Author: Emma Yasinski

Emma Yasinski

I am a freelance science and medical journalist, fascinated by how the scientific process leads to incredible discoveries, but also can lead to publication bias leaning toward positive findings and minimizing negatives. With a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Lafayette College and a Master’s in Science and Medical Journalism from Boston University, I’ve written about clinical trial transparency, organ donation, and basic molecular biology for publications like The Scientist, The Atlantic, Undark.org, Kaiser Health News, and more. At MedShadow, I research and write about the sometimes unexpected ways that medicines can affect us, and what we can do if and when it does.

The Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) outbreak in the US hit its peak in August of 2022, and has declined from causes about 400 illnesses a day to just one, but that doesn’t mean the danger is completely gone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explained in a teleconference on May 18, 2023. In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the global health emergency. While cases are fewer, breakouts are still happening. Between mid April 2023 and early May, experts identified an outbreak of 21 men with Mpox in the Chicago area. “All have…

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A few months into the pandemic, researchers learned that some patients were reporting that some of their Covid symptoms,  like shortness of breath, brain fog, diabetes, and heart problems, persisted long after they’d tested negative for COVID-19. A doctor in Italy was the first to use the term, “long Covid” when she described  the disease as cyclical, progressive, and multiphasic. When COVID-19 first emerged, doctors identified it only as a respiratory virus—one that primarily affects the nose, throat, and lungs, causing coughing and shortness of breath. Over time, physicians found that the virus seemed to produce many other symptoms not…

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Morgan’s parents weren’t too concerned in August of 2021, when her daughter had a fever. After all, she’d recovered from COVID-19 just a few weeks before. Her parents figured it was just a cold. But within a few days, the 8-year-old was admitted to the hospital with a high fever, rash, aches, and stomach pain. Her heart rate skyrocketed while her blood pressure dropped. She stayed in the hospital for about two weeks, where doctors gave her corticosteroids to ease the inflammation rioting through her body.    Her COVID-19 infection weeks before had triggered an immune response that went haywire and…

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[Editor’s note January 2023: Evusheld is no longer authorized for COVID-19 prevention, since it does not appear to be effective against the newest variants.] None of the COVID-19 vaccinations guarantee immunocompromised people much protection from the disease, but now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an antibody engineered to protect you from getting COVID-19.  Only 27% of transplant recipients, for example, who are severely immunocompromised,  mounted a sufficient antibody response after two doses of an mRNA vaccine, made by Moderna and Pfizer. The immunocompromised state is due to drugs prescribed to prevent their immune systems from rejecting a…

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Shingles is not your average rash. The painful, itchy red stripe caused by shingles can last up to 10 days, while long-term nerve pain, a common complication, can persist for months or years. In the rare event that the outbreak appears on your face, it can even cause blindness. Luckily, there’s a two-dose vaccine, Shingrix (zoster vaccine recombinant, adjuvanted), that can prevent the disease. It’s recommended for people 50 years and older, even if you’ve already had shingles, and those 19 and older who are immunosuppressed. Shingles is a unique disease in that it’s not caused by a new infection.…

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On May 10, 2021 Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine had been granted emergency-use authorization for kids ages 12 to 15. Since then, lower doses of the shot have been authorized for children aged 6-11. Many children have received the vaccinations, but a large population of children without the shots remains, as officials report a new variant could cause a small, but noticeable new wave of cases soon. With the FDA reviewing data from Moderna’s trials and Pfizer extending its trial to include a third shot in hopes of coaxing a more robust immune response in children 6 months to…

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MedShadow was the first to launch its COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effect Tracker, even before any COVID-19 vaccines were authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Its goal is to report on the adverse effects in clinical trials, help our readers make informed decisions and know what to expect when they get their shots. Experts said early on that some of the side effects may be severe enough that patients will want to stay home from work after receiving the vaccine.  Our vaccine side effect tracker has amassed more than 800 comments, a handful of which have discussed unusual reactions,…

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Antibodies are key to fighting COVID-19, but between convalescent plasma, monoclonal antibody drugs and vaccines, how and when you get those antibodies matters.  All three of these treatments produce antibodies designed to recognize SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and help your immune system fight it before it wreaks havoc on your lungs and other organs. However, they are not all created equally.  What exactly are antibodies? Antibodies are proteins that your immune system develops in response to a perceived infection (“perceived,” because it’s also possible for your body to develop them in response to your own cells, which is…

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Treating Osteoporosis Without Bisphosphonates Lara Pizzorno minces no words when explaining why she didn’t want to take a class of drugs called bisphosphonates when she got a surprising diagnosis of osteopenia – weak bones, but not osteoporosis – at age 43. “You only need them if you want to accumulate crummy brittle bones,” said the editor of Longevity Medicine Review and author of the book Your Bones: How You Can Prevent Osteoporosis and Have Strong Bones for Life Naturally. R. Keith McCormick puts it this way in his book, The Whole Body Approach to Osteoporosis: “Using bisphosphonates is like your…

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