Federal Aid Dwarfs the Fall in State Tax Revenues
Chris EdwardsTheWall Street Journalpublished a news story last week suggesting that public schools face ruin without more federal aid. The story had the hardcopy title, “Schools Warn of Severe Budget Shortfalls,” and the first paragraph said, “academic officials are warning that vast budget shortfalls will further strain their districts unless Democrats and Republicans break their impasse on a new coronavirus‐relief package.”TheWSJ article was essentially an advocacy piece for greater federal intrusion on an activity that is the responsibility of the states. It lacked hard evidence, but there is some solid ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - September 1, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Chris Edwards Source Type: blogs
To harness our best selves, “Temper your empathy, train your compassion, and avoid the news”
In the novel Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys are shipwrecked on an island and eventually turn savagely against each other. The book is a cautionary tale about humanity’s underlying cruelty and the need for civilization to tame our darker impulses—a message that resonates with many people today.
But that’s not what happened to a real-life group of shipwrecked kids in 1965. Unlike the fictional Lord of the Flies characters, they developed a game plan for survival that was cooperative, fun, and peaceful, resulting in lifelong friendships.
In other words, the boys didn’t turn into devils when left on their own...
Source: SharpBrains - September 1, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Greater Good Science Center Tags: Cognitive Neuroscience Education & Lifelong Learning Health & Wellness brain-damaging stress coronavirus humankind Lord of the Flies mental health mental hygiene mindfulness Rutger Bregman Source Type: blogs
New Collection of Articles on Addressing Race and Racism in Medical Education
Academic Medicine is committed to assisting medical schools and teaching hospitals, their faculty and trainees, and the public in learning more about complex issues and strategies to acknowledge, repair, and transcend racism to make academic medicine not only more inclusive and diverse but also more focused on a vision of human mutuality. To this end, a collection of previously published Academic Medicine articles has been posted on the journal’s website. The collection was curated by us: assistant editors, Dr. Dorene Balmer and Dr. Irene Alexandraki, with the assistance of Toni Gallo (staff editor) and Dr. Kristin Malet...
Source: Academic Medicine Blog - September 1, 2020 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Journal Staff Tags: Featured Academic Medicine medical education race racism Source Type: blogs
Do Children Really Transmit COVID-19 Less Than Adults? The Evidence Is Questionable
The theory that children are unlikely to contract or spread COVID-19 may feel reassuring, but it ' s based on flawed science. Until more is known, aggressive strategies to limit viral spread in schools are the best way to keep students and teachers safe. (Source: The RAND Blog)
Source: The RAND Blog - August 30, 2020 Category: Health Management Authors: Laura F. Garabedian; Rebecca Lee Haffajee Source Type: blogs
Blown up in smoke: Young adults who vape at greater risk of COVID symptoms
COVID-19 has swept across the globe, infecting millions and resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Substantial resources have been invested into understanding individual vulnerability in order to protect those at greatest risk. Age is the most often cited risk factor; 75% of US deaths have been in people over the age of 65, while younger people generally have milder symptoms. In addition to age, the Centers for Disease Control has delineated a list of health factors that increase vulnerability, most of which are chronic disorders that generally alter health status. The single most modifiable risk factor for severe C...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - August 28, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Sharon Levy, MD, MPH Tags: Addiction Adolescent health Children's Health Cold and Flu Coronavirus and COVID-19 Lung disease Smoking cessation Source Type: blogs
Digital Health Makes Healthcare Globalised
Consider Atlas Biomed, the company behind the at-home microbiome test: it is based in the U.K. Some 1,900 kilometers away in Italy, Dante Labs offers direct-to-consumer whole genome sequencing kits. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, in the U. S., is Fitbit, which ships its fitness trackers around the world. Despite being headquartered in different countries and even in different continents, patients now have access to quality digital health services wherever they are (save for some shipping restrictions).
This aspect of digital health heralds one of its lesser-explored advantages: it enables healthcare to be ...
Source: The Medical Futurist - August 18, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: Prans Tags: Future of Medicine Healthcare Design Healthcare Policy digital health Source Type: blogs
Suicide After Suicide: What We Must Do to Break the Cycle
Each day, from every corner of the world, people left in the devastating aftermath of suicide call out to other survivors of such loss wherever they gather. It is helpful to connect with people who have experienced similar tragedies and are trying to make sense of what happened to their lives.
Another, more painful reason they seek comfort from strangers is this: in the case of suicide, those who knew them best often withdraw or are unable to help because of misunderstanding and fear. Most do survive and go on to rebuild, but some experience multiple suicides and a few follow loved ones by ending their own lives.
As a sur...
