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Researchers found that when male and female patients expressed the same amount of pain, observers viewed female patients' pain as less intense and more likely to benefit from psychotherapy versus medication as compared to men's pain, exposing a significant patient gender bias that could lead to disparities in treatments. (4/6)

After an unprecedented push to test and track COVID-19, public health workers are grappling with a worrisome side effect: a collapse in screening for sexually transmitted diseases that have been on the rise for years. Testing for diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea plummeted in many parts of the U.S. last year as COVID-19 sapped away resources and staff. Health officials say this testing gap left them unable to track or control outbreaks of the diseases, which were already at record levels before the pandemic. (Perrone, 4/7)

While suicidal thoughts and self-harm have been well documented in teenagers, mental health experts say too little attention has been paid to young children, despite growing evidence that more elementary and middle school students are in crisis. ... In interviews, more than a dozen mental health professionals, including school counselors, social workers, psychiatrists and suicidologists, said they are seeing more children as young as kindergarten who are in dire need of support. (Kingkade and Chuck, 4/8)

Jack Hanna, celebrity zookeeper and wildlife conservationist, has been diagnosed with dementia, his family said Wednesday. The former director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will be retiring from public life.  Hanna's three daughters — Kathaleen, Suzanne and Julie — announced their 74-year-old father's diagnosis in a letter posted on social media. Doctors believe his condition, which progressed much faster than anticipated, to be Alzheimer's. (Goel, 4/7)

Millions of counterfeit masks have been seized by Customers and Border Protection (CBP) officials since the start of the pandemic. But the last few months have seen an "exponential increase" in counterfeit mask seizures, a CBP official told CNN. Since the start of the pandemic, CBP has seized more than 34 million counterfeit masks, most of them modeled to resemble N95 or KN95 masks. Around 20 million of those masks were caught in 2021, said John Leonard, acting executive assistant commissioner of the agency's Office of Trade. (Andrew, 4/8)

Ryan Riley is a British chef who has spent the past several months concocting an array of science-based recipes to help people like Dixon enjoy food even though their sense of smell and taste is compromised. He co-wrote the cookbook “Taste & Flavour,” which has recipes that elevate flavor combinations, textures and other sensory elements that might stimulate a long-hauler’s dulled senses. (Page, 4/7)

As millions of Americans spend hours at a time in videoconferences — and then hop in their car — many are struggling to maintain their concentration, making experts fear this zoning out due to cognitive overload could be contributing to a surge in roadway deaths. “After you get into your car, you may be operating on autopilot,” Joan Claybrook, a former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said. “I think computer use, in general, can overload you." (Eisenstein, 4/7)

At this point of the pandemic, the idea of visiting extended family again may be a bright spot after a dark year. Some people have been vaccinated against coronavirus, but the risks associated with spending time around others outside of your household haven't been fully eradicated. "The tough part is that right now, I think that we all still need to be vigilant in everything we do, whether we're vaccinated or not," said Dr. Ada Stewart, a family physician with Cooperative Health in Columbia, South Carolina, and the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. (Rogers, 4/7)