COVID
I started this blog because I saw a lot of people getting confused about science topics surrounding the COVID pandemic, and I wanted to help clarify things where I could. So the majority of my focus has been science. But one of the biggest side effects of this pandemic has
COVID
Guest post from virologist Dr. Alex Chang-Graham! For those of you whose last biology class was decades ago, the differences between bacteria, viruses, and other microbes is probably a bit hazy. I asked my friend Dr. Alex Chang-Graham, who studied viruses for her PhD thesis, to give a refresher on
COVID
Medical research is a loooooooooong process. Like, really long. There are many different steps along the way, and from the outside it can be confusing why there was a study published years ago saying Drug X works for Disease Y, but a decade later we still don’t have a
health disparities
Those who aren’t scientists or doctors (and maybe even some that are) may not be familiar with some of the history or present day issues around racial and ethnic bias in biomedical research. These are some of the lessons we learn in school, and I was very surprised and
COVID
I just finished a draft of my PhD thesis, and we are allowed to include a “Concluding Remarks” section, in which we offer some perspective on science based on our thesis training. Here is what I wrote:* In the weeks I have taken to write this thesis, turmoil has raged
COVID
There is a lot of confusion and division swirling around these days, and sometimes it feels like the world is spinning, and it’s hard to know up from down. I’ve found that when I can name what I am experiencing, it can help me process what’s going
COVID
Guest post by Dr. Caitlin Miller, virologist and immunologist! This post is not intended to provide medical advice; if you have questions about health concerns please consult with your physician. In my last post, we talked about how the body develops immune responses to viruses. Now that we’ve tackled
COVID
Guest post from Dr. Caitlin Miller, virologist and immunologist! There has been lots of talk about coronavirus antibody tests and immunity in the news, and if you’ve never studied immunology, all of this can be very confusing. Before we get into what the antibody tests mean, first it helps
COVID
Note: This article was written in early 2020 and since then new data has become available on several of the topics discussed. There have been a lot of “there is no evidence” statements flying around of late… There is no evidence coronavirus survivors can’t be reinfected. There is no
COVID
There has been lots of excitement about hydroxychloroquine as a treatment option for COVID-19; early on, this excitement was based on a few small studies and anecdotal reports from physicians. Since then, more studies have come out looking at the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients. Below is a summary
COVID
As I’ve gone into the world of facebook comments, I have noticed that many people trying to make sense of the pandemic (myself included) are running into a number of logical fallacies. As you listen to other people’s views and form your own, try to keep these fallacies
COVID
I’ve heard a lot of people talk about flattening the curve as if it’s something we do to the virus and then it’s done and over… but this isn’t how it works. Think of the pandemic like driving down a steep hill: we have to go