A deep dive into the draconian dress codes dictating what Olympic athletes can and cannot wear, how cat DNA can improve human medicine, and more.

Ben Palmer's reads

The 'unintentional injuries' associated with Covid-19. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, but how many people died not from the disease itself, but from other injuries related to the pandemic? Writing for the Wall Street Journal, James Freeman examines the rise in "unintentional injuries" that led to deaths during the pandemic, including drug overdose deaths, which rose by almost 30% in 2020.

An inside look at the precautions being taken at the Tokyo Olympics. To stem the spread of the coronavirus at the Olympic games, athletes have been placed in a so-called "bubble" and fans are not allowed to attend the games. Writing for MedPage Today, Ryan Basen details what three Olympic doctors for the United States told him about the coronavirus-related precautions being taken in Tokyo this year.

Vivian Le's reads

The unnecessary 'close fit' of the Olympics dress code. Even as athletes at the peak of their fitness compete at the Olympics, many of them are beholden to draconian dress codes dictating what they can and cannot cover up. Writing for the Washington Post, Sally Jenkins explains the dress rules for female athletes—particularly those in gymnastics and beach volleyball—and why the International Olympic Committee should be more concerned about performance instead.

Your cat's DNA may reveal clues to your own health. Cat genetics may hold more clues to human medical conditions and treatments than expected. For example, remdesivir, an important drug in treating Covid-19, was first used against a disease in cats caused by another coronavirus. Writing for the New York Times, James Gorman interviews three researchers who are working as part of the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Initiative—which just produced the most detailed cat genome to date—about their work and its potential effects on human medical science.