Your Local Epidemiologist

Your Local Epidemiologist is a Substack that dissects public health issues, focusing on current events and emerging research. It covers epidemic patterns, vaccine developments, public health policy implications, and the role of science in society. It advocates for evidence-based decisions and addresses misinformation in public health communication.

Public Health Epidemiology Vaccine Development COVID-19 Research Science Communication Misinformation in Public Health Mental Health Health Policy

The hottest Substack posts of Your Local Epidemiologist

And their main takeaways

Do masks work?

1068 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Health Education Public Health Epidemiology Medical Science Disease Prevention
  1. The science around masks is complex, with considerations like the type of mask, disease, social context, and transmission period.
  2. Research shows masks can be effective in reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at both an individual and population level.
  3. The effectiveness of masks is influenced by factors like compliance, type of mask, and social setting, requiring a nuanced approach to policies and recommendations.

Social media and kids' mental health- An update

385 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Public Health Children Social media
  1. Strong bipartisan statements on harms of social media use among children and teens were made during a recent congressional hearing.
  2. Parents of children impacted by social media showed up in large numbers at the congressional hearing, highlighting the severity of the issue.
  3. The public health data presented at the congressional hearing will hopefully lead to meaningful and necessary changes regarding social media use among kids and teens.

Emergency rooms are not okay

57 HN points • 08 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Patient Care Public Health
  1. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed and at a crisis point, impacting patient care and outcomes.
  2. ER boarding, where patients are kept in the ER due to lack of available hospital beds, leads to dangerous medical errors and even deaths.
  3. Fixing the ER overload issue requires regulatory intervention, such as setting standards and creating better financial incentives.
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CDC updates isolation guidance

2 HN points • 05 Mar 24
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Healthcare policy Epidemiology Pandemic response
  1. CDC updated isolation guidance recommends staying home when sick until fever resolves for 24 hours and symptoms improve, then using caution for five days.
  2. There is a debate within public health about the updated guidance - some see it as a step back while others believe it simplifies virus prevention measures.
  3. The guidance update considers the decrease in community transmission, the contagious period, the types of viruses being irrelevant to actions, and the critical focus on reducing hospitalizations and deaths.