Confused About COVID19 Masks? Let’s Talk

Long before the CDC officially recommended wearing cloth face coverings, people were buzzing about masks. “N95” and “PPE” (personal protective equipment) were two of the first words in our new Corona vocabulary, and by now everyone knows these precious masks are in very short supply.

Meanwhile, the medical community keeps repeating that wearing masks helps prevent sick people from spreading their germs to others, but these masks won’t protect healthy people from catching the exact same germs. Anyone else confused by this? Isn’t it the same mask on a healthy or a sick person? Why would any mask block germs … Read more

5 Tips for Student Survival & SUCCESS During COVID Quarantine

Online classes have begun, and the learning curve is steep for students, teachers and families as we ALL adjust to our re-nested COVID lifestyle.

PARENTS: Being a student should STILL be your kid’s number one priority. Yes, this is a pandemic, and each family has different needs, but globally we need to adapt to living a bit in tandem with our young adult children, respecting their typically shifted, later sleep/wake cycles and understanding that our family meal times may conflict with their classes, study groups or virtual hangouts. Time zone changes from out-of-state schools double this challenge.

 STUDENTS: Be … Read more

Okay Students, Let’s Talk About COVID19

Okay Students,

We’re listening.

We know COVID19 has trashed your spring semester, and all the fun and truly hard-earned events you’ve looked forward to have been swiped out from under your feet.

High school proms, musicals, concerts, banquets, spring breaks and even graduations are cancelled.

Ditto for college students, but add in losing internships, studying abroad and oh yeah, real jobs that were supposed to happen at the finish line.

And all of you are facing the reality of online learning, dreading technical frustrations with internet connections, lack of access to necessary programs that ran on computer labs, dealing with … Read more

Is It Time to Panic Over COVID19?

 

Should I be worried?

The random texts started weeks ago, but now it’s constant. Friends, colleagues, and loads of fellow parents (especially of college students) are texting me- “Are YOU scared? Is it time to panic? Or is this simply media hype? What do we do about Spring Break? Is Mexico safe? Why the heck is our kid’s university going to online classes? Are you kidding me? We’ve paid a fortune for their education!”

My friends know if they ask me a medical question, I’m going to answer straight up. Along with a side helping of grief if they … Read more

Beyond CORONA…Spring Break Advice

With or without CORONA, Spring Break is here and students everywhere are gearing up for a week-long party. In addition to focusing on hand washing (you know the drill- wash early and often, scrubbing for a full 20 seconds with soap and water or sanitizer), be aware that alcohol-related injuries are currently far more deadly than COVID-19. Over 1500 college students die each year from alcohol poisoning, motor vehicle accidents and other alcohol-related injuries, and not surprisingly, we see a spike in these fatalities during spring break at popular destinations. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of alcohol-fueled physical … Read more

What Your College Student Needs to Know About Corona Virus       

On planes, trains and buses; in grocery stores and malls; and most definitely walking across universities, surgical masks appear to be the latest fashion accessory. Mind you, few people are wearing them correctly…but I digress. People are understandably worried about this new Corona Virus, for which we have marginal understanding, no vaccine, little effective treatment and no cure.

 

First things first, though, let’s start with the name.

 

On Feb 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially changed the name from Corona Virus to COVID-19, which is simply an abbreviation of “CO”rona “VI”rus “D”disease, which started in 20“19”. … Read more

Can’t Get Rid of that COUGH?

Okay, so you don’t think you have Corona Virus (now known as COVID-19), but why can’t you get rid of that cough? Perhaps you had the flu (or a flu-like illness) a couple weeks ago, complete with fever, chills, headache and body aches. The hit-by-a-Mack-truck symptoms have gone away, but the cough is driving you (and your spouse/roommate/classmates) crazy. Unfortunately, post-infectious coughs commonly persist up to SIX weeks after the initial illness, and this year’s influenza seems to be setting records.

Allergies certainly can cause coughs as well, but typically allergic coughs are more the dry, annoying, clear-your-throat variety, rather … Read more

FLU Symptoms? Worried about Corona? Here’s What You Need to Know

SHOULD I BE TESTED FOR CORONA VIRUS? Typical person living, studying or working in the USA? Probably not. But YES, you should be sent for testing* IF you have ALL three things:

  1. Fever
  2. Respiratory Symptoms (like Cough/Shortness of Breath)
  3. Travel in Wuhan City, China (expanded 1/31/20 to include anywhere inside the Hubei Province and anywhere in mainland China if you are ill enough to be hospitalized) within the last 14 days before your symptoms started OR close contact with someone confirmed or suspected of having Corona Virus.

Also, as of 1/31/20, if you have a cough even WITHOUT fever … Read more

What’s This Little White Pill?

“Stray” pills are unfortunately a thing. Rogue pills escape off the counter and roll to the floor. Others hide in the depths of our backpacks (purses, jacket pockets, etc.), and many of us actually create these strays by tossing vitamins, decongestants, or prescription meds into one of those convenient little travel-sized bottles of Advil or Tylenol to save room and carry with us. (Side note- really best not to do this, particularly with prescription medications. And especially if you are flying. Imagine explaining your drug stash to the TSA.)

But what if you legitimately forgot which pill is which, … Read more

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! (Shhhhh…let’s talk about hangovers)

Is there any better day to discuss HANGOVERS? Here’s hoping your New Year’s Eve overflowed with more fun than alcohol, but just in case…let’s talk.

What causes hangovers? Well, drinking too much alcohol- duh! But on a physical level, we also know that:

  • Alcohol tells the kidneys to make more urine (by turning off the anti-diuretic hormone, for the curious) so yes, this dehydrates your body
  • Dehydration (from anything- sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) can cause headaches and muscle aches, or make you lightheaded (especially when you go from lying down to sitting up, or sitting to standing)
  • Alcohol causes your
… Read more