Health Sciences In The Media

Shad Marvasti, MD, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, discusses the recent surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant.

Persuading people to line up for shots every few months is probably a losing proposition. About 73 percent of American adults are fully vaccinated, but so far just over a third have opted for a booster. Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, a professor of immunobiology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, is quoted.

Virus-related emergency room visits have set a pandemic record in Arizona, where hospitals are crowded and cases are up even though deaths from COVID-19 have tapered off a bit. Frank LoVecchio, DO, MPH, a professor of emergency medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, attributed the jump to increased testing demand as more people arrive at emergency departments because they don’t know where to get tested.

Donald S. Weinstein, MD, was a founder of the widely admired Arizona Telemedicine Program at the College of Medicine – Tucson.

Bradley J. Monk, MD, FACS, FACOG, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, discusses the emergence and utility of NaPi2b as a target in ovarian cancer.

Kelly Reynolds, PhD, professor and director of the UArizona Exposure Science and Risk Assessment Center at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, explains how makeup can be a source of bacteria.

A team of University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers at the UArizona College of Medicine – Tucson found that a combination of bacterial extracts used in Europe to treat respiratory infections may offer a new way to prevent or reduce infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

For some people, consuming salt can cause high blood pressure, especially as we age, putting us at risk for hypertension and heart disease. Nachiket Patel, MD, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the College of Medicine – Phoenix and an interventional cardiologist, is interviewed.

Sleep experts share the top sleep mistakes we’ve been making. Not using sleep-friendly lighting can be a problem. Michael Grandner, PhD, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the College of Medicine – Tucson, says red light is best.

A veterinary drug called xylazine is mixed with drugs like fentanyl, and the antidote that could save a user from an opioid overdose will not work with xylazine. Steve Dudley, PharmD, DABAT, director of the UArizona Poison and Drug Information Center, says there’s no antidote to a lot of dangerous drugs but hospital staff will do what they can even if it’s unknown what someone has taken.