Infectious Disease

Is there hope for COVID with home visits?

Conditions

January 1, 2021

Health care has been hanging by a thread for some time — in our community and across the nation. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed weaknesses inherent in an underfunded public health system, a monopolized hospital, and a fractured medical supply chain.

At the beginning of this pandemic, I wrote, “Our lives will not be saved by the government. And lives will not be saved by elected officials or large institutions. Lives will …

Alone in the hospital in the midst of a global pandemic

Kelly Lisciandro, DO

Conditions

December 30, 2020

I have never felt so alone. I was lying in bed with severe abdominal pain. Pain I never had before. Well, at least not for a reason.

As I lay there, I kept thinking, what if I die while I wait until morning. It was the middle of the night. I had not felt well since earlier the week before with a severe diarrheal illness. One that only babies have with …

COVID-19 and the use of outpatient steroids

William Mazzella, MD

Conditions

December 28, 2020

In some people, COVID-19 causes mild or no symptoms at all. In others, it can cause significant respiratory distress that can lead to death. Once infected with COVID-19, is there anything that someone can do to foster a less severe infection? The answer is likely “yes,” avoid the use of outpatient steroids.

The risk factors for a poor outcome with COVID-19 include age over 65, obesity, diabetes, and a compromised immune …

Science challenges dogma and upends previously held beliefs in its quest for truth

Shilpa Vellore Govardhan, MD

Conditions

December 27, 2020

Like most modern marriages with spouses in the same profession, ours is one based on an exquisite balance of willful one-upmanship and reluctant admiration. A pandemic with two physicians in critical care medicine, albeit in different disciplines, serves as ample cause for a seismic shift in that equilibrium.

In January, while the balance was still intact, when he remarked that the Chinese authorities should suspend their traditional New Year celebration because …

I am a physician who tested positive for COVID-19. My main symptom is anger.

Madison Pomerantz, MD

Conditions

December 25, 2020

As cases exploded across the country, I watched with horror as I saw people go on with their daily lives as if hundreds of thousands of people were not dying, as if millions were not infected, as if our health care system was not collapsing. I watched our country – a country I once believed in – fail miserably in taking care of its own people.

In …

The FDA should consider vitamin D as a pharmaceutical agent for COVID

John D. Loike, PhD

Conditions

December 21, 2020

While the current COVID pandemic has created serious health challenges, there has been a dramatic increase in research examining the effects of vitamins on COVID infections. Many studies report the positive effects of vitamin D in boosting our immune system and protecting against COVID. Studies and seminars have shown that for those people who do not receive vitamin D from outdoor sun …

What worries this physician about the COVID-19 vaccine

Dalia Saha, MD

Conditions

December 16, 2020

Over coffee and the usual banter in the doctor’s lounge, a group of physicians takes a break from seeing patients after donning off their PPE. The TV is blasting the news, largely ignored, until the focus turns to the COVID-19 vaccine. The newscaster announced that the first group to receive the vaccine would be health care workers. Everyone stops talking; all gaze at the wall-mounted screen. And it …

COVID, paternalism, and the death of patient autonomy

Garrett Jensen

Education

December 15, 2020

A year ago, if you had asked me if most doctors respected their patients’ wishes, I would have answered with a resounding yes. If you had asked me if medicine had divorced its paternalistic roots when physicians trampled over ideals like patient autonomy and non-malfeasance, I would have said yes. But that was last year, and in this new world of COVID, panic, hysteria, and ever-present claims of just “following …

Why can I trust the COVID vaccine?

Alexandra Fairchok

Conditions

December 14, 2020

Many friends have asked for my perspective on the COVID vaccine. Answering this requires both an explanation of clinical trials and an understanding of what normally slows down pharmaceutical development.

Importantly, COVID vaccines are required to go through the same process as every other pharmaceutical. These include the following:

Preclinical trials. In this stage, researchers conduct animal testing to see if the vaccine can produce an immune response. If the vaccine is …

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Why can I trust the COVID vaccine?

COVID-19 and the cruel death of my mother

Christine King, CRNA

Conditions

December 8, 2020

I am very happy to hear that the CDC decided to prioritize health care workers and long-term care residents to be the first to receive the vaccine for the COVID-19 vaccine. It is very personal to me as a health care worker and a daughter.

My mom was admitted to an assisted living/personal care home as the lockdown was hitting this past March.

