COVID-19 Archive

Articles

Wondering about COVID-19 vaccines if you're breastfeeding?

If you're breastfeeding, you may have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Experts agree that people who are breastfeeding should receive the vaccine to help them and their baby stay healthy. Get informed by consulting trusted health sources, and talking with your medical providers about your options.

Do people who have COVID-19 go on to develop other diseases?

Evidence suggests that people who recover from COVID-19 have an increased risk for developing new health problems, including heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, muscle inflammation, blood clots that travel to the lungs, strokes from clots or hemorrhages, or psychosis. This is in addition to permanent damage that can result from having COVID, including damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys, brain, or other organs; and debilitating fatigue, difficulty thinking, and other symptoms that make it hard to function normally at work or at home.

Unvaccinated and misunderstood? Let's talk

As the pandemic drags on, it feels like the US has stalled on vaccinations. COVID hospitalizations and deaths are rising again and people on both sides of the vaccine divide seem frustrated or worse. A recent survey suggests ways to address some obstacles and push for solutions that address a range of concerns.

Does HIPAA prohibit questions about vaccination?

Privacy rules described in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) prevent disclosure of certain health information to unauthorized people without your permission. Here are the basics on what HIPAA does and doesn't allow –– including whether it's legal to ask and answer questions about COVID-19 vaccination status.

Back-to-school in 2021: Keeping children safe and well

As another school year in the shadow of COVID-19 begins and the Delta variant surges, once again parents are concerned about how their children will be affected. National, state, and local guidelines continue to evolve, but the overarching goal is to return to full-time, in-person learning for students wherever possible.

New information for parents on myocarditis and COVID-19 vaccines

Reports of young people developing myocarditis and pericarditis after getting one of the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 have made some parents reluctant to get their children vaccinated. It's understandable to worry about such a side effect, but before choosing not to vaccinate, it's important to look at the whole picture.

COVID-19 and cardiovascular concerns: An evolving story

Physicians’ understanding of how a COVID-19 infection affects the heart is still evolving. More definitive answers require long-term, randomized clinical trials that control for different factors (including varied medical histories and medication use) to study how COVID-19—and possible therapies—affect people who have or are at risk for heart disease. Like other infectious organisms, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can increase the risk of blood clots and may damage the heart, but the danger is less common than initial reports suggested.

Children not yet vaccinated against COVID-19? What to do

Now that many people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, it feels like things are starting to return to something resembling normal. But because the vaccines have not yet been approved for those under 12, families with children under this age need to be careful and thoughtful as they plan summer activities.

Does exercise help protect against severe COVID-19?

A study examining data from a large health care provider on more than 48,000 people who had COVID-19 found that those were consistently inactive had a significantly higher risk of hospitalization or death, while those who engaged in more than 10 minutes of activity per week had some protection against severe illness or death, and people who were active for at least 150 minutes per week had the most protection.

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