The coronavirus pandemic has dominated the headlines, and our daily lives, for most of this year. Medical News Today has covered this fast-moving, complex story with live updates on the latest news and potential treatments, interviews with experts, and an ongoing investigation into the deep racial disparities that the disease has unmasked.
This hasn’t stopped us publishing hundreds of fascinating stories on a myriad of other topics. Readers have been captivated by subjects as diverse as rare blood types, apple cider vinegar, and rumbling stomachs, as well as articles on covert narcissism and why it’s always better to turn off the TV and get up off the couch.
Here are ten recent stories that you may have missed amid all the COVID-19 fervor.
1. What are the rarest and most common blood types?
Our most popular article over the past week featured in a collection we published to mark World Blood Donor Day last Sunday. There are eight common blood groups, but 36 human blood groups in total. The most common type varies by ethnicity, but some are exceedingly rare, with only 1 in 6 million people sharing one type.
2. Does apple cider vinegar help with weight loss?
Our next most-popular article took a close look at the properties of apple cider vinegar. There is some evidence to suggest that apple cider vinegar may support weight loss. We examine whether this is true, recommend the best ways to use it, and consider the possible side effects of consuming too much.
3. Scientists unravel the mystery of anesthesia
We teased you with this article in last week’s Recovery Room, but now we can reveal all. New research has helped solve a 150-year-old mystery by delving into the neurological mechanisms that explain the effect of general anesthetics. As well as being of medical interest, these same mechanisms may give us clues about the nature of consciousness and sleep, as well as conditions that affect them.
4. Everything you need to know about white fragility
During a period of intense self-reflection about race relations, and further revelations about the scale of racial disparity in health outcomes, this article emerged as one of the week’s most-read stories. We look at the definition of white fragility, where it comes from, and why it is a problem.
5. What to know about computer vision syndrome
Smartphones, laptops, tablets, and TVs have each staked a significant claim on our visual attention. Never have so many people looked at so many screens for so long, but what are the consequences for our eye health, in particular?
This new article examines computer vision syndrome (CVS), the term for a group of eye and vision-related problems that develop following the prolonged use of devices with digital screens.
6. Signs of covert narcissism
This was one of the articles our readers spent the most time with this week, nearly 5 minutes each on average. Information about whether people are drawn to reading it because they are covert narcissists or simply because it’s an interesting topic is not available.
7. Stomach noises after eating: Causes and treatment
Another popular article, with over 3,000 readers since publication on Monday, covers the mysterious utterances that sometimes come from our innards. It isn’t actually your stomach that’s doing all that rumbling, and you’ll also discover the fantastic medical term for this phenomenon.