Lauren Paige Kennedy: Portfolio
  • About
  • Contact
Lauren Paige Kennedy 
​
Editor, writer, content creator




































MY CORONAVIRUS INTERVIEW ON HEALTHCENTRAL: "I HAD COVID-19. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED."

3/20/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
When my friend and neighbor in Westchester fell ill with CV-19, I worried for her health and state of mind in the midst of a global pandemic and panic. When she recovered, I asked her to share her story. From first symptoms and testing to how she kept her family safe amid the rules of quarantine, she walks you through the experience. READ MORE.
0 Comments

MORE CONTAGIOUS, LONGER TRANSMISSION TIMES, 10X AS DEADLY, WITH ALREADY STRAINED HOSPITALS ... WHY CV-19's SOCIAL DISTANCING IS A MUST.

3/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
First, a must-read story I worked on with writer Mary Shomon at HealthCentral:
https://www.healthcentral.com/article/covid-19-social-distancing

My thoughts:
​
With credible estimates of anywhere between 2.4 and 21 million Americans likely requiring hospitalization (many in the ICU) sometime during this crisis before it's over, and people dying in steadily increasing numbers around the globe every single day, I want to share with you what I know.

I'm a health editor and writer. What is particularly dangerous right now is the amount of false information or half-truths floating around—with many people not knowing what to believe. My advice? Turn to SCIENCE. Not to some cable news pundit. Not to the president or your sister's best friend's cousin. Listen to the researchers and doctors who devote their lives to studying this stuff. However, before you share some random post from a fictitious Stanford doc about drinking more water or using nasal spray to ward off COVID-19, pause for a good 60 seconds. Ask yourself: Where did this info come from? Is it credibly sourced? Are peer-reviewed studies referenced and linked? If you're not sure, don't share it.

O Friday, March 13, I spent 45 minutes on a Zoom conference call with a leading infectious disease doc from UC-Berkeley—whom, btw, is self-quarantining—to work on an upcoming CV-19 story, which I'll post here when it goes live on Monday. A few takeaways from that call and all the research I've been consuming this week (links/studies posted below if you care to read them yourself, which I encourage you to do):

1. It appears that most people with CV-19 are contagious at day 2 after first infection, but show no symptoms until days 4 or 5, sometimes longer, which means you can transmit the virus before you even know you're sick. (For every person with CV-19, another 2.2 will be infected, compared to the flu's 1.2.) In a Chinese study of hospitalized CV-19 patients, the virus kept "shedding" for a median of 20 days after initial symptom onset. Some patients kept shedding until they died. One was shedding virus for 37 days. The shortest shedding period tracked was 8 days. In comparison, the flu sheds, or is contagious, for up to 5 days. Scientists believe CV-19 contagion is most intense during the earlier days of the infection—yet patients keep shedding virus so transmission may be possible for WEEKS. This is why social distancing is so imperative right now, even if you're not in a high-risk group.

2. Speaking of the flu: This ain't no regular seasonal flu. CV-19 is 10x more deadly, although because it has spread so quickly, we don't have real numbers of how many people truly have it, and lack of testing has compounded that fact. But do the basic math: Based on CDC modeling, the latest estimate is that anywhere between 160 and 214 million Americans will contract the virus at some point—more than half of the U.S. population. 80% of them will be fine. 20% will require medical attention. Of that 20%, 15% will be hospitalized, 5% in the ICU. (Again, best- and worst-case scenarios  are that between 2.4 and 21 million Americans OF ALL AGES will require hospitalization, many requiring respirators to recover.) Half of those in the ICU will die. We're talking potentially hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of critically ill people and many, many deaths—in the U.S. alone. Now consider that we have under 1 million hospital beds in this country, with 70% of them are already in use, just 100,000 available ventilators, and a documented shortage of healthcare workers (who also can get sick working on the frontlines).

3. Thank God our kids are not primary targets of this disease, but they are known super-spreaders of all germs. And a new study out of China suggests very young children (babies and preschoolers) may be more susceptible to serious illness (link below). They may very well bring home this potentially deadly virus to those we know and love. Mortality rates rise with age and with co-morbidities (underlying health issues) such as hypertension (affecting half of all American adults), diabetes (affecting up to 100 million U.S. adults), chronic pulmonary conditions (COPD, asthma), and anyone with a compromised or suppressed immune system (cancer survivors, those with autoimmune disorders). I don't know about you, but for me, this list includes both family members and cherished friends. I want to protect them all.

