Wellbeing

I used to have a very firm "no dogs in the bed" policy, but things have changed since the pandemic began. I'm in solo quarantine and my dogs are basically family, so it makes sense for us to be closer to each other right now. Families band together…

I don’t know if it’s because of all the erotic anime fanfiction I read as a horny teenager, but I consider myself a good sexter. Back when I was still wading in the dating pool, sexting was a pretty big part of my M.O., and I loved the creativity…

The wellness world continues to be smitten with collagen. Sales of collagen powders and other supplements in the US reached $46.6 million in February 2018, jumping more than 30 percent from the year prior, per wellness data technology company SPINS…

One of my friends came to change my tire this morning after I got stranded trying to take my cat to the vet for an emergency visit. By the time my friend arrived with her jack and toolkit, I was in full meltdown mode. “I wish I could hug you,” she…

All 50 states are reopening to some degree. And while a return to some semblance of normal may be cause for celebration — with Memorial Day crowds swarming beaches in some places — it also raises fears about a resurgence of COVID-19, which…

As an academic who regularly worked from home in the days before coronavirus, my friends often joked about what they imagined my daily routine might be (such as enjoying a morning gin and not changing out of my pyjamas). But as many people now…

I love airports. I love to watch people from all over do what they do there because it feels like a moment of shared anticipation among strangers. I miss that feeling and I miss jetting off somewhere myself, but I am really nervous about traveling…

I suspect that I inherited my sleep struggles from my mom. Both of us take ages to doze off, and often wake up a few times throughout the night. Recently, she told me she’s been sleeping better since she started taking magnesium supplements. As a…

The antibody tests we’ve all been waiting for are here. But before you start planning intimate gatherings with your pod of positives, know that these tests may not be the golden ticket to the normalcy we’re craving. According to a new report…

As the shutdown orders went into effect two months ago, several American companies began offering hazard pay to essential employees, such as retail, grocery and health care workers. Now, some of those companies, such as Amazon, RiteAid and Kroger,…

Most of us non-essential types have surrendered to the idea that we will be working at home for a while. But surrendering is not the same as acceptance, and frankly, I don’t know how long I can thrive in my office of uno. So for better or worse,…

As scientists race to develop and test vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, others are engineering materials to protect wearers from infection. The pandemic has seen an emergence of these so-called antiviral fabrics. But what, exactly, is an…

Vicente Arenas moved to the edge of Denver’s Valverde neighborhood, attracted by low housing prices and proximity to his downtown job just three miles away. The 1-square-mile neighborhood mixes small, ranch-style homes with auto body shops, metal…

We're seeing some scandalous video clips of people gathering in huge groups for this Memorial Day holiday weekend. Beaches in Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, and Indiana were packed, CNN reported. The need to party was apparently so…

The coronavirus pandemic has caused widespread changes to countless aspects of daily life, from how people are working and communicating to how they grocery shop. And the economy has certainly felt the impact. With the stock market experiencing a…

We don’t know about you, but we’re ready to travel. And that typically means flying. We have been thinking through this issue as moms and as an exposure scientist and infectious disease epidemiologist. While we’ve decided personally that we’re not…

A rash of coronavirus outbreaks in meat processing plants have caused a meat shortage in the U.S. Though President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act last month to keep meat processing facilities open, Smithfield Foods and other…

I haven’t touched another human in two months so the rosy glow is really wearing off my solo quarantine. I have frequent fantasies of doing innocent things like holding hands and hugging, but I’m also a fully human animal and I hope, someday, to…

I’ve been wiping down my phone with rubbing alcohol twice a day for months. It’s not that anyone else uses it, it’s just that it’s usually in my hand and someone could have breathed on it. I’ve also been a little less snuggly with my fur family out…