Why you need to get a Covid-19 booster vaccine this autumnDr Muiris Houston: Vaccine fatigue seeps through the populace amid unclear messaging about boosters and new bivalentsMon Sept 19 2022 - 05:31
Aspirin: From willow bark to the polypill, it’s been some journeyDr Muiris Houston: Aspirin is 125 years old and remains one of the world’s most used and most affordable drugsMon Sept 05 2022 - 06:01
Dr Muiris Houston: Why we need more research into long and mid-Covid-19Readers have helpfully cast light on debilitating effects of persisting Covid symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and chest painMon Aug 22 2022 - 05:01
Monkeypox: Ignore the misinformation on social media. Here are the key things you need to know Dr Muiris Houston on whether you can catch the virus from clothes, whether it’s transmitted through the air, and moreMon Aug 22 2022 - 05:00
Booster vaccine: When and where can I get boosted, and why should I bother? Dr Muiris Houston: Are you entitled to a booster vaccine, and will it work against new strains?Wed Aug 10 2022 - 15:59
Dr Muiris Houston: We need to acknowledge ‘mid Covid’. Many are suffering in silenceIt’s time we focus on the considerable number who suffer symptoms directly after acute illnessMon Aug 08 2022 - 05:01
Muiris Houston: This week’s column is brought to you through a Covid brain fog Whether it was carelessness or bad luck, the virus has finally got me, but has Omicron lulled us all into a false sense of security?Mon Jun 27 2022 - 06:01
The stigma of obesity: Time for a hard look in the mirrorDr Muiris Houston: It is wrong to call obesity an epidemic as it frames larger people as inherently diseased and even a menace to societyMon Jun 13 2022 - 06:00
Childhood hepatitis: How to spot the severe illness and why it’s on the riseDr Muiris Houston: None of the usual viruses has been identified as a causeWed Apr 20 2022 - 12:01
Dr Muiris Houston: Omicron may push Delta out for goodLatest variant is likely to raise immunity, ushering in a sharp drop in transmissionMon Jan 10 2022 - 06:01
Novak Djokovic: What are the grounds for a medical exemption from Covid-19 vaccination?Dr Muiris Houston: In Ireland, medical exemptions from vaccination are rareThu Jan 06 2022 - 16:45
Bird flu virus is back, should we be worried?Experts concerned an avian flu variant could ‘jump’ and cause outbreak in humansSat Nov 27 2021 - 06:00
Do we need to reassess our confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine?Vaccines remain highly effective at preventing severe disease and deaths from Covid-19Tue Nov 02 2021 - 06:01
Rocky ride for Trudeau as election takes ugly, un-Canadian turnSaskatchewan Letter: PM targeted by Covid protesters with big parties neck and neckSun Sept 12 2021 - 20:00
We have entered a ‘pseudo-war’ phase of the Covid-19 pandemicCould future variants lengthen the pandemic or make vaccines less effective?Mon Aug 23 2021 - 06:01
Vaxxers: The inside story of the AstraZeneca vaccineBook review: Scientific discovery on this scale is rarely a Eureka moment for a lone geniusTue Aug 03 2021 - 06:00
Europe should approach new Alzheimer’s drug with careA decision by the US FDA to approve aducanumab has alarmed many expertsMon Jul 12 2021 - 06:01
When Anthony Clare met ‘calculating, disturbing’ Jimmy SavileLate psychiatrist felt a deep sense of foreboding when interviewing sexual predatorSun Oct 25 2020 - 06:00
Rise in coronavirus transmission seems inevitable as lockdown liftsIf there’s an outbreak in areas in Cork or Dublin, citywide lockdowns will followMon Jun 29 2020 - 06:01
How to screen for Covid-19 is still far from clearGetting the right testing criteria for coronavirus presents an ongoing medical challengeMon Apr 27 2020 - 02:36
A doctor writes: Where are all the non-Covid-19 patients?Staying in pandemic mode for three months means each GP will not see one person with a life-altering conditionTue Apr 07 2020 - 02:02
Coronavirus: Nagging doubts fill hospital staff’s headsWorries about PPE and ventilators creep in, while loss of smell emerges as odd symptomMon Mar 30 2020 - 05:00
Physical distancing steps are most effective against coronavirus, study suggestsResearch in Lancet Infectious Diseases journal investigates early-intervention measuresTue Mar 24 2020 - 18:38
Coronavirus: What should you do if you have symptoms?In a bid to disrupt the spread of this virus further advice is now available, so what is it?Sun Mar 15 2020 - 23:27
Dr Muiris Houston: Doctors travelling from high Covid-19 areas should self-isolatePotential impact on vulnerable patients could be ‘extremely serious’, says HPSCThu Mar 05 2020 - 20:00
Coronavirus: Myths that have gained tractionDespite myriad online claims for this virus, there is no specific anti-viral treatment for itFri Feb 28 2020 - 16:29
New virus about 20 times deadlier than regular fluFirst solid indication emerges of how lethal outbreak might beTue Feb 18 2020 - 19:40
Muiris Houston: Number of coronavirus cases likely to rise furtherA Doctor Writes . . . virus can spread between humans but unclear if it can do so during incubation periodTue Jan 28 2020 - 15:28
Could coronavirus become a Sars-like illness?A Doctor Writes: Person to person transmission of virus raises fears about it spreadingTue Jan 21 2020 - 12:18
Self-care best tonic for most as flu season stretches hospital capacityIt can take 10 days to recover but see doctor if you have diabetes or cardiovascular issuesFri Dec 27 2019 - 18:48
Man’s 4th Best Hospital review: satirical sequel to The House of GodSamuel Shem returns to the world of medical care, one now ruined by software and billingThu Dec 26 2019 - 06:00
Time to stop throwing good money after bad at the health serviceMuiris Houston: Adding €50m to the Budget will not solve the fundamental problemMon Dec 23 2019 - 00:04
Narcolepsy case raises important questions about vaccine approvalPandemrix process was much speedier than normal assessment period for new vaccinesWed Nov 20 2019 - 01:00
Risk of cancer from HRT is double that of original estimate, study showsA doctor writes: If you are already on HRT, stopping abruptly is not the answerSat Aug 31 2019 - 01:00
Dr Muiris Houston: Is surgery the ultimate placebo?We tend to overestimate the true effectiveness of medical proceduresMon Aug 26 2019 - 06:01
What should I do if I’m bitten by a Noble False Black Widow spider?Dr Muiris Houston takes a look at the health issues surrounding the insectsThu Jul 18 2019 - 18:17
Latest CervicalCheck controversy a communications failureA doctor writes: Contact GP if you’re worried about a recent test, says Muris HoustonFri Jul 12 2019 - 19:50
How does testing for foetal abnormality work?Termination may be offered where there is a condition likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before, or within 28 days of, birthFri May 17 2019 - 20:34
What do you buy a book-lover for their birthday? Not a bookBibliophile Muiris Houston’s present was a personal consultation in a bookshopMon Apr 29 2019 - 05:52
Dr Muiris Houston: Talk of a ‘cure’ for HIV is prematureThere are good reasons to be circumspect about the anti-HIV technique reported this weekSat Mar 09 2019 - 06:00
Let’s stop the war talk when it comes to cancerA recent poll shows most people with cancer are fed up with the language of battleMon Feb 25 2019 - 06:01
Irish anti-vaping sentiment needs to be stubbed outDr Muiris Houston: It’s good that many former heavy smokers who quit carry on vapingMon Feb 11 2019 - 07:01
We need doctors and nurses more than a new children’s hospitalInvesting in people is the first step in turning around a health system close to collapseThu Feb 07 2019 - 01:17
Tech is invading our medical privacy: another reason to beware Dr GoogleMedics are using more and more AI tools but how safe is your data?Mon Jan 28 2019 - 06:01
Bitter pill: how Brexit could interrupt medical suppliesDespite efforts of Government and health agencies, a no-deal scenario will affect supplyMon Jan 21 2019 - 08:39
Billy Connolly is helping others by talking about Parkinson’s diseaseBig Yin’s forthright attitude about his condition in keeping with his attitude to lifeMon Jan 14 2019 - 06:01
Flu vaccine offers best defence against current strainA doctor writes: Influenza virus has arrived and it is not too late to protect yourselfFri Jan 11 2019 - 15:37
Plane speaking: airports a hotbed of infectious diseasesFrom security trays to infected passengers on aircraft, flying puts us at risk of contracting a host of respiratory virusesMon Jan 07 2019 - 07:01
Calling all Christmas chocolate guzzlersMuiris Houston: Time for my annual search to see if I can come up with some health benefits of eating chocolateMon Dec 17 2018 - 06:01
Practising medicine: from experienced-based to evidence-based to interpersonalBetter physician communication is associated with significant gains in outcomes for patientsTue Dec 04 2018 - 06:01
