Mayo Clinic Health Matters

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on many activities. But one thing that shouldn't fall by the wayside is your child's health. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A episode, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, discusses the importance of routine checkups, including keeping up with vaccination schedules. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Across the world, one of the biggest changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic is in the field of education. Programs from kindergarten through postsecondary have rapidly moved to a distance learning model. Online and remote instruction has its own unique challenges, and has required students and educators to be creative to stay connected. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Alexandra Wolanskyj-Spinner, senior associate dean for student affairs at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Minnesota, discusses medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

With the onset of warmer weather and more and more states loosening their COVID-19 restrictions, lots of folks are wondering about some summer staples, like cookouts and a day at the beach or pool.  On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic, discusses how you can minimize your risk during common summertime scenarios. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

During to the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking and distance learning has become a necessity. The new normal means many people needed technology to do their jobs, and that is certainly true at Mayo Clinic. Information technology (IT) has aided Mayo Clinic during the pandemic in two significant ways. One, thousands of employees moved out of their offices and into their homes to work. And two, patients now more than ever are being seen by their health care providers using video visits and tele-health. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Mark Henderson, division chair of IT at Mayo Clinic, discusses how IT has aided in the COVID-19 response.   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, one thing that hasn’t stopped is the need for cancer treatment. While patients might be hesitant to leave their homes for weeks at a time for treatment, there is a fast-track treatment option at Mayo Clinic for some breast cancer patients. Certain low-risk breast cancer patients can now complete their surgery and radiation in less than 10 days. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Tina Hieken, a Mayo Clinic surgeon, explains how the expedited treatment program combines a pathologist's mid-surgery confirmation that the cancer has not spread, with a type of partial breast radiation called brachytherapy. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a unique situation that has required work across federal and state agencies to support communities and frontline workers during this challenging time. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has played a key role by providing effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health and social services during the COVID-19 crisis. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Eric Hargan, HHS deputy secretary, discusses the ways the department is supporting Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common mode of transmission for COVID-19 is through close contact from person to person. While it is possible that someone can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes, this isn’t thought to be the main way the virus spreads. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, discusses virus transmission and steps to take to keep yourself safe.     Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

While many nonessential businesses closed or suspended operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals continued to operate and take care of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. How have Mayo Clinic hospitals navigated the pandemic and kept patients and staff safe? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Robert Cima, chair of hospital practice at Mayo Clinic, explains Mayo Clinic's efforts to maintain safety and how staff has risen to the challenge of practicing medicine during a pandemic. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mayo Clinic has been a leader in developing and deploying testing for COVID-19, but understanding the different types of tests and what they measure can be confusing. Terms like viral, molecular, serology and antibodies aren’t clear for everyone. What are the different COVID-19 tests, and what do they do? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Bobbi Pritt, chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, explains testing options for COVID-19.   Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Government is supporting a national Expanded Access Program to collect and provide convalescent plasma to patients in need across the country (uscovidplasma.org). Convalescent plasma refers to blood plasma collected from people who have recovered from COVID-19. That plasma, which contains antibodies against the virus, is then used to treat others with advanced illness. Working collaboratively with industry, academic and government partners, Mayo Clinic is serving as the lead institution for the program. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Philippe Bauer, site principal investigator for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, discusses the COVID-19 convalescent plasma program.     Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy