Mandy Oaklander

Mandy Oaklander writes and edits health news for TIME.

Recent Articles

What to Know About the XE Variant

Early research suggests it's 10% more transmissible than BA.2

By Mandy Oaklander

Should You Wear a Mask? What to Do as Mandates Roll Back

What to know about wearing a mask during one of the pandemic's most confusing moments

By Mandy Oaklander

We Used to Have a Lyme Disease Vaccine. Are We Ready to Bring One Back?

New tick-borne disease medicines are in development

By Mandy Oaklander

Inside Ibogaine: A Promising Drug for Addiction

Derived from the root bark of an African shrub, Ibogaine was ignored in modern medicine until recently

By Mandy Oaklander

Tedros on the Dangers of Politicizing the COVID-19 Pandemic

When a contagious, deadly pandemic sweeps around the globe, people look to the World Health Organization (WHO) for guidance. It’s not easy to be the person in charge under those circumstances, but as director-general of...

By Mandy Oaklander

How Growing Food Can Change Your Life, According to Gardener Ron Finley

Gardening has blossomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as Americans planted "victory" gardens during wars and depressions before, now many are planting seeds to grow their own food. Doing so comes with real benefits, like...

By Mandy Oaklander

Individual Circadian Clocks Might Be the Next Frontier of Personalized Medicine

We used to think everyone needed eight hours of sleep. Not so, according to new science

By Mandy Oaklander

3 Ways Creativity Can Help Mental Health

Singer-songwriter Jewel and psychiatrist Dr. Blaise Aguirre talk about creative ways to help the mental health of young people

By Mandy Oaklander

3 Ways to Keep Calm During Stressful Times

Goldie Hawn and Amishi Jha explore how to practice mindfulness under stress in a TIME for Health Talk

By Mandy Oaklander

The Coronavirus Plus the Flu Could Equal a Devastating Fall and Winter, CDC Director Says

Summer has just begun, but health officials are already warning Americans that the fall and winter months ahead will likely be challenging. Once flu season begins, the U.S. will have to worry about not one,...

By Mandy Oaklander

COVID-19 Killed the Hug. What Will Replace It?

Dr. Mark Sklansky has always hated shaking hands. He can think of about a dozen better ways to greet patients than the icky exchange. “Hands are warm, they’re wet, and we know that they transmit...

By Mandy Oaklander

Why Infectious Diseases Like COVID-19 Make Science Move So Fast

Science has a reputation for moving slowly. The very process of publishing solid scientific data—let alone developing vaccines and therapies—requires a long timeline. But outbreaks of infectious diseases spread quickly, demanding a much quicker pace....

By Mandy Oaklander

Our Diets Are Changing During the Coronavirus Pandemic

People are cooking more. But dietary shifts aren't affecting everyone equally

By Mandy Oaklander

How 'Broad, Ubiquitous Testing' Can Help Restart the U.S. Economy

For weeks, Americans have stayed home as much as possible to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, but social isolation has come at a huge cost to the economy and people’s livelihoods. What will...

By Mandy Oaklander

Almost All Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Had Another Illness

A new study of hospitalized patients shows that 94% had at least one underlying health problem

By Mandy Oaklander

Should Healthy People Wear Masks to Prevent Coronavirus?

If you have no symptoms of the coronavirus, should you wear a mask? It’s one of the most-asked questions during this pandemic, and until recently, one of the most easily answered—if you follow the guidance...

By Mandy Oaklander

'We Hand-Sanitize and Hold Hands.' What It's Like When Your Partner May Have Coronavirus

In February, when Jacob came home from an international trade show in Arizona with a cough, he wasn’t concerned. He slept in a separate room so that his hacking wouldn’t disturb his wife, Caitlin. But...

By Mandy Oaklander

Coronavirus Fears Are Causing Blood Drive Cancellations

Winter is not a boom time for blood donation centers in the U.S. Bad weather, plus circulating flu strains, tend to deter people from giving blood. And the ongoing outbreak of the new coronavirus in...

By Mandy Oaklander

Public Health Experts Keep Changing Their Guidance on Whether or Not to Wear Face Masks for Coronavirus

Note: The CDC has updated its guidance to the public around wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic. On April 3, it advised Americans to wear non-medical cloth face coverings, including homemade coverings fashioned from household...

By Mandy Oaklander

How AI Can Help Pick Depression Treatments

The use of AI in psychiatry is expanding quickly

By Mandy Oaklander
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