Losing Touch: The Challenge of Touch Deprivation During Quarantine
June 3, 2020
The public health guidance has been clear and ongoing: Avoid shaking hands and touching foreign objects or people; wear gloves when you come into contact with frequently-touched surfaces; don’t touch your face; maintain social distance and avoid close proximity to other people. In essence, touching another person outside of your…
Men In The Pandemic: The Risk And Reality Older Men Face
June 3, 2020
The data have been pretty consistent for a long time: While men make up approximately 49% of the overall population, for those over 65, the population is 57% female. In other words, something is happening to create a distinct survival difference as men reach their later years. Whether it’s biology,…
Save Your Skin: Skin Protection As You Get Back Outside
May 27, 2020
Now that summer is approaching and many of us are venturing outside after months of mostly inside quarantine, you may be tempted to tilt your unmasked face toward the sun and take in as much vitamin D and sunshine as you can. While that may sound heavenly, you should likely…
This Day And Age: Ageist Stereotypes During The Pandemic
May 27, 2020
The CDC guidance seems to say it all: those who are 65 and older are at higher risk of severe illness and even death from the coronavirus. And if you don’t scratch beneath that surface, such guidance seems to paint a broad brushstroke of all older adults: That they are…
Risky Business: Assessing Your Risk As Restrictions Are Lifted
May 27, 2020
No doubt we are living in complicated times. Not even experts are sure about basic info such as how lethal is the coronavirus or how prevalent it is in your community. Nonetheless, for better or worse, entities and establishments are beginning to open up around the country, and no matter…
Test Taking: Should You Get The Coronavirus Antibody Test?
May 20, 2020
If you’ve heard nothing else about the coronavirus, you’ve probably heard the phrase “testing, testing, testing.” Public health experts and political pundits have repeatedly warned that the country cannot limit the spread of COVID-19 and fully open up until we have adequate testing to determine the prevalence of the coronavirus…