Stress, isolation and limited access to resources are fueling rising rates of substance abuse and overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic. While coronavirus has been the focus of so much attention this year, the opioid crisis has continued unabated and has even worsened. More than 40 states have reported increases in opioid related deaths, according to the American Medical Association.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Tyler Oesterle, a psychiatrist and addiction expert at Mayo Clinic, discusses opioid use disorders and treatment options, including virtual medicine available during the pandemic.

2020 has been a year consumed by COVID-19, from first news of the virus in the U.S. January to vaccines rolling out in December. Scientists, health care providers and the public have gained new knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases and virus transmission, and COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, looks back at what has been learned in 2020, and forward to the possibility of controlling COVID-19 in 2021.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

A recent Mayo Clinic study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that patients with COVID-19 who received care at Mayo Clinic had lower mortality rates than the national average. Mayo Clinic patients were treated using an integrated, team-based approach for patient monitoring and treatment.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. John O'Horo, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases physician and the study's first author, discusses the study results and explains how the Mayo Clinic Model of Care improves outcomes for patients.

The holiday season can be stressful all on its own, but add the COVID-19 pandemic and you have the potential for increased anxiety. With health concerns and potential financial worries, coupled with being inside for the winter, some relationships might be feeling the tension of too much togetherness.

"At the beginning of the pandemic, I was hearing a lot from couples that I work with, about how much they were appreciating the ability to spend more time together," says Dr. Jennifer Vencill, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist. "But that story is starting to shift a little."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Vencill talks about positive habits, intentional communication and virtual counseling, and she offers strategies for struggling relationships.

Arthroplasty is a surgical procedure to restore the function of a joint by replacing disease and damaged parts. However, everyone is not made the same way. When it comes to complex shoulder and elbow surgeries, 3D anatomical modeling can be used to help a surgeon plan the surgery for better outcomes.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Mark Morrey, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic, discusses common elbow and shoulder problems, and treatment options, including surgery.