Month: January 2022

An anonymous man in his 30s who had to be hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 last July now claims that the disease left him with a shrunken penis and erectile dysfunction.  "When I got out of the hospital, I had some erectile dysfunction issues. Those gradually got better with some medical attention, but I seem to be left with a lasting problem. My penis has shrunk," the man wrote in a letter to Slate's "How To Do It" podcast.  "Before I got sick, I was above average, not huge, but definitely bigger than normal. Now I've lost about an inch and a half and become decidedly less than average." Dr. Ashley Winter, a urologist in Oregon, confirmed to the podcast hosts that "COVID d--- is like a real thing." A man in his 30s claims his penis shrank by 1.5 inches after he con...

Boosters, layered protections remain crucial as COVID numbers rise NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – As metrics measuring the spread of COVID-19 in New Hanover County continue to remain high, officials from New Hanover County Health and Human Services encourage all community members to get fully vaccinated and receive a booster dose once eligible. “The Omicron variant, which CDC now estimates to be 99 percent of cases across the Southeastern region, is spreading very rapidly in our area causing serious disruptions to healthcare, schools and businesses. All of us need to use the tools we have to control these impacts: wear a mask in indoor public places, distance from those outside your household and stay home and away from others if symptomatic or exposed. Also, please get vaccinated...

As more children remain in classrooms across Chicago and omicron cases continue to surge through the city, people are asking how long they'll be contagious after contracting COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance last month, shifting the timing for isolation and quarantine as some experts say the time frame when people are most contagious is earlier. "It is taking less time from when someone is exposed to COVID to potentially develop infection. It is taking less time to develop symptoms, it is taking less time that someone may be infectious and it is, for many people, taking less time to recover. A lot of that is because many more people are vaccinated," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said....

Sacramento County’s public health officer said a peak in the omicron surge is still likely to be a few weeks away and that officials will be helping hospitals increase “surge capacity.” Dr. Olivia Kasirye said Thursday that the county’s COVID-19 case rate is now three times higher than it was at last year’s peak, and is forecast to peak in late January or early February. In the meantime, cases are spiking at schools and jails and people should do their part to help others by getting vaccinated against the virus or boosted if they are eligible, Kasirye told reporters during a briefing. “As a whole, the omicron variant seems to have milder symptoms compared to other variants,” she said. “But for those who are unvaccinated and for the vulnerable or immune-compromised the impacts are sti...