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YOUR WEEKLY CHECKUP

This week: What we know about post-COVID depression; the hunt for the perfect meatless protein; the superfood qualities of mushrooms; what the science says about microdosing psychedelics; the worst place to be stung isn't where you think.

PHOTO BY JUAN MABROMATA, AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

COVID-19 could trigger depression—but not for the reasons you might expect

In a study based on millions of people, researchers found that people who got COVID-19 had a higher risk of mental health problems after symptoms of the illness subsided—but it may not be simply because they lost days or weeks of their regularly scheduled lives to COVID. It may be the result of a little-known phenomenon called post-viral depression. Here's what we know about what causes it, who's most vulnerable, and how widespread it may be.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

CAN COVID-19 ALTER YOUR PERSONALITY? Here's what brain research shows. +

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER BROWN

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ A THROWBACK FEATURE‌ ‌ ‌

More people are microdosing psychedelics to boost their mental health. Does it work?

Taking tiny doses of drugs like psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca—often done by consuming foods or teas containing psychedelics—is gaining popularity. But the benefits are still being investigated.

THE EFFECTS OF MICRODOSING

ILLUSTRATION BY EDDIE GUY

Will plant-based meat ever satisfy America's hunger for the real deal?

Meatless cuisines successfully feed much of the world. But in the U.S., meat is chargrilled into the national psyche, with each person consuming a total of 264 pounds of beef, veal, pork, and chicken per year.

ONE PLANT MEAT TO RULE THEM ALL?

TOM WERNER/GETTY IMAGES

So your kid wants to be a vegetarian ...

Tips on how to support your child’s new lifestyle choice—even if you don’t agree 100 percent.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

REBECCA HALE, NGM STAFF

The superfood qualities of mushrooms

The benefits of fungi are still largely unknown—but researchers keep turning up surprising ways they boost human health.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

NG STAFF

FDA, CDC greenlight updated COVID-19 boosters for kids

According to CDC data, only 31.5 percent of kids in the 5-11 age group have received two doses of any COVID-19 vaccine.

TRACKING COVID IN THE U.S.

'We are in trouble': Study raises alarm about impacts of long COVID (Washington Post)

Will there be a COVID winter wave? What scientists say (Nature)

How COVID-19 headaches are different from others—and how to manage them

Getting the new COVID booster shot? Here are products that may help ease discomfort (USA Today)

MORE HEALTH NEWS

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GRAHAM WISE

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ FROM THE ARCHIVES‌ ‌ ‌

What is the worst insect sting in the world?

To answer that question, the entomologist who developed the Schmidt Pain Scale for Stinging Insects embarked on a new mission: to map the pain of stings on various parts of his body, from the top of his head to the tip of his middle toe—and all the scary bits in between.

MAPPING THE PAIN

Flu 'gathering speed' across U.S. as health officials brace for a rough season (CNN)

FDA confirms widespread shortages of Adderall (New York Times)

Transplant of human brain tissue into rats could help study autism, other disorders (Washington Post)

Colonoscopies save lives. Doctors push back against European study that casts doubt (NPR)

Signs of dementia may be detectable nine years before diagnosis, study finds (The Guardian)

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