Blog List - Penn Medicine

How to Create the Life You Want Post-Pandemic

July 13, 2021

While the return to pre-pandemic lifestyles is a cautious path as we mitigate vaccine hesitation and COVID-19 variants, it’s certainly on the horizon. Before the world makes the big jump back to “normal” life, now is the ideal time to reevaluate your goals and set boundaries to maintain your priorities.

COVID-19 Psychiatry

Vaccine Lotteries and Beyond: A Behavioral Economics Expert on What Motivates Healthy Behaviors – and What Doesn’t

June 22, 2021

Currently, as COVID-19 vaccines have become available to the general public and vaccination rates began to slow, there has been a boom in incentives for receiving the vaccine across the United States.

COVID-19

Antibody Infusion Treatment Offers Peace of Mind for People at High Risk for Severe Illness From COVID-19

May 27, 2021

When David Farley tested positive for COVID-19, he was determined to do everything he could to avoid developing serious complications. “I have diabetes and hypertension, so I knew I was at risk for getting really sick,” he said. “I didn’t want to end up in the hospital, like the people you see on the news.”

COVID-19 Patient Stories Infectious Disease

Young woman sits at her desk with a virtual reality headset covering her eyes.

An Intensive Boot Camp Builds Better Internal Medicine Residents

May 06, 2021

Though the objectives have remained consistent over the last decade, PSOM’s Internal Medicine Boot Camp course has evolved since its inception, most recently in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To promote social distancing, Boot Camp 2021 was entirely virtual.

Education General Interest COVID-19

After New Breath on New Year’s Day, Penn’s First COVID-19 Lung Transplant Patient Recovered to Celebrate His Triplets’ Graduation

May 04, 2021

Fred Rahmanian was one of millions of Americans sickened by COVID-19, but when he first went into the hospital in October of 2020, it didn’t cross his mind that he might be the first patient with COVID-19 to receive a lung transplant at Penn Medicine, and the first in the state, months later.

Patient Stories COVID-19 In the News Transplant

Person uses social media apps on their phone as notifications pop up.

Instagram vs. Reality: The Pandemic’s Impact on Social Media and Mental Health

April 29, 2021

With social distancing measures in place across the globe, is Instagram really better than our current reality? Not exactly, according to mental health experts. While social media can play a critical role in keeping friends and family connected during times of forced separation, users should be aware of how longer periods of mindless scrolling can have a detrimental impact on their mental health.

Psychology Psychiatry COVID-19 General Interest

How mRNA Vaccines Could Prevent or Eliminate Infectious Diseases Beyond COVID-19

April 22, 2021

COVID-19 vaccines have quickly come to the rescue. Scientists created a vaccine to prevent the new virus using foundational research and technology developed at Penn. Today, as we race to vaccinate more people in more places against COVID-19, the biology behind these vaccines is poised to change the world again.

COVID-19 Infectious Disease

A Penn Nurse Plays an Integral Role in Temporary COVID-19 Hospital

April 15, 2021

For as long as he can remember, Kerwin Barden has put the needs of others ahead of his own. That’s how he explains his decision to enlist, at 19 years old, in the New Jersey Air National Guard as a medic 24 years ago.

COVID-19 Nursing

CPR and COVID-19 – When is it safe to save a life?

April 13, 2021

“Because of the pandemic, people have been hesitant to step up and help a stranger for fear of contracting COVID-19," says Benjamin Abella, MD, MPhil, a professor of Emergency Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine.

COVID-19 Emergency Medicine

From Polio Pioneer to COVID-19 Crusader: An Infectious Disease Doctor’s Reflection on Past and Present Vaccines

April 06, 2021

In 1954, polio vaccine clinical trials began on schoolchildren. One of those children was Stephen Gluckman, MD, now the medical director of Penn Global Medicine and a professor of Infectious Diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine.