Media Coverage

COVID vaccines for children under the age of 5 are still not available, even as the country lifts some of its final masking restrictions. According to Dr. Bill Muller of Northwestern University, who is helping study Moderna’s pediatric doses, vaccinating the littlest “has been somewhat of a moving target over the last couple of months.” For parents looking to keep their child safe while traveling, the CDC and some health experts continue to recommend masking on public transportation.

People who sustain a concussion can develop an unusual hearing problem. Their ears work fine, but their brain struggles to process sounds. According to Nina Kraus, neuroscientist at Northwestern University, “Making sense of sound is one of the hardest jobs that we ask our brain to do. So you can imagine that a concussion, getting hit in the head, really does disrupt sound-processing.”

CoComelon is a popular YouTube channel turned Netflix show. The program features educational songs and nursery rhymes for kids. It is designed to help pre-schoolers learn letters, numbers, animal sounds, colors and more. There is no proof the show causes tantrums or speech delays. TV as a whole, however, can be a contributor. “Studies have shown associations between excessive TV watching in early childhood and language, cognitive and social-emotional delays,” says Dr. Michael Bauer, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Long COVID is a looming health crisis, estimated to affect up to 30% of people infected with coronavirus. Paxlovid, which combines a new Pfizer pill with the old antiviral ritonavir, is currently authorized for use in the first days of a COVID infection to prevent severe disease in high-risk patients. Dr. Igor Koralnik, who heads Northwestern Medicine’s clinic focused on the neurological effects of long COVID, noted the long list of widely-used medications that are affected by ritonavir and said Paxlovid “can’t be used willy nilly…there should be studies.”

Long COVID is a looming health crisis, estimated to affect up to 30% of people infected with the coronavirus. It can last for months, leaving many unable to work. Paxlovid, which combines a new Pfizer pill with the old antiviral ritonavir, is currently authorized for use in the first days of a COVID infection to prevent severe disease in high-risk patients. Dr. Igor Korlanik, who heads Northwestern Medicine’s clinic focused on the neurological effects of long COVID, noted the long list of widely-used medications that are affected by ritonavir and said Paxlovid “can’t be used willy nilly.”

When it comes to donating organs, Latinos made up 14.6% of all organ donors in 2020. According to Dr. Juan Caicedo, head of Northwestern Medicine’s Hispanic Transplant Program, the program has seen a 74% increase of living kidney transplant donors. The program has bilingual healthcare providers to serve Spanish speaking patients in need of a transplant. They also make efforts to involve a patient’s entire family in decision making, recognizing the importance of family for the Latino community.

The reality is that people are experiencing many different pandemics depending on their job, health, socioeconomic status, housing and access to medical care. According to Mercedes Carnethon, PhD, professor and vice chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, “It’s been a tale of two pandemics all along. For some people, the pandemic has been an inconvenience, whereas for other people, the pandemic has led to substantial concerns and loss.”

With cases of the omicron variant BA.2 on the rise across the U. S. and restrictions largely lifted across much of the U.S., parents of children still not eligible for vaccination are wondering when their time might come. Vaccinating the littlest “has been somewhat of a moving target over the last couple of months,” Dr. Bill Muller of Northwestern University, who is helping study Moderna’s pediatric doses, said. “There’s still, I think a lingering urgency to try to get that done as soon as possible.”

New data from the C.D.C. shows that rates of many sexually transmitted diseases continued to climb in 2020. Infections spiked during the pandemic because of a dearth of accessible screening, test kit and lab shortages, and clinic closures. “If you have an encounter and you’re worried about it, getting tested two to four weeks after is the best thing to do,” said Dr. Michael Angarone, an infectious diseases physician at Northwestern Medicine.

BA.2 is now the dominant form of COVID in the U.S. Experts say BA.2 symptoms don’t seem to be that different from Omicron or Delta. According to Dr. Michael Angarone, associate professor of medicine in infectious diseases at Northwestern University, “This is the same virus, SARS Coronavirus 2, so we’re seeing the same symptoms.” These include runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing and sore throat.