Every week, HEADlines brings you the latest news, stories and commentaries in education and healthcare. This week, get insights on the latest developments in healthcare. image Detecting diseases, the unconventional way Imagine a future, where your phone or the wearable on your wrist can detect infectious diseases and other health conditions in advance of its symptoms. Sounds incredulous? This future is fast becoming a reality. In 2020, Professor Michael Snyder and his group of researchers created an algorithm to notify smartwatch wearers of abnormal periods of stress, alerting them to the possibility of a viral infection. The system was tested during the pandemic and was found to successfully detect approximately 80% of COVID-19 cases at or before the onset of disease symptoms. Other scientists are researching the ability of dogs to smell diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s, and teaching machines to do the same. Soon, there could be robot noses in phones that might end up saving lives when they notice a change of smell. More than six billion people own a smartphone today. If every single one of these phones were paired with a smartwatch, the possibilities for real-time health monitoring and early disease detection are huge. Health checks and diagnoses will no longer happen just at the doctor’s clinic, but each individual will have greater insight and control into his or her own state of health. Healthcare in the Spotlight The Atlantic: A new strategy for staying one step ahead of the virus We are tracking how the coronavirus is changing over time. Why not monitor immunity too? Healthline: How long COVID may bring on lung, heart, and brain complications Recent studies show that a COVID infection can cause long-term symptoms affecting multiple organs, with shortness of breath, fatigue, and “brain fog” among the most common symptoms. The Straits Times: Will we need more booster shots? What’s known so far about ‘Deltacron’? Here’s what experts say Local infectious disease experts give their views on the COVID situation in Singapore and how things may evolve moving forward. USC News: Study finds some of the world’s lowest dementia rates in Amazonian indigenous groups The research adds to evidence that healthier pre-industrial lifestyles may hold clues to preventing Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Interesting Engineering: A new blood test detects Alzheimer’s dementia with 93 percent accuracy The new blood test provides a cheaper alternative to existing tests, giving doctors an opportunity to intervene at a very early stage of the disease. Channel News Asia: Dengue cases rising sharply in Singapore, ‘urgent collective community effort’ needed to fight surge: NEA A 9% increase in the Aedes aegypti mosquito population was detected in January 2022. Authorities are concerned about a potential surge in dengue cases in the coming months. Los Angeles Times (Op-Ed): As climate change wrecks our health, we’ll need climate doctors Doctors could become the biggest advocate for change and play a central role in strengthening our communities for the climate challenges ahead. The New York Times: The unseen toll of a warming world Climate change is inflicting a growing, unseen toll on mental health. Americans describe the stresses and strains of life on the front lines of a changing climate. Healthbytes Tips for taking a mental health day off Source: Greatist Chronic psychological stress can have long-term consequences on your health, increasing your risk of arthritis, heart and lung diseases. Just like a sick day gives your body rest, a mental health day gives your brain a break. Here are some tips on how to rest and reset.