Marla Ahlgrimm | Back To School

The 2020/2021 school year is going to look markedly different, says women’s health care advocate Marla Ahlgrimm. As teachers, parents, and students gear up for a new year, it’s a good idea to take a look at how schools can keep everyone safe.

Physical distancing

By now, we are all familiar with the term social distancing. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers similar advice for students. However, realizing that space is limited, most healthcare and education providers recommend having desks spaced approximately three feet apart. School systems may also request that students wear masks, which may be particularly important in the older grades, says Marla Ahlgrimm.

Marla Ahlgrimm | A Second Wave May Be On The Horizon

When the coronavirus first made its entrance in the United States, it came in hard and fast. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, a second wave, one that’s every bit intense as the first, may be on its way.

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that many health experts believe late fall and early winter may trigger an uptick in COVID-19 cases. It is almost impossible, however, to accurately predict how a novel virus will react from one season to the next. What we do know is that warm weather was not the savior we all expected.

Marla Ahlgrimm explains further that large crowds, such as unsanctioned gatherings and protests, may usher in localized epidemics.

COVID-19 Affects The Sexes Differently, Says Marla Ahlgrimm

Since the beginning of its known existence, the COVID-19 virus has affected men proportionately much more than women. Unfortunately, men have much higher mortality rates than their wives, daughters, and sisters, despite being equally at risk of contraction. This is in line with 2003 information culled from research studies during the SARS outbreak.

But why?

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, males may be more affected because they tend to experience heart disease far more commonly. Liver disease, high blood pressure, and other disorders make the symptoms of the coronavirus much stronger and harder to shake.

Another potentially significant contributor is that men tend to smoke much more than women. Marla Ahlgrimm cites global and historical World Health Organization statistics that note around 40% of men smoke compared to just 9% of women. Smoking is an obvious trigger for lung disease, and considering that the coronavirus attacks the respiratory system, it makes sense that smokers are more at risk.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Saving Money On Medical Bills

Medical bills can easily stack up to become some of the heftiest payments for American households. Fortunately, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, retired pharmacist, there are ways to reduce healthcare costs. Keep reading as she answers a few questions about how to do just that.

Q: What’s the first thing you would tell people looking to save money on their healthcare expenses?

Marla Ahlgrimm: I would say that it’s important to check the details of their medical plan. Although it may be difficult to follow and the language can get confusing, all providers offer a full rundown of what’s covered and what’s not. This can help anyone looking to save money make better decisions about when, how, and where to receive services, particularly those considered elective.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Women Leading Through Crisis

As the coronavirus continues to take a toll on a global scale, Marla Ahlgrimm says there are a few countries that stand out with their response. Denmark, New Zealand, Taiwan, Finland, and a handful of others enjoy fewer infections and have largely skipped over the fear and panic we’ve seen in the United States. So what, exactly, do these countries have that we do not? According to Ahlgrimm, the answer to that question is women in their highest leadership roles.

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that many countries with women in the equivalent of our presidential seat have handled the virus with a drastically different style. In Germany, for example, Chancellor Angela Merkel took to the airways early on. She is noted for remaining calm when telling her country there was a dangerous and highly-contagious virus on its way. Germany enjoys a low per-capita infection rate.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Women And Diabetes

A metabolic disease, diabetes is a condition that results in high blood sugar. This, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, can happen when a person cannot produce or accurately process insulin. And while diabetes can affect people of all ages and sexes, women tend to fare worse than their male counterparts after diagnosis.

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that men have historically been diagnosed and treated for diabetes more often than women. However, for a multitude of reasons, including less aggressive treatment and hormones, diabetes has a death rate twice as high for women when compared to men.

Marla Ahlgrimm | Does COVID-19 Discriminate?

The novel coronavirus is nothing more than a piece of genetic material, albeit one that’s making a lot of people sick. And, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, it should not necessarily have a greater impact on either sex. But it does.

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that women seem to have a leg up compared to their male counterparts when it comes to COVID-19. In the United States, deaths are overwhelmingly male. Similar statistics have popped up all across the world, and even in Western Europe, which has suffered a staggering number of losses per capita, seven out of 10 deaths are men.