4. Bottom line? This is incredibly serious. We all need to pull back for the next month or two, and potentially longer, from our regular, daily activities and interactions as this thing plays out. So, yes, wash your hands A LOT. Clean and sanitize hand-touching hotspots (doorknobs, handles, your phones!) as often as you can. But most important and hardest to do? We need to refrain from hanging out together in groups—which is kind of what makes us human. Our very DNA wires us to be social creatures! But it's what needs to happen RIGHT NOW to get through this. It's going to be hard. It's going to be really weird. But remember, the more we break our own self-quarantines, the longer we drag this out. Instead of 8 weeks, it could be 8 months. We must "flatten the curve." So, please, do your part NOW. Let's do this together.

And, maybe—with any luck—we'll come out of the other side of this with shared empathy and renewed love for our neighbors who have gone through similar tough times, no matter what their personal beliefs or political persuasions are. Maybe we'll put this whole weird era behind us for good—together. I sure hope so.

Be well, my friends.

(And here are WHO guidelines for staying safe: https://www.who.int/…/novel-coronavirus-2…/advice-for-public)

LINKS:
Chinese study published in The Lancet:
https://www.thelancet.com/…/PIIS0140-6736(20)30566…/fulltext

Chinese study of CV-19 in children:
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2020/03/16/peds.2020-0702.full.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1ADIe6Gyuwr2XSOEKW38R-L7rX3Gtx7ucr2h9-RZSy_X1u7zLw39JEDnA

Estimates of Americans being hospitalized for CV-19 and U.S. Hospital Preparedness:
http://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/…/cbnreport-02272020…

CV-19 Contagion Rates:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2002387

Hypertension in U.S.
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm

Diabetes in U.S.
https://www.cdc.gov/…/relea…/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html
0 Comments

    Celebrity Health 
    _Kristin Chenoweth
    _Bear Grylss
    ​_Mayte Garcia
    _Malcolm Gladwell

    _Trevor Noah 
    _Gloria Estefan 

    _Ann Romney
    _Taye Diggs
    _Tiffany Haddish 
    ​_Lesley Stahl
    _Annette Bening
    _Marcia Gay Harden

    _Sharon Stone
    _Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan (BRAIN & LIFE)

    _Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan (WEBMD) 

    _Jack Johnson & 13
    Inspiring Ocean Heroes
    ​_ Jack Johnson Q&A (extra)

    _Zoe Saldana

    _Seth Meyers
    _
    Seth Rogen and
    Lauren Miller Rogen

    _Curtis Stone

    _Cameron Diaz
    _Adrian Grenier
    _Neil Patrick Harris

    _Laura Prepon

    _Joe Manganiello
    _Chelsea Handler
    _Matthew McConaughey
    _Jimmy Fallon

    _Chris Rock
    _Hilary Swank
    _Demi Lovato
    _PBS Chef Ed Kenney
    _Queen Latifah (USA Today)
    _Queen Latifah (WebMD)

    _Jenna Bush
    _Rob Lowe
    _Seth Rogen
    _Roseanne Barr
    _Kerry Washington

    _Abigail Breslin
    _Marcia Gay Harden

    _Maggie Q.
    _Anna Kendrick
    _Lucy Liu
    _Ty Burrell
    _Kermit the Frog 

    _Christina Applegate 
    _Anna Kendrick 
    _Reid Scott 
    _Alicia Keys 
    _Claire Danes
    _Debi Mazar
    _Chris O'Donnell 

    _Julie Bowen
    _Taraji P. Henson 

    _Alanis Morissette 
    _Carrie Fisher 
    _Harrison Ford 
    _Kellan Lutz

    _Ang Lee 
    _Stanley Tucci 
    _Sheryl Crow 
    _Lisa Ling

    _Julia Louis-Dreyfus 
    _Joan Didion 
    _Serena Williams
    _​Liev Schreiber
    _Alicia Silverstone
    _Julianne Hough
    _Kelly Ripa
    _Katherine Heigl
    _Amanda de Cadenet
    _Jamie Oliver (WebMD)
    _Jamie Oliver (Wash. Flyer)
    _Tyler Perry
    _Taye Diggs
    _Lauren Graham
    _Tony Goldwyn
    _Curtis Sittenfeld
    _Stephen Moyer
    _Stanley Tucci
    _Ashley Judd
    _Soledad O'Brien
    _Marcia Cross

