Vaccination against COVID-19 is a welcome and important tool in the fight against the pandemic, but those who have been vaccinated need to continue to be vigilant about social distance, mask usage and handwashing for now. “Vaccination trains your immune…
St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the death of Ireland’s patron saint by wearing, eating and drinking all things green. To keep the holiday healthy, break away from tradition this year and forgo that salty, fatty corned beef and caloric beer by…
Pregnant women need to consult with their doctor to weigh the risk of being infected by COVID-19 against the benefit/risk ratio of receiving the COVID-19 vaccinations. Tara Bennett, MD, Memorial Medical Center’s chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Megan Forshee,…
As if daily stress isn’t enough of a potential obstacle to a solid night’s sleep, there are many other physical symptoms that can prevent quality sleep. If you suffer from loud snoring, silent pauses in breathing, abrupt awakenings, dry mouth…
Masks are here to stay for a while. Even with increased vaccinations, new variants of COVID-19 have been identified in the United States, and there is no strong evidence that vaccination prevents people from spreading the virus to others. Best…
First – the good news about the multiple variant strains of COVID-19 coming at us from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil: so far, studies suggest antibodies in the currently authorized vaccines recognize and can counteract the effects of…
Polly Pulley, 63, has a heart for the Jacksonville community. The trailblazer has directed programming for the Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen since 2012, supported the Healthy Jacksonville initiative and recently joined the Passavant Area Hospital Board of Directors. She’s…
While student athletes are anxious to resume their competitive schedules for school and/or travel teams, there are important guidelines to respect following a COVID-19 infection. “People need to understand that healthcare professionals want to see these athletes back competing on…
History was made when young Black physician Edwin A. Lee was admitted into the Sangamon County Medical Society in 1949. The local medical establishment had never allowed a Black physician into the society before, and both local hospitals enforced unofficial…
Just because the COVID-19 illness creates antibodies that help your body fight the virus doesn’t mean people who have already been infected should pass on vaccination. Cases of reinfection are being documented around the world, including central Illinois. Chris Einspahr,…