As has been the case for several weeks, flu continues to spread in Tennessee and across the country, and VUMC sources have spoken with reporters at many news organizations who are reporting on flu, as well as other infectious diseases. Todd Rice, MD, professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary, and Critical Care, and director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, was interviewed by The Tennessean and WTVF News Channel 5; James Antoon, MD, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of Pediatrics, was interviewed by CNN; William Schaffner, MD, professor of Preventive Medicine, spoke to Healio and Healthline.
Schaffner also spoke to CBS News about the ongoing outbreak of measles in Texas, which was cause by having too many unvaccinated children in the area. He also spoke to CNN for a story about whether some people need a measles booster.
Time magazine reporter Jamie Ducharme interviewed Cathy Eng, MD, executive director of the Young Adult Cancers Program, for a story about why so many young adults are getting cancer.
Stephan Heckers, MD, MSc, William P. and Henry B. Test Professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services, was quoted in a Medscape story about whether lesions in a common brain circuit could be a cause of psychosis.
Medscape reporter Brian Owens interviewed William Cooper, MD, director of the Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy, for a story about the recent adoption of new professional conduct guidelines by some surgical societies, such as the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery.
Self magazine reporter Korin Miller interviewed Kerry Kinney, PhD, assistant professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, for a story about a new study that found that playful people showed stronger resilience during COVID-19. The study found that “highly playful people were just as realistic about COVID-19 risks and challenges as others, but they excelled at ‘lemonading’ – creatively imagining and pursuing the positive, discovering ways to create moments of joy even in difficult circumstances.”
Asterisk magazine managing editor Jake Eaton interviewed Zach Williams, MD/PhD student in the Neuroscience graduate program, for a comprehensive piece about a disorder in which some people find certain common sounds almost intolerable. The piece is headlined, “The Unbearable Loudness of Chewing.”
Medscape editor Marilynn Larkin interviewed Barbara Carranza Leon, MD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, for a story about the influence of celebrities on patient use/requests for the new weight-loss drugs.
John Seibert, MD, associate professor and Service Chief of Comprehensive Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, was quoted in a Yahoo! Life piece about the benefits of salt-water gargles.
