Medicine & Society: volume 1, part 11

In this edition, the following topics are covered: CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) resource on Preventing Chronic Disease SoundBites; the long-term of Covid-19; and a podcast on protecting genetic information. Happy reading!

1) CDC has a wonderful podcast series by expert speakers to cover topics like combatting racism in public health, partners and trends in cancer screening, and improving healthy eating through social marketing. These topics are quite diverse and interesting. I have listened to a few of them already; these can be quick audio experiences during your lunch breaks. The focus is on prevention of obesity, cancer, and chronic diseases. To learn more, click the link here - CDC Podcast on preventing chronic disease

2) Long Covid – It seems the medical researchers have finally came up with a working definition of Long Covid, which is also known as Long Covid Syndrome. We know that some people after the acute COVID-19 infection end up with a host of non-specific symptoms such as, fatigue, a state of “mental fogginess”, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can last for several months. What was unknown, until now, the full spectrum of symptoms and the duration of illness in order to define what is known as Long Covid. It is still going to be difficult to diagnose the illness due to nature of symptoms it accompany, but at least, the medical community has a working definition. The experts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have contributed to this nice article in the New England Journal of Medicine (July 31, 2023). Here is the link - New England Journal of Medicine Article on Long Covid

3) Genetic tests are on the rise; we have now a plethora of these tests that can aid in diagnosis of several inherited and other conditions, including a number of cancers. Healthcare practitioners are as excited as the layperson about the promise of these emerging genetic tests. What we are lacking often is the nuanced understanding of positive or negative tests. The science behind genetic defects and risks is complex; both consumers and clinicians must be prudent about knowing false positive or false negative rate of such a test and how to proceed with an intervention should a test become positive. Often, interventions are not straightforward in an otherwise asymptomatic person. And, keeping the genetic information secure and private remains a problem. Health Affairs has a nice podcast series – Narrative Matters. In the march 2023 version, healthcare journalist, Susanna Smith shares a story about how a genetic information made the doctor-patient relationship challenging. To read more, click the link here - Health Affairs Podcast, Narrative Matters - Keeping Quiet About Genetic Risk