BEYOND SIX MONTHS, WHAT are the POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF COVID-19?
About 20% of adults experience long-term effects from COVID-19 about six months after recovery from the virus. Using a special MRI, radiologists have made this discovery
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HEALTH & WELL-BEING
WHAT DOES EARLY DATA SHOW ABOUT the BENEFITS of TREATMENTS for COVID 19?
Paxlovid, the Pfizer medication developed to treat COVID 19, is of benefit to high-risk seniors, and probably other individuals with compromised immune systems. It appears to provide no protection to younger adults. These are the preliminary results of a large study in Israel, involving 109,000 patients
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WHAT are the RISKS, REALLY LONG-TERM, of LESS HEALTHY EATING?
To lower the risk of developing dementia a simple nutritional plan is very helpful: eating less “ultraprocessed foods” (UPF). In a long-term study, individuals who consumed the highest amounts of soft drinks, chips and other UPF’s had a much higher risk of developing dementia versus their peers who ate the lowest amounts of these foods.
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WHAT are the ACTUAL RISKS with OMICRON VARIANTS?
Two new variants of the Omicron COVID are capable of reinfecting those who had recently been ill with an earlier version of Omicron. These are known as BA.4, and BA.5, which is actually more infectious. Per Dr. Robert Wachter, chairperson of UC San Francisco’s Department of Medicine:
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HOW WIDESPREAD a PROBLEM is INSOMNIA, ESPECIALLY DUE to COVID-19?
“Chronic insomnia” means that someone has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or repeatedly wakes up earlier than they’d like. These difficulties and daytime consequences occur at least three times a week for a minimum of three months. Jennifer Martin, Ph.D., the president of AASM, notes, “Chronic insomnia is a serious public health problem associated with numerous health and safety risks that can impact not just how a person sleeps at night, but also how a person feels or functions during the daytime.”
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WHAT are the RISKS of LONG COVID for LESS SEVERELY ILL PATIENTS?
New data reveals that the risks of long-term symptoms from COVID are quite significant, even for patients who were not hospitalized with more severe forms of the illness. More specifically, 76% of Americans diagnosed with long COVID were not hospitalized
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WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE RISKS of COVID 19 to VISION?
In addition to cardiac and neurological risks of COVID 19 discussed in two recent blogs, new data also reveals risks to vision. The virus can cause some blockage in blood flow in the retina, which threatens vision
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IS RESILIENCE ENHANCED by SPRITUAL and RELIGIOUS BELIEFS?
A previous blog discussed the impact of spirituality on well-being: “Is There Scientific Evidence to Support the Practice of Prayer”. New study that covers many research projects focused on the impact of spiritual and religious beliefs on resilience
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HOW DOES COVID 19 IMPACT the BRAIN – EVEN MILDER VERSIONS of the VIRUS?
Since COVID often invades the body through the nose, the disease may spread via the olfactory pathways related to the sense of smell. It may also be due to inflammation in the brain, or the loss of sensory input since many people experience a loss of the sense of smell.
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WHAT are the LONG-TERM CARDIAC RISKS of COVID 19?
WHAT are the LONG-TERM CARDIAC RISKS of COVID 19?By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. During the first year of recovering from
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HOW can WE STRENGTHEN our IMMUNE SYSTEM?
HOW can WE STRENGTHEN our IMMUNE SYSTEM?By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. Our immune system faces many challenges, even more as
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WHAT KIND of DIGITAL VACCINATION PROOF is EASILY AVAILABLE?
Los Angeles County now requires proof of vaccination for most indoor venues: restaurants, grocery stores, exercise gyms, salons, large venues for entertainment including movie theaters, and Dodger Stadium, Universal Studios, or Magic Mountain. Other parts of the state have their own regulations and enforcement procedures. Disneyland, however, located in Orange County, does not require a vaccine credential. Some 21 states, including Texas and Florida, have banned vaccine passports completely.
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IS THERE DATA TO SUPPORT the BENEFITS of a BOOSTER VACCINATION for COVID 19?
