Food and Drug Administration authorizes distribution of 1st COVID-19 pill
On Dec. 22, The Food and Drug Administration authorized the first pill to defend against the severe illness of COVID-19. The pill is called Paxlovid and is for patients ages 12 and over who are vulnerable to serious illness caused by the virus. It is also meant to safeguard the same age group from medical […]
Springfield Mass med student and youth council member shares COVID insight
Kassandra Jean-Marie is a second-year student at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she received a dual degree in microbiology and public health. Jean-Marie, whose parents are Haitian, is on a mission to learn more about the issues people of color face as […]
Lil Nas X visits metro Atlanta support organization for HIV-positive Black men
Dwain Bridges and Larry Walker have made it their mission to provide a safe space for those in need. The two men are co-founders of Thrive SS, an organization based in East Point, a suburb of Atlanta, which provides HIV-positive Black men with support and assistance. In October, rapper Lil Nas X visited Thrive SS […]
Dr. Daphanie Taylor explains how breast cancer affects Black women disparately
Dr. Daphanie Taylor is a hematologist and oncologist at Christus St. Michael W. Temple Webber Cancer Center in Texarkana, Texas. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and completed her internal medicine residency at the […]
ShaMiracle Rankin details her triumph over breast cancer
Louisiana native and Spelman alumna ShaMiracle Rankin lives up to her name. An attorney with The CP Law Group in Atlanta, she was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer in 2016. She shares her story of victory and what got her through the darker days. When were you diagnosed? How did you find […]
Covered California launches Obamacare open-enrollment period for 2022
Covered California welcomed Secretary Xavier Becerra of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to officially launch Affordable Care Act open enrollment in California and across the nation for the 2022 coverage year. Open enrollment is a time when Americans can sign up for or renew their health coverage through Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. […]
New York City declares racism a public health crisis
New York City has become the latest American municipality to declare racism a public health crisis. On Oct. 18, the NYC board of health came to the resolution to recognize the impact of racism on health during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, the department’s press release read. The resolution institutionalizes a declaration the department made […]
Biden administration plans to vaccinate 28 million children
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in a press release on Wednesday, Oct. 20 announced a plan to vaccinate 28 million American children ages 5-11. The administration felt it had obtained enough information on the COVID-19 vaccines to “support” vaccinating the children, the press release reads. The vaccines are set to be distributed […]
5 signs you might have an iron deficiency
Iron is a crucial mineral that our bodies need for growth and development. Without enough of it, our bodies can’t produce enough hemoglobin which is a protein that enables your red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Therefore, if your body doesn’t have enough iron, your muscles and tissues won’t receive the oxygen […]
Get rid of adult acne; experts share cures
Good skin care isn’t just about the products you apply to your face. A large part of it is internal and influenced by your gut microbiome. You might be asking yourself, “What in the world is that?” Don’t worry, we’ll get into it in just a minute. If you suffer from adult acne, there is […]
Struggling with anxiety? Here are 7 ways to cope
Anxiety disorders are considered to be the most common mental health concern in the U.S. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 40 million adults in the United States 18 and over suffer from an anxiety disorder, while 7% of children aged 3-17 experience issues with anxiety each year. Even if you are not […]
Experts say dieting doesn’t work; here’s what’s much better
Conversations surrounding weight loss and dieting are ingrained into American culture. With that, most of us have tried a diet plan at least once before. Some of us have even managed to stick with the eating regimen no matter how strict it might be. While dieting can garner some impressive results at first, experts say […]
Live your best life with these 5 important self-care steps
Self-care has been a bit of a buzzword in recent years. According to Google trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has more than doubled since 2015. Self-care is defined as the individual practice of health management without the aid of a medical professional. It serves as a way to ensure we are taking good […]
DeKalb County’s ‘blueprint for success’ to get residents vaccinated is working
Dekalb County, in metro Atlanta, in partnership with the DeKalb County Board of Health and Medcura Health, found the right formula to get a large number of people vaccinated at The Gallery at South Dekalb using their huge parking lot. Tents were set up for walk-ups along with a parking system for waiting lines for […]
This list of cities with the highest STD transmission rates may surprise you
Examining the latest CDC’s STD Surveillance Statistics, one can note a troubling pattern for Black Americans. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis top the list of most reported new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) globally. STD rates are typically 5-8 times higher for African Americans or Black people than for non-Hispanic White people. This year’s data suggest […]
Spelman alumna Dana Banks discusses COVID-19 relief assistance to Africa
Philadelphia native Dana L. Banks currently serves as special assistant to the president and senior director for Africa at the National Security Council. Banks joined rolling out to share how the U.S. is helping African countries with COVID relief. What is the United States doing to raise Africa’s 1% vaccination rate? The United States is […]
Dr. Uchechi Wosu, Sherry Thompson address vaccine hesitancy in Black community
Special Health IQ guests Dr. Uchechi Wosu and Sherry Thompson address vaccine hesitancy in the Black community. For more information please visit: GetVaccineAnswers.com and BlackCommunityVaccineToolkit.org. Sherry Thompson is a God-fearing, engineer turned marketer, who now lives more purposefully every day — helping to transform the lives of women in the area of health and wellness. […]
Hight Health CEO Terrence Hight Jr. shares pandemic-coping health care tips
Terrence Hight Jr. is the founder and CEO of The Hight Effect and Hight Health, organizations that provide solutions to address social determinants of health in underserved communities. He sat down with rolling out to discuss how he has helped establish over 500 startup companies, trained over 1,000 minority entrepreneurs, and assisted entrepreneurs in securing […]
FDA reports Johnson & Johnson vaccine raises risk of rare nerve syndrome
Johnson & Johnson‘s coronavirus vaccine has suffered yet another setback with the Food and Drug Administration reporting that receiving the vaccine can lead to an increased risk of developing a rare neurological condition known as Guillain-Barré syndrome. While the chance of developing the syndrome is low, receivers of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are 3 […]
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith ensuring equitable COVID response for all communities
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith is an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine. She was chosen by the Biden administration to chair the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, which ensures that COVID-19 care and treatment are available to all. What motivates you to continue to have conversations about the vaccine? Like […]