Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’

Power and privilege serves itself first. So a limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines can bring forth an ugly dimension of humanity. Sharp elbows come out as some people try to put themselves first. But in other situations, we see a sharp contrast. We see people reaching out to help others who need vaccines urgently. The […]

Yesterday, FDA released a detailed analysis of all the available data on a third COVID-19 vaccine up for approval in the U.S. Tomorrow, an independent advisory committee will meet to review this vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. But it already looks like it is heading for approval. For one thing, FDA reviewers concluded the vaccine […]

The lifespan expected for a baby born in America during the first half of 2020 dropped by a year, compared to what it was in 2019. But for a Black child, the drop in life  expectancy (2.7 years) was more than three times worse than for a White child (0.8 years). Life expectancy for a […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many things, big and small. One of the unexpected insights is the fervor that exists for vitamin D. It’s a potent vitamin with many effects. Too little of it in a person’s body can cause any number of problems. Too much can be a serious problem as well. It […]

Misinformation about COVID-19 spreads so fast that real information has a hard time keeping up. But what we face now is extra hard, because two other difficult subjects are in the mix – obesity and vaccines. So naturally, we’re seeing a mess in messaging about COVID-19 vaccines and obesity. As a matter of fact, the […]

Separate but (un)equal education was a concept the U.S. Supreme Court repudiated in 1954. However, separate and unequal healthcare is something that persists in the U.S. to this day. If you want a stark reminder, just take a look at the disparities in care that people get for obesity. Even more dire are the disparities […]

COVID-19 has rearranged lives all over the world, but today, Americans are having a football game. Urgent pleas from public health folks are putting a lid on big parties. So the emphasis seems to be shifting to far-flung snacking. Social distance, small crowds, or preferably no crowds – people still want their Super Bowl snacks. […]

For some time now, speculation about the impact of COVID-19 on obesity risk in children has been plentiful. It makes sense. COVID has turned the lives of kids and their parents upside down. On top of that, models suggest childhood obesity rates could go up markedly. However, these were projections and speculation. So we have […]

It is now becoming apparent that the connection between diabetes and COVID-19 is a two-way street. On one hand, people with diabetes are at risk for more severe cases with COVID-19. On the other hand, it seems that COVID-19 is at work in new cases of diabetes. In fact, diabetes may come to about 14 […]

Let’s face it. At the moment, COVID vaccination is a mess. Anti-vaxxers briefly shut down a vaccination site at Dodgers Stadium yesterday. “Save your soul, turn back now,” said their placards. Nonetheless, millions are desperate to get the vaccine. But demand vastly outstrips supply for now. So disparities are popping up as people with power, […]