What is Not a Doctor?

Welcome to Not a Doctor. I’m Melody Schreiber, a health and science journalist who has reported on nearly every continent, covering mental health, global health, climate change, and more.

In this newsletter, I break down the news and scientific studies around COVID-19 — from how to prepare for an pandemic to what all of the headlines mean.

And it’s all free! Eventually, I will open up subscriptions for some of these posts. But in the meantime, my goal is to keep you informed about what’s happening in health and science today.

Sign up now so you don’t miss the next issue. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.

And if you like what you see, please share with a friend!

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I’m also the editor of an anthology about premature birth, What We Didn’t Expect: Personal Stories of Premature Birth. The collection offers intimate glimpses into the preemie experience: life in intensive care units, grief over the loss of expectations (and other major losses), and finding a new normal during and after the tumult of medical and personal emergencies.

It’s been surreal to edit this book during a pandemic, when so many people are experiencing similar upheaval, fear, and stress. What helped us was reading and sharing stories that resonated; my hope is that this book offers some sense of understanding and peace.

Please consider preordering the book and supporting my work!

Popular topics

Keeping your spirits up during a pandemic:

COVID-19 symptoms, testing, and more:

How the virus works:

Protecting yourself and others:

Preparing for a crisis:

What people are saying

“Your newsletter is really neat! I found a few typos, though…” -my mom

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Melody Schreiber is a health and science journalist who has reported on nearly every continent, covering mental health, global health, climate change, and more.