A look at the top medical headlines for the week of June 14, 2020 including: People who recover from a coronavirus infection often still have a long way to go to recover their mental health. Then, a study that shows sick leave is a good way to slow the spread of diseases like COVID-19. Then, doing good for other people is contagious. And finally, if you’re feeling stressed and anxious about the pandemic… You can bet your dog or cat is feeling it just as much.

Scientists have learned that the habits and environments of our parents and grandparents can have a strong effect on our health and longevity as a result of imprinting on egg and sperm cells. An expert explains.

Stuttering is an extremely misunderstood disability. Many stutterers go to great lengths to avoid the words or phrases that trip them up, and are often successful in keeping their disability hidden. Yet then it may be mistaken for other problems. Experts explain, using former Vice President Joe Biden as an example.

It’s illegal for health insurers to use genetic testing to discriminate against policyholders. However, life insurers can and do discriminate on that basis if the test is in your medical file. Private testing lets patients know their risk for many diseases without landing in health files. Advocates want to make it illegal for life insurers to also discriminate on this basis, but it may end up with higher costs for everyone. Experts explain.

Seven hundred children under age 15 drown in the US each year, most within sight of a parent or other adult. Experts discuss one major reason: drowning doesn't look like most people picture it, and so are unaware the child is in trouble.

A look at the top medical headlines for the week of June 7, 2020 including: Researchers are working on an app with a sensor to test for COVID-19 using only a drop of saliva. Then, life was more stressful than it was 25 years ago… and for middle aged people, it’s much more stressful. And finally, a study shows that homeschooled adolescents have significantly lower abdominal strength and endurance than public school kids even though their BMI’s were the same.

A look at the top medical headlines for the week of May 31, 2020, including: A newly developed smartphone app is remarkably effective at predicting if a person is infected with COVID-19. Then biomarkers for ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease can be found in a person’s teeth in the first decade of life. And, the labels on drinks for kids don’t help adults figure out which ones are real fruit juice and which are sugary, artificially flavored imitations.

Scientists have discovered that singing is an exceptionally effective way to spread viruses through the aerosolized particles it expels, which may travel much farther than the six foot safety zone many people follow. This means choruses and choirs may not get back to “normal” after the COVI-19 pandemic until much later than most activities, and only with rapid, effective testing or a vaccine. Experts explain.

Women may have been known through the centuries as the weaker sex, but researchers have learned that they are anything but weak. Their 2 X chromosomes are both active and cooperate with each other, especially in immune response. An expert discusses new findings on their genetic superiority.

For people under about age 70, COVID-19 is much harder on men than on women, especially those with strong male characteristics like scalp balding and plentiful body hair. A group of researchers has a theory as to why—that male hormones provide the virus with an entry into the cell. One of the researchers discusses what that could mean in terms of treatment.