    _Andre Agassi
    ​_Martina Navratilova

    _Christina Hendricks
    _Louis Black
    _Aaron Eckhart
    _Amy Brenneman
    _Ana Villafane
    _Dana Delany
    _Cote de Pablo
    _Danica McKellar
    _Casey Wilson
    _Torchwood: Miracle Day
    ​_Tia and Tamara Mowry

    _Sonequa Martin-Green
    _CNN's Wolf Blitzer
    _Olivia Wilde

    ​
    The Environment 
    _The "Genius" Landscape Architect Who Is Redesigning Coastlines

    _Researchers Who Measure Plastic Waste in Our Oceans Sound the Alarm

    _Why We Must Save the Whales—to Breathe

    _Meet Hillary Hauser, Citizen Advocate Behind Heal the Ocean

    _The Two Teens Who Took On Plastic Bags—and Won

    _This Actor Used to Suck—and He Wants You to Stop Sucking, too, for a #Strawless Ocean

    _The Wayfinding Wonder Who Sailed Around the Globe to Teach Us About Caring for Planet Earth


    _Two Cousteaus Who Advance  Jacques' Legacy

    _This Hawaiian Chef Is Leading the Sustainable Food Movement

    _Meet the Researcher Behind The Bahamas Plastic Movement

    _This Singer-Songwriter Wants You to Fall in Love With the Sea

    _Paper vs. Plastic Bags? Which Do More Damage to the Planet & Our Health?



    Health & Wellness
    _The Obesity_Chronic Disease Connection: a Special Report
    ​
    ​_10 Revealing Truths About Chronic Sex

    _Work Capitol Hill Like This Blood Clot Survivor (click link for all four installments)

    _Tell Us How You Really Feel About COVID-19

    _"I Had COVID-19. Here's What Happened." (Reported in mid-March 2020, very early days of the pandemic.)

    _Helping Kids Cope With MS

    ​_Meet a True Crohn's Disease Warrior

    _Q&A With a Pediatric MS Nurse WHo Runs a Special Summer Camp

    _Developments in Peanut Allergy Desensitization Therapy (pgs. 25–26)


    _Medications, Treatments, and Habits for Migraine

    _The Dangers of Sugar Consumption in Kids (pg. 26)


    _Why Mediation Apps Are All the Rage
    ​

    _Have You Shared Your Bucket List With Your Doctor? (pg. 19)

    _The Stigma of Alzheimer's May Prevent Its Cure

    _The Long-Term Health Effects of Toxic Stress in Childhood (pg. 25)

    _Is "Drunkorexia" Really a Thing? (pg. 30)
    ​
    _PTSD in Everyday People
    (pg. 15)


    _Music Therapy for the Mind and Body (pg. 17)

    _Depression and Early Death in Women (pg. 13)

    _Mental Health Myths 
    (pgs. 14–15)
    ​

    _The Serious Health Risks of Unemployment


    _Sedentary Teens May Just Need More Sleep

    _Do Online Therapy Sites Really Work?
    ​

    _What Is Coercive Control?

    _New Brain Gains in Alzheimer's Research

    _Weighty Matters

    _Mission to Mars: Keeping Astronauts Healthy (pg. 14)

    _Toxic Office = Poor Health
    ​
    ​_New Research Shows Fitter Kids Make Smarter Students


    _Health Heroes
    ​
    _Jamie Oliver's School Lunch Revolution

    _Does Your Family's Genetic History Define Your Future Health? (pg. 22)


    _Taking a Shot at
    Anti-Vax Beliefs

    ​_Holiday Spoils


    _7 Tips for Female Docs Who Also Want to Start a Family

    ​_Your Pet's Health

    ​_Tips for Adopting a Rescue Pet

    _First-Ever WebMD Health Heroes (an ongoing editorial franchise)



    Healthy Tech
    _Parenting in the AI Age
    (pgs. 23–24)

    ​_Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: What's on the Horizon? (pg. 19)


    _How to Fight Narcissism in a Selfie-Obsessed World (pg. 29)

    _Why We're All Digital Addicts (pg. 14)


    _Managing Kids & Online Video Games 

    _Teens & Tech

    _Can Your Kid's Cell Phone Cause Cancer?