Her health had been declining since September of 2019 …

COVID-19 vaccines: Channeling the 7 habits to get from vaccines to vaccinations

Toyin M. Falusi, MD

Physician

December 6, 2020

In the U.S. and worldwide, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths from COVID-19 are surging. The health care workforce is overworked, and increasingly, more people appear to be experiencing mask fatigue. In the midst of this, there is exciting news. A few weeks ago, initial promising results from two phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trials were released. The vaccines reportedly showed 90 to 95 percent efficacy, exceeding expectations, and providing much-needed optimism.

Vaccines are …

Physicians who work themselves into the ground have nothing to be proud of

Jenny Hartsock, MD

Physician

December 4, 2020

There were recently many news articles and coverage exalting a physician for working 250 straight days during COVID. 250 days, that’s nearly 8 1/2 months without a day off.

While this physician displays dedication and caring, I don’t think we should celebrate this as an achievement. The truth is he’s working every day all day for one of two reasons. Either there is no one else, and he’s a victim of …

Empty chairs at the table this holiday season

Anjani Amladi, MD

Physician

November 29, 2020

There’s nothing like the holidays and a new year around the corner to remind us that 2020 is almost over. This year let’s try to take nothing for granted. Especially since millions of Americans will soon sit down to a holiday meal with one or more loved ones missing. Those empty chairs are a reminder of what we have endured this year. Whether it be loved ones who are sick, …

Pay attention to science and medicine, or else you may be the next careless victim

Debbie Moore-Black, RN

Conditions

November 23, 2020

I enter the hospital to work again. I must work as I have three small children and a husband presently out of work because of COVID. He is “non-essential.”

A violinist is playing at the employee entrance. I know they do this to lift our spirits. But it’s a slow, sad string that reminds me of the titanic. And yes, every day I clock in, I feel as if it’s a …

The ibuprofen COVID-19 paradox

Amy G. Schade, PA-C

Conditions

November 21, 2020

With the surge of information surrounding COVID-19 released in the news this year, an interesting concern arose regarding ibuprofen’s use in patients with COVID-19. In March of 2020, French authorities were the first to investigate anecdotal reports of severe COVID-19 infection in patients who had taken ibuprofen.

The initial concern involved the ACE-2 receptor. The theoretical concern was that NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen might …

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The ibuprofen COVID-19 paradox

5 life lessons COVID-19 has taught me

Christine Lau, MD

Physician

October 27, 2020

During this past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down and changed not just the way we live and work but also how we think and behave. Every part of the world has been affected, and every aspect of life has been impacted. Our everyday routines were brought to a stop, and any sense of normalcy was lost. While we stop and look at the world around …

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5 life lessons COVID-19 has taught me

Doctors for truth: Fighting for trust in an era of misinformation

Rob Palmer, Aaron Snyder, MD, and Shantel Hebert-Magee, MD, MPH

Conditions

October 26, 2020

I read on social media that sea moss gel is supposed to cure coronavirus. Do I still need to wear a mask?

It’s hard to imagine physicians being deceptive to patients about matters of life and death. Yet, the politicization of health care coverage, COVID-19, disparities in health outcomes, and women’s health rights has severely fractured the relationship between health officials and the American public. Prior to the pandemic, …

What are the limitations of COVID-19 testing?

Christine Lau, MD

Conditions

October 15, 2020

COVID-19, first identified in December 2019 and declared a global pandemic in March 2020, has taken a toll on everyone around the world. After months of varying levels of lockdown and quarantine, people are developing pandemic fatigue, and craving human contact and normalcy again. This, coupled with the reopening of the nation, businesses reopening, and schools back in session, many people are relying on COVID-19 testing to say they are …

The role of physician assistants during the pandemic

Leah Yoke, PA-C

Conditions

October 5, 2020

As the world battles COVID-19, summer has turned to autumn, and a new chill is in the air. With this change, even in a pandemic, comes the flu season. As a physician assistant (PA), one concern for my patients’ health is the possibility that many will forgo routine health checks or other preventative care because they are avoiding medical settings. When it comes to flu vaccinations, I am especially concerned.

In …

President Trump received dexamethasone and had 2 episodes of low oxygen saturation levels

Molly Walker

Conditions

October 4, 2020

President Trump was administered dexamethasone therapy for COVID-19 treatment, and had two episodes of low oxygen saturation levels that required supplemental oxygen, said doctors at Walter Reed Medical Center at a press conference on Sunday.