(Scroll down for an update posted on 29/03/2020.) With the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, TBL felt that it would only be apt to have a discussion on the tiny microbes that are currently making a huge impact on global healthcare, travel, trade and economy. Viruses are tiny infectious microorganisms that can infect any living organism (including…
Tag: Science
To Vax or Not to Vax? The Vaccine Hesitancy Problem
“The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines prevented at least 10 million deaths in just five years between 2010 and 2015. It says vaccines have been one of the biggest success stories of modern medicine.” – BBC, June 2019 “The World Health Organization (WHO) recently listed vaccine hesitancy as one of their top 10 biggest…
Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a non-communicable, dermatological condition that affects about 0.5% – 1.0% of the world’s population. It is characterised by the appearance of pale/white coloured patches on the skin and is usually progressive in nature. The condition is more apparent in people with darker skin due to a greater contrast, however ethnicity is not a…
Antibiotic Resistance – What’s the Problem?
Antibiotic resistance is not a disease, but rather is a phenomenon that poses a significant challenge to the treatment of bacterial infections and to global health in general. The term refers to the development of resistance in bacteria (and sometimes fungi) towards antibiotics that would ideally be used in the treatment against them. Based on…
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS as it is commonly known, is a condition that affects around one in ten women around the world. It is caused by a hormonal imbalance which can bring about several metabolic and physical changes in the sufferer. The ovaries (left and right) are the organs in the female reproductive system…
Dementia
The term ‘dementia’ refers to the state of experiencing symptoms such as loss of memory, cognitive (problem solving) function, thinking and language due to damage in the brain. This state can be caused by several different diseases, Alzheimer’s being the most common of them. Being degenerative in nature, dementia is known to affect older people…
Is it a Cold? Is it the Flu?
It can be a bit tricky to differentiate between the common cold and the flu (influenza) – particularly during flu season. They are both infectious diseases that are communicable, and are both caused by viruses that attack the nose, throat and, sometimes, the rest of the respiratory tract or lungs. Let’s take a look at…
Allergic Rhinitis (aka Hay Fever)
Rhinitis (with its suffix -itis) refers to an inflammation of the nose. Allergic rhinitis refers to nasal inflammation that occurs in response to some sort of allergen. It is a non-communicable condition which has been estimated to affect around 30% of the world’s population. Symptoms Symptoms may vary between individuals, but usually include most or…
The Bio Log 