Media Coverage

US Moves Nearer to Shutdown Amid Coronavirus Fears

Officials across the country curtailed many elements of American life to fight the coronavirus outbreak on Sunday, with health officials recommending that groups of 50 or more don’t get together and a government expert saying a 14-day national shutdown may be needed.

Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University, said he was “appalled” by what he saw Saturday at nearby O’Hare.

High Blood Pressure in Young Adulthood May Be Bad for Your Brain

The lead author, Dr. Simin Mahinrad, a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern, said it is important to know not only how high blood pressure is, but also for how long it has been high. “Identifying people at risk at earlier stages is important,” she said. “Old age may be too late.”

3 Ways to Manage COVID-19 Anxiety

Constant COVID-19 updates can naturally lead to a heightened sense of stress and anxiety.

If you find yourself weighed down by the constant coverage of the virus, there are ways to lighten your load mentally. Stewart Shankman, Chief of Psychology at Northwestern University, shared some tips with WGN Morning News on how to manage virus-related anxiety.

Economic toll of virus sinks in, duration remains an unknown

Online purchases of toilet paper have nearly doubled and non-perishable items like canned goods rose nearly 70% during the January and February period, according to Adobe Analytics.
“This is a big time of anxiety, and we know the biggest source of anxiety is uncertainty,” says Stewart Shankman, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University. “People are trying to get a sense of control by buying things you really don’t need. It’s a false sense of control.”

Black, Latina women report more pain postpartum but receive less opioid medication, study says

A recent Northwestern Medicine study found that black and Latina women report more pain postpartum than white women, yet they receive less opioid medication in the hospital and are less likely to receive a prescription for an opioid at postpartum discharge.

With spreading virus comes fear — and lots of stockpiling

But what’s different about the hoarding around the coronavirus is that it’s happening all across the country. Consumers are also dealing with an unknown threat and they have no idea when it will be over, consumer experts say.
“This is a big time of anxiety, and we know the biggest source of anxiety is uncertainty,” says Stewart Shankman, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University. “People are trying to get a sense of control by buying things you really don’t need. It’s a false sense of control.”′

I think I have the coronavirus. What should I do?

It’s probably a run-of-the-mill cold, or it could be the beginning of a bout of seasonal flu. But with recent cases of the novel coronavirus, called COVID-19, surfacing in Illinois, some people are bound to wonder: Could this be the coronavirus?
“They should not see their doctor immediately,” said Michael Ison, a professor of infectious diseases and organ transplantation at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. “They should call their doctor first.”

Tougher Laws Reduce Gun Deaths in Kids

The “Child Could Access” laws are associated with a 29% reduction in all-intent firearm deaths and a 59% reduction in unintentional firearm deaths, according to the study.
“The reduction in firearm fatalities is greater in those states with stronger negligence laws compared with states with weaker laws,” said co-author Hooman Azad, a second-year medical student at Northwestern University in Chicago. “While it does not absolutely mean causation, there are very strong associations between the type of CAP law and the number of firearm fatalities in children.”

How to Manage Your Anxiety About Coronavirus

Health can be a uniquely anxiety-provoking arena, says Catherine Belling, an associate professor of medical education at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine who wrote a 2012 book on hypochondria (now medically known as illness anxiety disorder). “Our bodies are so incredibly, intimately close to us, but…we’re dependent on doctors to tell us what’s going on inside ourselves,” she says. “The stakes are really high, but you also don’t have control over this very high stakes part of yourself.”

Allergists Offer Advice to Parents of Kids With Food Allergies

Food allergies affect children of different ages in different ways and can influence relationships with classmates, family and the general public, according to the study in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

“Quality of life issues related to food allergies are ubiquitous,” said co-author Dr. Ruchi Gupta, director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.