Are Delta Symptoms Different?

Two years ago, a sneeze or a cough wouldn’t have been cause for concern, but now even the mildest of symptoms can leave us wondering, “Do I have Covid?” Early in the pandemic, we learned about the hallmark signs of infection, which can include loss of taste and smell, fever, cough, shortness of breath and…

Why Not Just Tell Everyone to Wear Masks?

An internal presentation circulated within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month, and eventually obtained by news organizations, offered clear advice for countering the contagious Delta variant: “Given higher transmissibility and current vaccine coverage, universal masking is essential.” But the recommendation issued by the agency was considerably more nuanced, advising Americans, vaccinated or…

What We Think We Know About Metabolism May Be Wrong

Everyone knows conventional wisdom about metabolism: People put pounds on year after year from their 20s onward because their metabolisms slow down, especially around middle age. Women have slower metabolisms than men. That’s why they have a harder time controlling their weight. Menopause only makes things worse, slowing women’s metabolisms even more. All wrong, according…