virus
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Why You’re More Likely to Experience Vaccine Side Effects If You Anticipate Them
The COVID pandemic has highlighted several interesting features of modern medical practice – most recently the “nocebo” response, which may account for a significant number of side effects people experience following vaccination. Nocebo responses (from Latin noci: to harm) are the opposite of the better known placebo. While the latter describes improvements in symptoms following…
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How Backyard Mozzie Bites Can Get You Sick and What You Can Do About It
Mosquitoes will be loving the wet weather that’s hit the east coast of Australia over the last week. Mosquito populations naturally increase in spring, especially when there is plenty of water left around to complete their breeding cycle. So it’s a good time to start thinking about where water might be collecting around your backyard.…
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The Difference Between Delta, Delta Plus, and Lambda
Delta Plus, a variant of a variant, is the latest strain of the COVID-causing coronavirus to make the news. (A previously-known variant, Lambda, is also making headlines.) So far, there’s nothing to panic more about: Delta is scary enough.
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Eastern Equine Encephalitis Is Scary But Rare
A Massachusetts woman recently died of eastern equine encephalitis, and health authorities in the area are on the alert. But EEE is an extremely rare disease, and the main thing you need to know is that it’s always a good idea to protect yourself from mosquito bites.