Loss of smell is an earlier COVID-19 symptom than fever; Philly’s Monell Institute has sniff test for screening in the works

Loss of smell is an earlier COVID-19 symptom than fever; Philly’s Monell Institute has sniff test for screening in the works

by Stacey Burling
Loss of the sense of smell is a common symptom, and it happens early. And it's a loss that is hard to ignore, especially if it lingers.
Once a COVID-19 vaccine is here, there will be a new challenge: Convincing people it’s safe

A COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to end the pandemic. Experts say this is what it will take to convince people it’s safe.

by Stacey Burling
Communications experts said there has never been a vaccine introduction like this one will be. What does science say about how to inform the public?
Once a COVID-19 vaccine is here, there will be a new challenge: Convincing people it’s safe

A COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to end the pandemic. Experts say this is what it will take to convince people it’s safe.

Communications experts said there has never been a vaccine introduction like this one will be. What does science say about how to inform the public?
Pa., like the nation, reports its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day. In the Philly region, the suburbs are hit hardest.

Pa., like the nation, reports its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day. In the Philly region, the suburbs are hit hardest.

by Jason Laughlin and Bethany Ao
More widely available testing partly explains the high count, but equally important — and troubling to experts — is how many of those tests are coming back positive.
Pa., like the nation, reports its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day. In the Philly region, the suburbs are hit hardest.

Pa., like the nation, reports its highest number of COVID-19 cases in a single day. In the Philly region, the suburbs are hit hardest.

More widely available testing partly explains the high count, but equally important — and troubling to experts — is how many of those tests are coming back positive.
‘All you want is to be believed’: The impact of unconscious bias in health care

‘All you want is to be believed’: The impact of unconscious bias in health care

by April Dembosky, KQED
Unconscious bias is part of why people of color are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. It is not merely because they are more likely to have front-line jobs that expose them to it.
‘All you want is to be believed’: The impact of unconscious bias in health care

‘All you want is to be believed’: The impact of unconscious bias in health care

by April Dembosky, KQED
Unconscious bias is part of why people of color are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. It is not merely because they are more likely to have front-line jobs that expose them to it.
More Stories
Drug used in organ transplants can reduce deaths from severe COVID-19, research suggests

Drug used in organ transplants can reduce deaths from severe COVID-19, research suggests

by Marie McCullough
In the worldwide race to find effective treatments for COVID-19, cyclosporine has been largely overlooked. Clinical trials are underway at Penn.
Penn State study says mouthwash can kill coronavirus — in lab dishes. Human trials are next.

Penn State study says mouthwash can kill coronavirus — in lab dishes. Human trials are next.

by Marie McCullough
Mouthwashes can help prevent and treat gum disease caused by bacteria. Could swishing kill the coronavirus?
Temple study helps predict which COVID-19 patients develop dangerous ‘cytokine storm’

Temple study helps predict which COVID-19 patients develop dangerous ‘cytokine storm’

by Tom Avril
Researchers identified a handful of blood-test results that predicted which COVID patients were likely to suffer severe inflammation.
4 ways governments can help improve the health of children and families | Opinion

4 ways governments can help improve the health of children and families | Opinion

by Rebecka Rosenquist and David Rubin, For the Inquirer
As we face an election in a year unlike any other, we lack a national policy agenda that will improve the health and well-being of children and families, particularly those most in need.
Make this DIY air filter to (possibly) reduce your indoor exposure to coronavirus

Make this DIY air filter to (possibly) reduce your indoor exposure to coronavirus

by Tom Avril
All you need is a window fan, some duct tape, and five of those pleated, cardboard-framed filters that are designed for home forced-air heating systems.
6,000 Philly kids could be excluded from school if they don’t get vaccinations; school sites opening for shots

6,000 Philly kids could be excluded from school if they don’t get vaccinations; school sites opening for shots

by Kristen A. Graham
Even if students do not return to school buildings this year, the district must exclude those who lack vaccinations or a state exemption from the immunizations.
Older COVID-19 patients battle ‘brain fog,’ weakness, and emotional turmoil

Older COVID-19 patients battle ‘brain fog,’ weakness, and emotional turmoil

by Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News
Sudden cognitive dysfunction is a common concern for seniors who’ve survived a serious bout of COVID-19.
Top tips for injury-free fall cleanup

Top tips for injury-free fall cleanup

by Ashley B. Greenblatt, For The Inquirer
If not performed properly, the physical strain of lifting gigantic gourds or bagging and dragging loads of leaves, can cause a lot of unnecessary aches and pains.
U.S. still trails pre-COVID peak in jobs and economic activity, and the new president may not matter
Column

U.S. still trails pre-COVID peak in jobs and economic activity, and the new president may not matter

by Joseph N. DiStefano
From Wall Street and Broad Street, stock watchers say the U.S. economy has come most of the way back from March, but it won't reach pre-COVID employment levels until there's a vaccine.
As pandemic started, U.S. fatal overdoses soared in the first quarter of 2020, new data show

As pandemic started, U.S. fatal overdoses soared in the first quarter of 2020, new data show

by Aubrey Whelan
The new figures cover preliminary reports of fatal overdoses around the country from January through March — when the first lockdowns prompted by the coronavirus pandemic began.
The fastest growing consumer plastic isn’t being recycled. Two Philadelphia area companies hope to change that.

The fastest growing consumer plastic isn’t being recycled. Two Philadelphia area companies hope to change that.

by Frank Kummer
Though few consumers have heard of it, flexible plastic packaging is the fastest growing type of plastic in use in the U.S. And, as of now, it's not being recycled.
COVID-19 cases are rising fast in Pa. and N.J., but hospitals are not burdened — yet. Here’s why.

COVID-19 cases are rising fast in Pa. and N.J., but hospitals are not burdened — yet. Here’s why.

by Marie McCullough
The second wave of the pandemic seems to have begun in N.J. and Pa. But for hospitals, this fall is nothing like the spring.
‘He makes it into a joke’: For Philly COVID-19 patients, Trump’s cavalier attitude stings

‘He makes it into a joke’: For Philly COVID-19 patients, Trump’s cavalier attitude stings

by Aubrey Whelan
Trump's coronavirus treatment and cavalier attitude stings ordinary patients and doctors. His experience also speaks to the vast social, racial, and economic inequities in American health care.
Science
Nobel Prize in chemistry goes to two scientists for gene-editing tool
Nobel Prize in chemistry goes to two scientists for gene-editing tool
by David Keyton, Christina Larson and Frank Jordans, Associated Press
Nobel Prize for physics goes to three scientists for black hole research
by David Keyton, Seth Borenstein and Frank Jordans, Associated Press
CLEAN PLATES
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