    _Cyber Safety for Kids


    _Why You Should Ban Smartphones at Your Kid's Slumber Party​

     
    Healthy Parenting
    _The Importance of Play

    _Why Guns in the Home Should Be a Parent's Biggest Safety Concern

    ​_When Millennial Adults Move Back Home: a Parents' Guide


    _Is Your Teen Up to Date on Important Vaccines?


    _Don't Fat-Shame Girls

    _The Emotional Challenges Blended Families Face

    _Kids: The Collateral Damage of Divorce (pg. 25)

    _Kids and "Cutting"


    _How to Battle Obesity in Kids

    _Toxic Kid Friendships

    _Why Your Teen Needs More Sleep

    _On the Road With Young Drivers

    _Help Your Kids Excel in Sports

    _How to Talk to Your Teen

    _Is Your Daughter Going Through Early Puberty?

    _Guns & Playdates

    _More on Guns & Playdates

    _Zero Hellfire in My Home


    _5 Things to Tell Your "Loser" Kid

    _Judy Blume's Books Continue to Inspire Kids

    ​ 

    Healthy Lifestyle
    _Ocean Heroes

    _Have You Seen My Dog?

    _Ruby: The Rest of the Story


    _The Great Escape: Traveling With Little Kids

    _New Kids On the Block

    _Three Cities for a Song

    ​_How "Reality Bites" Accurately Predicted the Future of Gen X​

    _Sample Washington Flyer cover: Leonardo DiCaprio, whom I booked as EIC for first-ever "Green" Issue



    Musings & More     
    _On the Male Response
    to #MeToo

    _On Louis C.K. & "Exposed"
    Toxic Masculinity

    _Our Al Franken Problem

    ​_After Charlottesville, What is Freedom?​

    _Too. Much. Information.

    _Dear Madonna: We Aren't Ageist—You Are


    _My Facebook Freeze

    _How the Band Haim
    Rocked My World

    _Facing Aging With
    (Tough) Love


    _How to Love a Dog Without Losing Your Heart

    _On Mothers & Daughters

    _It's Your Daughter's Turn

    _Better Late (A Lesson From My Long-Lost Father)

    _The Death of Sexy?

    _Marriage Equality: The Reverend Wore Pink Pumps

    _Do You Ever Consider
    the Kid You Once Bullied?


    _Lean In to Life

    _The Women of "Mad Men"
    Are the Characters We'll Most Miss

    _Why TV Land's "Younger" Is a #MissedOpportunity


    _6 Pithy Parental Comebacks I Learned From My Mother

    _The Anti-Betty Draper Letter to My Girls

    _Don Draper Did Do Coke

    _The Day My Daughter's Lovey Went Missing

    _Are You A Myers-Briggs School Mom? 

    _11 Books & Films That Make Us Bawl Like Little Babies
      
    _That Stranger Danger
    Video Is Short on Facts

    ​
    _Loving Tips for Grieving
    the Family Pet


    _Lockdown Drills Are the Least We Can Do to Protect Our Kids

    _Joan Rivers: Mother
    of Invention

    _In Defense of Helicopter Parents

    _What If You Knew What Your Spouse Would Look
    ​Like in 60 Years?

    _Yes.


    _Portrait of a Woman

    _Your Real Best Friend

    _My collected writing for The Mid, now merged into Scary Mommy 



    Travel Guide
    _Author of Frommer's
    WASHINGTON, D.C. DAY BY DAY (2007)


    CV
    _My professional experience


    PAINTINGS
    _Father and Son
    _Portrait of Kristine
    _Girls at the Diner, 7 a.m.
    _Dive
    _Plum Is 2
    _Embrace
    _Toes
    ​_Ophelia
    _Nancy's Mother
    ​_A Dog I Loved
    ​_Footrest
    ​_Woman's Best Friend



    ALL ORIGINAL WRITING & ARTWORKS
     © LAUREN PAIGE KENNEDY
    2007–2023



    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    December 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
  • Contact