Announcements
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Letter to the Reader: Fall 2020 (Issue 2)
Dear Reader, In an era defined by a global pandemic, political turmoil, and social justice movements, it’s undeniably clear that…
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Letter to the Reader: Fall 2020 (Issue 1)
Dear Reader, In an era defined by a global pandemic, political turmoil, and social justice movements, it’s undeniably clear that…
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VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2 OUT NOW!
Dear Reader, In the last several weeks the progression of the global coronavirus pandemic has left us quite shocked, and…
COVID-19 and Diabetes: A not so sweet ever after
The connection between diabetes and SARS-CoV-2 is not unidirectional. While diabetes mellitus aggravates the body’s response to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), it appears the virus may also induce the development of diabetes. Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, is strongly associated with diabetes and has been observed in COVID-19 patients. Unexpectedly, this condition has arisen in patients who…
Liquid Biopsies and the Future of Cancer Care
One of the first tests a physician conducts on a patient with a suspicious lump on his or her body is a tissue biopsy. Analysis of tissue biopsies is crucial in both the diagnosis and characterization of most cancers; however, they have limitations. For one, tissue biopsies can be painful, costly, risky and invasive. These…
Resurrection of Tuberculosis and other Dangerous Infectious Diseases: How COVID-19 has Led to the Re-emergence of Previously Suppressed Infectious Diseases
Coughs ring out in the air as overrun hospitals desperately seek to revive their patients. Nurses and doctors in personal protective equipment (PPE) scramble around, tired and overworked. Eventually COVID-19 cases start falling at steady rates, and the world breathes a sigh of relief as health care workers push back another wave of infections propelled…
COVID in Prisons: Where Are We Now?
James Ellis wrote that, in April 2020, “We felt like they had left us to die. On the inside, it felt like we were in the basement of a burning house with no way out.” Ellis fell ill a month later. While he recovered within a few weeks, the effects on his fellow prisoners at…
The Pandemic Legacy and mRNA Vaccine Technology: Vaccines for HIV and Cancer
As COVID-19 emerged as a global humanitarian threat, many pharmaceutical companies entered the race for the development of a vaccine. Consequently, we have witnessed the widespread application of mRNA vaccine technology, given its notable advantages over DNA-based vaccine technology in quicker manufacturing and production times [3]. While mRNA technology has existed for decades, the COVID-19…
COVID-19’s Shadow on Cancer Screening
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the priority of medical care around the globe. In April 2020, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recommended postponing medical services such as routine care and preventive screening in order to triage resources and reduce risk of transmission [6]. The enforcement of public health guidelines, compounded with the fear of…
“A New Vision for All”
Only ten years ago, curing total blindness was impossible. Today, scientists are closer than ever to developing a new technology that could restore sight for the visually impaired. Artificial retinal implants have revolutionized the field of ophthalmology since their introduction in 2014, becoming a viable treatment option for patients suffering from partial or total vision…
Anthrax: Lethal Bacteria or Miracle Drug?
On Sept. 18, 2001 – one week after the attacks of 9/11 – a series of letters were mailed to U..S government officials that read “Death to America. Death to Israel. Allah is Great.” Laced with lethal doses of anthrax, these letters were designed to kill the reader upon being opened. Five officials tragically lost their…
Unveiled: The Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
I was sitting in macroeconomics, exchanging glances with my classmates as we watched the clock tick by to the end of the school day After attending macroeconomics, my last class of the day, I am ready to leave school and talk to my fellow classmates in the hallways. Suddenly, our assistant principal storms into the…
Burnout: What It’s Like to be a Nurse During the Pandemic
We often think of the pandemic as an obstacle undermining many of our own personal goals, but we often take less time to consider the many implications it has on others, specifically of those who have been hit the hardest: our nurses. Over the past year, the pandemic has brought the long-standing issue of burnout…