Ongoing efforts to encourage people to get a booster for their COVID 19 vaccination in recent months has been demonstrated to be effective by some research completed in Israel. Israel has a nationalized health care system, which is highly developed with digital record keeping, with a relatively small population as well. This contributes to reliable data available quickly, as has been cited in this blog over the pandemic period.
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HOW CAN WE DEVELOP NEW HABITS MORE SUCCESSFULLY?
The recent blogs about “languishing” and “flow”, as part of our entry into this “new normal”, post-pandemic life, can be enhanced with considering how we can develop better habits
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HOW MANY KIDS ARE BEING HOSPITALIZED DUE TO COVID-19?
As of mid-August, a record number of children have been hospitalized for COVID-19: nearly 2,000 across the country. This is one impact of the delta variant of the virus.
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HOW CAN KIDS SAFELY RETURN to SCHOOL CONSIDERING the DELTA VARIANT?
HOW CAN KIDS SAFELY RETURN to SCHOOL CONSIDERING the DELTA VARIANT? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. In mid-June when California
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WHAT ARE the LONG-TERM RISKS OF COVID 19?
What are the risks of neurological and psychological diagnoses following a COVID 19 episode? Quite significant, according to a study released in a highly regarded journal
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WHAT if the PANDEMIC HASN’T MADE US FEEL BAD, BUT WE ALSO DON’T FEEL QUITE RIGHT? – PART 2
As with other forms of psychological distress, naming it is the first step towards dealing with it. By identifying depression, anxiety, addiction, and other struggles due to the pandemic (see previous blogs), we can begin to take counter steps, including seeking help. The same is true for languishing.
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WHAT if the PANDEMIC HASN’T MADE US FEEL BAD, BUT WE ALSO DON’T FEEL QUITE RIGHT? – PART 1
Have these many months of the COVID pandemic left you feeling “somewhat joyless and aimless”? Not quite burned out and without energy. Not quite hopeless, helpless, and trapped – depressed? Even as life in LA County and California is opening up towards something close to “normal”, are you not looking forward to much with excitement or even pleasure? There is a new term for this feeling of “stagnation and emptiness
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HOW is the PANDEMIC AFFECTING COLLEGE STUDENTS?
College students are feeling more depression, anxiety, and loneliness than ever before. This is based on a survey of 33,000 students from a researcher at Boston University
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WHAT RISK FACTORS for COVID 19 CAN WE CONTROL?
WHAT RISK FACTORS for COVID 19 CAN WE CONTROL? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. COVID 19 became the leading cause
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HOW HAS COVID 19 AFFECTED CHILD MENTAL HEALTH?
HOW HAS COVID 19 AFFECTED CHILD MENTAL HEALTH? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. In a word, the impact of the
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WHAT HAS BEEN the IMPACT OF COVID 19 on HOMICIDE RATES?
WHAT HAS BEEN the IMPACT OF COVID 19 on HOMICIDE RATES? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. During this COVID 19
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HOW DO WE CHOOSE ACTIVITIES ONCE WE ARE VACCINATED?
HOW DO WE CHOOSE ACTIVITIES ONCE WE ARE VACCINATED? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. Recent blogs have been about vaccination-related
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DO PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IMPACT the EFFECTIVENESS OF COVID 19 VACCINES, as well as SIDE EFFECTS?
Two recent blogs have summarized how effective the two earliest vaccines are against COVID 19, both in terms of the clinical studies to establish their efficacy, as well as using the experience in Israel as a real-world case study. In addition to the biological factors involved in vaccine efficacy, there are also psychological factors that impact the efficacy of the vaccine,
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HOW to OVERCOME the FRUSTRATIONS with SCHEDULING an APPOINTMENT for COVID 19 VACCINATIONS
HOW to OVERCOME the FRUSTRATIONS with SCHEDULING an APPOINTMENT for COVID 19 VACCINATIONS By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. In attempting
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WHAT ABOUT A CASE STUDY in VACCINATIONS, SAY ISRAEL?
