Mayo Clinic Health Matters

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new information about the disease is discovered on a weekly basis and it can be hard to keep up. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, answers listeners' questions on COVID-19.Does hand sanitizer expire? Is a face shield effective in protecting me from the virus? How long do I need to quarantine if I've been exposed? Get answers to these questions and more on today's episode of Mayo Clinic Q&A.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In an effort to see patients safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayo Clinic developed a Strategic Management and Resource Team, also known as a SMaRT team, to help institute safety measures like universal masking, expanded cleaning protocols and use of virtual visits. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. A. Noelle Larson, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic who serves as her department's SMaRT representative, explains how orthopedic surgery is safely seeing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Larson also discusses her practice, including the vertebral body tether implant, an innovative treatment for some patients with moderate to severe scoliosis. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A study recently conducted at Mayo Clinic found that women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy were more likely to experience bothersome menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and hot flashes are both linked to heart disease risk. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Stephanie Faubion, the study's lead author, will discuss the key takeaways from the study and explain where more research is needed. Dr. Faubion is the Penny and Bill George Director for Mayo Clinic's Center for Women's Health. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Until a vaccine is developed, public health measures are the best defense against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. These measures include masking, hand hygiene and physical distancing. "Strict adherence to those things is a very powerful antidote to this virus," says  Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research GroupOn the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest news on COVID-19, including what has been learned about herd immunity and contact tracing, as well as the effectiveness of different types of masks.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When people seek emergency care for shortness of breath, it can be challenging to determine the cause. A new Mayo Clinic study found that using an EKG enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) is better than standard blood tests at determining if the shortness of breath is caused by heart failure. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Demilade Adedinsewo, lead author of the study and chief fellow in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida, discusses how AI is improving patient care in the emergency department. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The start of a new school year is always a time that’s filled with excitement and anxiety. This year, COVID-19 is making back to school even more challenging for kids, teachers and parents. Whether in person, online or a hybrid approach, this school year will be different for students and staff. How can you and your child have a healthy mindset for this school year? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Craig Sawchuk, chair of the Division of Integrated Behavioral Health at Mayo Clinic, shares helpful tips and strategies to be resilient and handle the challenges of a school year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When a person is infected with a virus, the virus multiplies in the body and can be released into the environment through sneezing, coughing or even speaking. This release is called "shedding" and viral shedding is how COVID-19 is spread from person to person. How long a person who has COVID-19 will shed virus is still unknown. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, discusses viral shedding and why asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 are a big concern.     Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Whether in person, online or a hybrid model of education, families and school districts are planning for how to safely teach students during the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter which plan is chosen by communities, this school year will be challenging. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic, discusses how students, teachers and staff can use public health measures already in place to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus and reduce community spread of COVID-19. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration paved the way for commercial developers to create at-home COVID-19 tests. While no test is yet approved for home use, a fast and cheap test could encourage people to test themselves routinely before going to work or school. Real-time results would enable infected people to self-quarantine right away, keeping asymptomatic people from infecting others. "It fits with the modeling that’s been done where if you can test frequently enough that you could actually start to dampen down, if people would quarantine, you could dampen down cases. And that, as you know, would be huge," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group.On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the science behind at-home testing for COVID-19. Dr. Poland also shares the status of vaccine research trials, including how healthy adults can enroll in the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A bone marrow transplant is a procedure that infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into your body to replace your damaged or diseased bone marrow. Bone marrow transplants may use cells from your own body (autologous transplant) or from a donor (allogeneic transplant). Bone marrow transplants can benefit people with a variety of both cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign) diseases. On this episode of Mayo Clinic Q&A, Dr. William Hogan, director of the Mayo Clinic Bone Marrow Transplant program, discusses bone marrow transplant. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy