As the days shorten and sunlight wanes, a familiar foe emerges: the flu season, peaking just after the winter solstice in both hemispheres and receding as longer days return. This post explores the intriguing global patterns of influenza and related diseases, delving into how plummeting vitamin D levels during low-light months fuel vulnerability to infections, while also examining the counterintuitive benefits of heat exposure and fever. Drawing on historical insights from the Spanish flu pandemic, where suppressing fever with aspirin may have worsened outcomes and heat therapies showed promise, we'll uncover the mechanisms behind these phenomena and why embracing warmth could be a key to resilience.
Read MoreWhen looking at anything, as the saying goes, one can lose the forest for the trees. When we focus on fine details, they can be ugly, off-putting, and frightening. No matter how beautiful the person, the skin is scary up-close, no exceptions. Imagine a world where we could only see the microscopic view of everybody’s skin at first, only to draw out later to see how attractive they are. The first impression would be universal disgust. So it is with the Covid-19 death data. My post today will look at the bigger picture to help us get a (hopefully better) perspective on the recent focus on death.
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