Month: February 2022

Steve Serrao, chief of gastroenterology at a hospital in Moreno Valley, California, just lived through the fourth wave of Covid-19 with the omicron variant sweeping across the country. Patients in respiratory distress once again filled the hospital’s beds. But it is another wave, one that’s starting to trickle in but is still a long way from cresting, that Serrao worries about most. He fears that the delayed diagnoses of various cancers and other chronic, life-threatening illnesses — the result of Covid-19’s disruption to routine checkups and screenings — will be the next crisis that overwhelms the US health system. “Our next surge will be advanced chronic disease,” Serrao told me over the phone. “That’s going to be the next surge of patients who overwhelm our system. I don’t thi...

Visceral fat is dangerous fat that wraps around the organs deep inside your abdomen. Unlike subcutaneous fat, which you can touch and feel, visceral fat is not always easy to spot and it can be hard to tell how much of it you might have. Belly fat is linked to a plethora of serious health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes—if you're worried about how to get rid of your visceral fat, here's what the experts recommend. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs COVID is Hurting You—Even After a Negative Test. man measures her abdomen with a measuring tapeiStockIt's easy to let the extra pounds creep up, especially during a pandemic—but when clothes start feeling uncomfortably tight, it's time...

For months, scientists, public health officials, politicians and the general public have debated whether prior SARS-CoV-2 infection — touted as “natural immunity” — offers protection against COVID-19 that is comparable to vaccines. The answer to that debate is complicated, but studies show the best way to protect yourself against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is to get vaccinated and then boosted. An infection on top of that, while not desirable, offers even more protection. Recent evidence suggests that “natural” COVID-19 protection depends on many factors, including when the infection happened, the variant involved, whether someone has been boosted or not, and the overall strength of their immune system. “The question about natural versus vaccination immunity is an important on...

Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s easy to lament all that has come to pass. The devastating losses. The upending of what we regarded as normal ways of life. The sheer relentlessness of it all. But let’s stop for a moment and consider something else that may have escaped you: You have witnessed — and you are a beneficiary of — a freaking miracle. That miracle is the development, testing, manufacturing, and global distribution of Covid vaccines. advertisement If you’re reading this article, it’s a safe bet that you’ve been vaccinated. You may even have had three doses. Many of your family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, even strangers you pass on the street are probably in the same boat. At this point if they aren’t vaccinated and boosted, it’s by choice. ...