WHAT ABOUT A CASE STUDY in VACCINATIONS, SAY ISRAEL? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. The last blog on how effective
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HOW HAS the COVID 19 PANDEMIC IMPACTED MENTAL HEALTH?
A recent Gallup poll reveals that Americans rate their mental health at the lowest level in the prior 20 years. Seventy-six percent rate their mental health as good or excellent, compared to 85% in 2019. Since 2001, ratings of excellent or good ranged from 81% to 89%, as compared to this year’s 76%.
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HOW CAN WE MAINTAIN HOPE in CHALLENGING TIMES? – Part 2
“Measure it.” Evaluate your starting point, or “baseline”, and identify where you need to improve. “Read history.” History, especially of bleak periods, provides context and substance. We can see how people survived the Spanish Flu pandemic, the Civil War,
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HOW CAN WE MAINTAIN HOPE in CHALENGING TIMES? – Part 1
Maintaining hope during the recent COVID surge in California and around the country is helpful, even essential, in many ways. Hope reduces anxiety, despair, and of course depression. We have more effective coping skills and recover from disappointments more quickly when we have hope. We are more skilled at problem solving, communicate better, and are more trusting of others.
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CAN WE THRIVE WHEN LIFE FEELS SO TERRIBLE?
CAN WE THRIVE WHEN LIFE FEELS SO TERRIBLE? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. A community website, The Mighty, provides information
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IS THERE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT the PRACTICE OF PRAYER?
IS THERE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT the PRACTICE OF PRAYER? In dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic, many people are turning to prayer. In the first stages of the pandemic, Google searches for prayer worldwide increased significantly
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HOW DOES LAUGHTER HELP WITH COVID 19?
In basic biochemical terms, laughter releases nitric oxide, which reduces blood pressure, decreases clotting, and relaxes blood vessels. A study of older men and women in Japan associated laughter with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. A Norwegian study found an association between humor and a longer life, especially for women. Dr. Miller “prescribes” a “deep psychological laugh that elicits tears of joy and relaxation” each day.
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HOW CAN YOU MAINTAIN an EXERCISE ROUTINE?
As the COVID 19 pandemic stretches on and on, maintaining your motivation to exercise may be more and more difficult. Even though recent blogs have cited the benefits of exercise for our immune system, as well as it being an antidote to depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties, losing interest and energy for exercise is understandable, even predictable perhaps
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HOW CAN WE PROTECT AGAINST VIRUSES?
A new study reveals greater risks for infection from cold and influenza viruses for people with “psychosocial vulnerabilities”, which can be applied to risks with COVID 19. This expands on a recent blog about strengthening our immune system.
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HOW CAN WE LIFT OUR SPIRITS DURING COVID 19? – PART 2
Sacks explores a variety of unusual, and mostly very rare, ways in which music comes to dominate a person’s brain, and life. But he also describes how powerfully therapeutic music can be for patients with Parkinson’s Disease or Dementia
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HOW CAN WE LIFT OUR SPIRITS DURING COVID 19?
The last few months of blogs have focused on the COVID 19 pandemic: how to cope; how to help our kids cope; dealing with grief; dealing with psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, substance abuse, child abuse, domestic violence; risks of losing insurance coverage for telehealth; strengthening our immune system; maintaining exercise.
Read moreCAN YOU CREATE A BALANCED LIFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?
It is difficult to develop a balanced life even in the best of times. For some, it means that something is always being overlooked while other needs are being addressed. All of these endeavors require the ability to recognize and prioritize your goals, to build the routines that speak to your needs, boundaries you develop to preserve your habits and the ability to transition from one activity to another.
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What ARE the CARDIAC RISKS of COVID 19?
What ARE the CARDIAC RISKS of COVID 19? By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. Recent blogs have identified a variety of
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STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH COVID 19
STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH COVID 19 By Alan M. Solomon, Ph.D. Recent blogs have focused on helping
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