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- Written by John Mitrano
We have just weathered two years of chaos and confusion, and it does not seem to stop. The novel coronavirus pandemic was a surprise and changed our lives forever. Many people likely feel like experts when it comes to the immune system, infective organisms, and modes of transmission, heretofore unfamiliar except through Hollywood movies. We all seem to be living in a fictional world with new problems from which we might never recover.
1) Get Vaccinated
Become vaccinated against COVID-19 if you haven't yet, or obtain the booster if you’ve already had the first two shots of Pfizer or Moderna. Get a second shot if your choice was J&J. Get a flu shot for good measure.
Coming into the new year, we face the very real possibility that COVID will be with us forever, plus we might be reeling from the spikes of infections due to holiday gatherings. Let’s make sure that we protect ourselves, our families, and our friends. Even though new oral agents to inhibit enzymes of viral replication or corrupt viral RNA with sophisticated biology are being developed, the vaccine is still the age-old, tried-and-true method of protection and prevention, and this vaccine is ultrasafe and molecular unto itself.
Read more: 8 Ways To Make Your Immunity Strong & The Biological Soul Live To 100
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- Written by John Mitrano
COVID-19 and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have forced us to think about disease and how to protect ourselves from it. How arbitrary it seems that one person can succumb to a virus while another does not. This concept has brought immunology to the forefront and has created an immense uptick in interest in the field and to start a discussion on how we can improve our immunity to be strong. This is not only important in our fight against COVID, and other viruses, but ultimately to become immunity strong for the purpose of achieving a better quality and longevity of life.
Immunologist and rheumatologist, Dr. Robert G. Lahita (Dr. Bob) says that there is a biological force within the body that wants you to live to old age. While conventionally this force is known in medicine as the immune system, Dr. Bob calls it: “The Biological Soul.”
The Biological Soul is designed to protect you and allow you to live a healthy life. This force is tangible, measurable, lives within the physical body and determines our age and wellbeing through life. It is physical and complex and, in many ways, spiritual. It is affected by life’s stresses, by diets, and by overall health and though not immortal; it both shapes your life and your life shapes it.
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- Written by AnnMarie Klusey
“I don’t think theaters should be closed at this point,” Robert Lahita, a clinical professor of medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and the chair of the department of medicine at St. Joseph’s Healthcare System, told me. “In fact, a month ago, I said they should have been open, especially if we’re taking kids to school and kids are before teachers in live learning. There’s no reason that theaters should be closed.”
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- Written by AnnMarie Klusey
Anything traumatic can trigger a fight or flight response within our bodies. Most people recover from PTSD as it’s known, but some people wind up with a stress disorder that causes a part of the brain that controls emotions to be overactive. It also lowers the activity of the front of your brain a decision-making area. This area of the brain is called the amygdala. There is also an effective part of the brain which keeps memories called the hippocampus. An example of PTSD would be a very bad fire in a house where someone had been burned severely. A fireman who rescued that individual might have flashbacks and nightmares when confronted with future fires. Such flashbacks and bad memories can prevent clear thinking and take a physical toll on the victim. PTSD is regularly treated by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists.
Why are some people depressed?
Clinical depression as we know it can actually change the character of your brain. In depression certain parts of your brain have lesser activity, these include the frontal lobes which are involved in things like reasoning, personality, and judgment. Of interest to all of us is brain inflammation that can happen in people who are depressed. Brain cells are lost during the inflammatory process and would make memory problems and even dementia more likely. Depression requires the assistance of a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. A patient with clinical depression may require antidepressant medication, which basically changes the way certain aspects of the brain function. Anyone who believes that they are seriously depressed should seek medical help.
Read more: The first question often asked, is what is posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD?