Euthanasia for mental illness; Smell loss now a rare COVID symptom; Experts worry heat waves could rise SAD cases - Morning Medical Update

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Euthanasia for mental illness

Physician assisted suicide may soon apply to those with mental illnesses. Newly proposed Canadian legislation could make this a reality in March 2024. Canada currently has the largest number of physician assisted suicides worldwide.

Smell loss now a rare COVID symptom

Loss of smell and taste now only occur in three out of every 100 COVID cases. When the pandemic began, nearly half of those infected lost their sense of smell. The elimination of these symptoms began with the omicron variant. Researchers said this could be due to vaccinations and preexisting immunity.

Experts worry heat waves could rise SAD cases

Longer, more intense heat waves mean more people could be at a risk for summer seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Summer SAD symptoms take the form of agitation and aggression due to heat exposure and isolation. There is less research on it than its winter counterpart, but experts say rising global temperatures will make it more prevalent.