its host by latching on to healthy cells. Now, a major new study shows that they also play a key role in the disease itself. The paper, published on April 30, 2021, in Circulation Research, also shows conclusively that COVID-19 is a vascular disease, demonstrating exactly how the SARS-CoV-2 virus damages and attacks th...

Oregon Gov Kate Brown has blamed the rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for her decision to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions on 36 counties. On Thursday, Brown extended Oregon's state of emergency for COVID-19 until June 28, saying a fourth surge of the pandemic is being driven by variants of the disease, including the B.1.1.7 variant, and causing increased cases and hospitalizations. The declaration allows Brown to issue executive orders restricting activity and helps the state utilize federal COVID-relief funds, the governor's office said.  'In terms of why a statewide approach, it's about hospitalizations and health care capacity,' Brown said to KATU.     The new shutdowns come as Brown says an ‘overwhelming majority’ of new COVID-19 cases are coming from younger, unvaccinated ...