Opinion

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Soda taxes can’t reverse the obesity epidemic

OPINION: They might be able to help, but only if well-designed and in combination with other policies

Conceptual illustration shows a teeter totter with people on both ends. One side, on the ground, has a much larger number of people on it than the other, which just has a few people and is raised up in the air.

We urgently need data for equitable personalized medicine

OPINION: A massive bias in medical studies toward men of European origin means that genetic variants in understudied populations don’t get the focus they deserve

Photo illustration shows a living room with couch, desk and windows overlaid

Health & Disease

How optimizing indoor humidity can help stop the spread of Covid and flu

OPINION: Recent CDC guidelines for indoor air quality disregard the benefits of humidity. But research shows it can kill viruses and help thwart infections.

A yellow city poster stapled to a pole in front of an older brick wall shows an icon of a creepy rat in the sights of a red target. It warns of the use of poison bait to kill rats in the area.

Health & Disease

Dealing with rats, and their health, in America’s ‘rattiest’ city

OPINION: A study in Chicago found that rodents surviving poisoning are more likely to carry disease. Good pest control needs to take such things into account.

Illustration shows a man and woman running a race, with the man leading. The women has a large female symbol tethered to her wrist. EKG lines are in the background.

Health & Disease

America is failing women’s health

OPINION: Systemic inequity means women in the US die younger and suffer more than they should. It’s time for health for all.

People holding placards march behind a large white banner with “National March for Life” written on it in red. There are buildings in the background.

Health & Disease

The US abortion decision is already having global impacts

OPINION: The reversal of Roe v. Wade is a tragedy not just for the United States, but for women everywhere

Health & Disease

This myth about guns is killing us

OPINION: The idea that gun violence prevention research is at odds with gun rights is just not true

Two women sit facing each other. The woman on the right is holding a baby, supporting the baby’s head with her hand. The woman on the left is administering vaccine into the baby’s arm.

Health & Disease

The first malaria vaccine is a leap forward, but we can’t stop now

OPINION: Next-generation vaccines, and a lot more money, are needed now to crack the stalemate in the fight against malaria

Conceptual illustration shows a cityscape, two people staring out of windows and a giant red coronavirus hovering in the sky.

The Mind

Pandemic psychology: Nothing new under the Sun

OPINION: Our behavior during Covid-19 echoes that of individuals, societies and governments during past plagues. We can and should do better.

Illustration shows a repeated motif of shady businessman (wearing bow-tie, bowler hat, and sunglasses) holding a large pill capsule.

Society

The science of placebos is fueling quackery

OPINION: The placebo effect is real. So are the ethical conundrums posed by those who would exploit the latest research advances for profit.

Oil painting of a group of people around a table in a garden. One of the women is fast asleep, leaning on the table. They are drinking. There is food on the table.

The Mind

The vicious cycle of food and sleep

OPINION: More than a third of Americans don’t log enough hours in bed, provoking serious impacts on their health. Diet is an important and under-recognized reason.

Illustration shows two young Black children staring at a wall with words that express examples of the racism people in the United States face.

Society

How racism in early life can affect long-term health

OPINION: Excessive adversity activates biological reactions that can lead to lifelong problems in physical and mental wellbeing

Lab researchers wearing full protective suits, supplied with clean air, are shown in a lab.

Society

Question the ‘lab leak’ theory. But don’t call it a conspiracy.

OPINION: If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, labels get in the way of facts and make the truth that much harder to find.

Photo shows the exterior of a large building with a sign saying “This Hospital is CLOSED. If this is an emergency, call 911.”

Society

Let’s change how we pay for hospitals

OPINION: Many health facilities were already in fiscal straits before Covid-19 — except in Maryland. The state’s innovative and sound approach could be the answer to rescuing systems nationwide.

Illustration shows a variety of ways that scientists might work in a lab to find potential new therapies.

Health & Disease

Why we are developing a patent-free Covid antiviral therapy

OPINION: During global health crises such as pandemics, drug discovery should be publicly funded and open, with no research secrets locked away

Illustration shows a networked globe with coronavirus particles.

Health & Disease

Building an immune system for the planet could prevent the next pandemic

OPINION: We need a global information network that spans borders so we can spot — and stop — new pathogens before they threaten world health

Panoramic photo shows a green lawn in Central Park, with park-goers, trees and the city skyline visible.

Society

Covid cut pollution and got us outside. Let’s keep it up.

OPINION: Urban planners need to find ways to reduce traffic and provide equal access to green spaces

Health & Disease

Let’s put community health workers to work

OPINION: Covid laid bare the scope of health disparities in the US and around the world. Research shows that trained lay people may be the best way to bring evidence-based care to those who need it most.

Health & Disease

Covid job loss: The cause of the next epidemic?

OPINION: Being out of work — even for a just a few months — may be bad for your health

Health & Disease

Four ways HIV activists have saved lives during Covid

OPINION: We owe these early fighters a debt of gratitude for transforming our response to public health crises.

Health & Disease

Yes, all this screen time is hurting your eyes

OPINION: A neuroscientist says that he’s particularly worried about kids, who may have spent much of last year learning online. Some easy hacks can help.

Photo illustration of someone looking at information about mifepristone, used to terminate early pregnancies, on their smartphone.

Health & Disease

Abortions can happen safely — and entirely — at home

OPINION: The pandemic has taught us how we can deliver better care to patients who seek to terminate pregnancies. Now if only science could triumph over politics.

This scanning electron micrograph shows Clostridium difficile bacterial cells as they are dividing.

Health & Disease

Don’t let Covid boost another killer

OPINION: The pandemic may be interfering with our fight against drug-resistant bacteria. Luckily, the same tactics can beat back both scourges.

Image of several coronaviruses floating on a red background

Health & Disease

How enlisting dentists can speed up Covid-19 vaccinations

OPINION: Dental care providers have the skills, the facilities and the trust of patients who might otherwise miss out

A conceptual illustration shows four individuals, three in white coats and all wearing masks, working at a circular table. A set of syringes points to the middle of the table. In the center is a large, blobby coronavirus particle.

Health & Disease

Are too many scientists studying Covid?

The pandemic prompted many scientists to pivot their research to the coronavirus. That’s not an entirely good thing.

A patient breaths in through a breathing apparatus during a medical test

Health & Disease

How to help Covid-19 long-haulers

OPINION: Patients with lingering symptoms need access to specialized clinics — and so much more

Conceptual illustration featuring a syringe and virus particles.

Health & Disease

I got the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Or maybe not.

OPINION: Many Americans say they won’t take a vaccine. I am not one of <br xmlns="http://pub2web.metastore.ingenta.com/ns/"/>them — and I have the shots to prove it.

Society

Covid stole my Dad’s final months

OPINION: Because of the pandemic, I couldn’t visit him in his nursing home, and because of his dementia he couldn’t understand why. Mismanagement of this crisis has failed the elderly and caused incalculable hurt.

Health & Disease

7 ways to fix this pandemic — and stop the next one

OPINION: Experts predict another nearly 180,000 deaths by February. It doesn’t have to be that way, writes health security expert Eric Toner.

A still shot from the Eterna online game, which invites citizen scientists to help design RNA molecules with greater stability with an aim of making a potentially more practical Covid vaccine.

Health & Disease

Wanted: Online gamers to help build a more stable Covid-19 vaccine

OPINION: People beat artificial intelligence hands-down at puzzling out new ways to fold molecules for a potential SARS-Cov-2 immunization. Thousands more players are needed.

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Opinion

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