Kids Health

This Couch Went Viral On TikTok, Heres Why

TikTok is the capitalist crystal ball that seems to predict many people’s upcoming purchases. The video app coerces gently, like a never-ending shop display of everything you never knew you needed. Before long, you might be one of the 4 billion viewers of a product uploading to #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt — whether it’s a viral Zara dress […]

Health News

An expert explains viral variants, mutations and strains

What are variants? We asked Divya Shah, Epidemics Research Lead, to explain how variants happen, what they mean for treatments and vaccines—including for COVID-19—and how we can prevent them. What are mutations, variants and strains? Although the terms viral mutants, variants and strains are often used interchangeably, they generally hold different meanings. To spread, a […]

Health News

For ME/CFS patients, viral immunities come at a devastating, lifelong cost

Mylagic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling and complex illness. Affected persons often cannot pursue ordinary activities—physical or mental—because of an incapacitating loss of energy and other symptoms, and may find themselves confined to bed or house-bound for years. Anyone can develop ME/CFS, though it most commonly afflicts people between the ages of 40 […]

Health News

Comparing COVID-19 with H1N1 and other viral outbreaks

Viral outbreaks are a natural part of life, said Richard P. Wenzel, M.D., chair emeritus and professor of the Department of Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine. “We tend to get surprised every time we have a new outbreak of a virus that causes an epidemic,” said Wenzel, an infectious disease specialist. […]