Do think twice: How to fix common errors in judgment

Plus: Is COVID no scarier than the flu now? [View this email online]( [NPR Health]( September 18, 2022 by Andrea Muraskin This week: Throughout the pandemic, politicians and scientists have measured COVID-19's risks against that of the flu – [are we finally in COVID's flu-like phase?]( And, a researcher makes the case for [strengthening education about the menstrual cycle]( in the post-Roe era. Plus, a psychologist [helps us fix the foibles in our thinking](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Some scientists now say COVID is less lethal than the flu. Others say no way.]( [A pharmacy in New York City offers vaccines for COVID-19 and flu. Some researchers argue that the two diseases may pose similar risks of dying for those infected.]( Ted Shaffrey/AP COVID-19 is deadly much less often than early in the pandemic. We're now losing fewer than 500 Americans a day to the disease – compare that to more than 3,000 a day in December 2020. Still, that's almost 3,500 people dying from COVID each week in the U.S. alone. A bad flu season kills about 50,000 people in a given year. For most Americans, says UCSF infectious disease specialist Dr. Monica Ghandi, the risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19 at this point is similar to getting a bad case of influenza. That means, she says, that most of us can go about our daily lives "in a way that you used to live with endemic seasonal flu." But other experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, say that’s a terrible idea – he believes COVID is still a much more serious public health issue. [Behind this disagreement is a debate over how COVID deaths should be counted]( since many of those lost had other serious health concerns too. [Also: Some people still haven't caught COVID – could they have built-in protection?]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Your Support Makes a Difference At NPR, every day we work to bring you the best information so you can make informed choices about your health. Our [Bill of the Month series]( dissects and explains medical bills to shed light on the shocking cost of U.S. health care and to help patients learn how they can advocate for themselves. The impact of the series has saved patients millions in medical bills, and it even helped get a law passed to ban surprise bills. This independent, public service journalism is made possible by your financial support. [Please make a donation to your local NPR station](. We remain committed to helping patients navigate our complex health care system. This work wouldn’t have been possible without [support from people like you](. [Opinion: Kids need to know more about menstruation, especially now.]( [Writer and health educator Marni Sommer is co-author of A Girl's Guide to Puberty & Periods, which aims to help young people ages 9 to 14 understand the changes that happen in puberty and what to expect when.]( Grow & Know/Screenshot by NPR There’s an old saying in the news business: If it bleeds, it leads. But somehow this logic is not applied to periods! Even though the menstrual cycle literally leads the way to conception, research shows that schools, parents, and doctors are falling short when it comes to providing young girls with adequate information. What's often missing includes guidance around the timing of the cycle, and when to seek medical attention for things like heavy bleeding and pain. And the need for education is even more urgent now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, writes registered nurse and menstruation researcher Marni Sommer. [Here are Marni's big takeaways, and some resources for young people](. [Plus: Surprising tips for how to talk about your period]( [3 common thinking traps, and how to avoid them]( Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop Have you ever seen a dance on TikTok, or a recipe on YouTube, and thought "That doesn't look too hard!" And then, one sprained heel or overcooked salmon later, you realize it is hard, and requires quite a bit more practice than you thought? Or maybe a stranger cuts you off in traffic and you instantly think "What a jerk!" But when you cut someone else off in traffic, say while driving a friend to the ER, you give yourself an excuse that you didn't allow the stranger: "It was an emergency!" These kinds of thinking errors are what psychologists call cognitive biases, and they're the subject of a new book: [Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better]( by Yale psychology professor Woo-kyoung Ahn. Cognitive biases may have a basis in evolution, but we can overcome them. In general, she says, the key is to pause before making assumptions — and be aware of our tendencies for different kinds of bias. Ahn shared [three of the most common cognitive biases, and tips for how to fight them, with NPR's Life Kit.]( [Plus: Can We Overcome Racial Bias? 'Biased' Author Says To Start By Acknowledging It]( . Before you go: [Margaret Davis (left) and Delisa Williams (right) became acquainted when they moved into the Salvation Army Center of Hope shelter, just outside Charlotte, N.C. Both women receive federal benefits, but the monthly amounts aren't high enough for them to be able to rent an apartment.]( Photographer/Source - Listen: Racism is traumatic. Here's how [therapy can help](. - Thanks to pandemic-era policies, poverty and uninsured rates [have dropped](. - 4 ways the world messed up its pandemic response — and [3 fixes to do better next time](. - Disability payments aren't keeping up with rising rents. The [fallout can be homelessness](. We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of [NPR's health journalism]( on Shots and follow us on Twitter at [@NPRHealth](. All our best, Andrea Muraskin and your Shots editors --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [shots@npr.org](mailto:shots@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? 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