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Author Archives: Elen Samuel
Looking Back on Covid-19
As I write this, some scientists are urging us to start to wear masks again, because there is a new variant and cases of covid are rising. Covid hasn’t gone away and we know that things may take a turn … Continue reading
Posted in Coronavirus, Health Delivery, Health Policy, healthy food, Medicine, pandemic, science
Tagged Covid-19, health service, UK
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Apps for Women’s Health
The news that safe abortion is likely to be illegal in the USA, in vast swathes of the Midwest and south, is chilling. The right to control what happens in one’s own body is a basic human right. In … Continue reading
Posted in Health Management, Medicine, Populaion growth, Women's Health
Tagged Aid Access, contraception, contraceptive implants, IPPF, Menstrual cycle, Roe v Wade, WHO
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Hot flushes make the news again.
Reading articles in the press recently about the shortage of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) gave me a sense of déjà vu. Yes, I’ve seen this all before. Apparently some oestrogen patches have been in short supply since some manufacturers … Continue reading
Misogyny and contraception
Misogyny is defined as “hatred or contempt for women and girls” and is, and probably always was, widespread. In 1275 a tract was written by one Jean Le Fevre, all about the wickedness of women. And it seems his belief … Continue reading
Vaccine Hesitancy and Anti-vaxxers.
As a doctor, I can’t understand anti-vaxxers, certainly not the vociferous sort who campaign aganist vaccination outside schools, or just refuse without giving a reason. Vaccinations have always been an incredible scientific advance. In the 1960’s, I was so relieved … Continue reading
Covid-19, Immune systems and Neanderthals.
Why are some groups of people, in families, in localities, from specific geographical areas, or races, more susceptible to Covid-19? This is a huge questions for health services to answer, as they see the disease concentrating in certain areas and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged BAME, Covid-19. Sars-CoV-2, DNA, Immune system, infections, lifestyle, Neanderthals
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Long life, Pandemics and Populations
Do you want to live a longer life in good health? I have myself written quite a few articles on ageing (such as “Age doesn’t come by itself”) in this blog, so when I read about this on a popular … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Covid-19 – lockdowns go on and on. What should we do?
The decision to impose a second lockdown in England is polarising people to a much greater extent than it did in March, as it seems obvious that this virus is not going away and we are going to have to … Continue reading
Posted in Coronavirus, Health Delivery, Health Management, Health Policy, hospital beds, old age
Tagged Covid-19, economy, Lockdown, mortality
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Coronavirus – Covid-sars-19 – the long view.
First the good news. The pandemic will end sometime, because they always do. There are three ways in which it could end. Firstly, with a vaccine or a really effective treatment for the severe cases. This is the best case … Continue reading
Posted in Coronavirus, Food, Health Delivery, healthy food, Medicine, pandemic
Tagged Africa, BAME, diabetes, farming, hypertension, obesity, vaccine, virus
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So who really gets really sick with Coronavirus?
It is still very early days of this new life for all of us. There are such a lot of changes – home working, loads of leisure time to fill, catching up with friends we have neglected due to busy … Continue reading
Posted in Health Delivery, Health Policy, hospital beds, Medicine, science
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Elen Samuel, doctor and writer 