Source: World of Psychology - August 16, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Jan McDaniel Tags: Depression Grief and Loss Suicide Suicide contagion suicide loss survivor Survivor Guilt Source Type: blogs
Podcast: Stigma in Christian and Asian Communities
If I come forward with my mental illness, will it shame my family? If I go to a psychiatrist, does it mean I don’t have enough faith to heal myself? While these questions might seem odd to some people, these are very real worries for many in the Asian and Christian communities.
In today’s episode, Dr. Esther Park, who is both Korean and Christian, explains the mental health stigma she has seen in both of these circles. Dr. Park helps clarify these issues and encourages people in these groups to understand the importance of seeking professional help.
We want to hear from you — Please fill out our listener survey ...
Source: World of Psychology - August 13, 2020 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: The Psych Central Podcast Tags: Disorders General Interview Mental Health and Wellness Podcast Spirituality Stigma The Psych Central Show Source Type: blogs
Which test is best for COVID-19?
Now that we’re several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, steps we need to take to effectively control the outbreak have become clear: conscientious prevention measures like handwashing and distancing, widespread testing with quick turnaround times, and contact tracing. None of these is easy to maintain over a prolonged period. But combined, they are our best bets while awaiting better treatments and an effective vaccine.
So, which tests to use?
The many types of tests available are sowing considerable confusion. Unfortunately, because this novel coronavirus is indeed novel, and COVID-19 is a new disease, information abo...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - August 10, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Robert H. Shmerling, MD Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Health Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs
TWiV 650: Virology is infinite
In this mid-week episode of Earth’s Virology Podcast, we analyze SARS-CoV-2 transmission among youths at a summer camp, adaptation to mice by passage, the importance of T cells for recovery from COVID-19, and listener questions. Click arrow to playDownload TWiV 650 (73 MB .mp3, 122 min)Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - August 7, 2020 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology childhood transmission coronavirus COVID-19 mouse model opening schools pandemic pneumonia SARS-CoV-2 T cells viral virusesl Source Type: blogs
4 Examples Of Merging Gaming & Digital Health
Pausing to check his map, Sam confirms that he is on the right track for his next delivery, only 2 kilometres left. He takes the opportunity to quench his thirst and check if his delivery load is securely attached to his back; some contain fragile vials of medicines and digital pills susceptible to damage if handled inappropriately. After making sure of the integrity of those packages, Sam takes a final look at his surroundings. “It’s quite peaceful with nobody around,” he thinks to himself and resumes his path.
Upon arrival at his destination, his gear is disinfected before he has access to the inte...
Source: The Medical Futurist - August 4, 2020 Category: Information Technology Authors: Prans Tags: Artificial Intelligence Augmented Reality Digital Health Research Healthcare Design Healthcare Policy Telemedicine & Smartphones Virtual Reality fda gamification Fitbit covid19 Apple Watch WHO gaming roche MySugr Foldit A Source Type: blogs
23 Lessons for the Journey Called Life
The toughest journey on this earth is not to Mount Everest and back! It is the journey of life itself. The reason that it’s so tough is because no one teaches us how to traverse it. It’s not taught to us in schools and colleges and it’s hardly ever taught to us at home. It is my strong belief that we can avoid a lot of heart wrenchingly painful experiences if we learn from other people’s mistakes along with our own. I guess that’s the reason so many of us read autobiographies and self-help books. I do too! And in this article, I am sharing with you some of my own life lessons!
These life-lessons are also share...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - August 3, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Moushumi Dutia Tags: featured happiness motivation philosophy self-improvement life life lessons pickthebrain self improvement Source Type: blogs
No More State Aid
Chris EdwardsIn response to the crisis, federal policymakers have passed a series of aid packages providing hundreds of billions of dollars to state and local governments. Legislation,here andhere, has provided $150 billion in flexible aid to the states plus more than $280 billion in other state and local aid for health care, education, housing, transit, food stamps, and other programs.Congress and the administration are working on yet another bailout package. TheHouse plan includes $1.1 trillion further aid to the states, while theSenate plan includes $105 billion for schools and colleges.Federal aid to the states is ha...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - July 31, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Chris Edwards Source Type: blogs
Trump, Zoning, and Discrimination
Michael D. TannerThere is perhaps no more archetypical example of the American suburban lifestyle than Levittown. The New York community wasdeveloped starting in 1947 as a new opportunity for Americans to own their own homes. The original 2,000 unit planned community sold out almost immediately and became nearly synonymous with the dream of single‐family homes, white picket fences, and the growing American middle‐class.It alsoincluded in its lease documents a provision that property in the community could not“be used or occupied by any person other than members of the Caucasian race.”Such racist practices...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - July 30, 2020 Category: American Health Authors: Michael D. Tanner Source Type: blogs
