Breakthrough Infections Dramatically Enhance COVID Immunity
I don’t want anyone to get Covid after being fully vaccinated, a so-called “breakthrough infection.” I wish they would never happen. The reality is, however, breakthrough infections do happen. And, it seems, they are happening more often this Fall.
Read full storyOmicron "Mild"? Hardly.
I keep reading that the Omicron variant is much milder: “ The details of the Omicron variant are becoming clearer, and they are encouraging,” writes the NY Times. I keep reading that hospitalizations are way less; cases are milder; and the disease is not as bad as that with previous variants, such as Delta.
Read full storyWhy I Found 'Squid Game' So Disturbing
Spoiler alert: There is no way I can’t spoil the outcome with this piece. Read at your own risk. It is the #1 show in the U.S. on Netflix: “Squid Game.” It is the story of a series of children’s games that a whole host of people play in the hopes of getting a huge cash reward. The key is: each of these players is in terrible debt, and so their motivation to win is very strong. The show is intriguing, captivating, and frankly, very, very disturbing.
Read full storyVaccination is Still Your Best Bet At Protection From COVID
The extent that some people will go to try and prevent COVID baffles me to no end. Now, there are people advocating gargling with povodine-iodine! Oh. My. God. Povodine-iodine is a skin antiseptic. It kills bacteria on the skin, and we have used it on the skin to disinfect prior to procedures. FYI, we no longer widely use it because it has been shown to be less effective than other skin antiseptics.
Read full storyAmount of Virus in Lungs Tied to Death From COVID-19
It has happened to me and my colleagues far too often: watching a patient die from complications of COVID-19. While the ultimate cause of death is multiorgan failure – shock, respiratory failure, kidney failure, etc – the question is what caused this multiorgan failure?
Read full storyI Just Came Back From A COVID Hotspot: It's Bad. Real Bad.
“No, ma’am. That’s all I’m going to say about that.”. That was the response of a young barista at the coffee shop I was in when she asked whether she was going to get vaccinated. I could only shake my head as I left with my iced latte. And shaking my head in sheer exasperation is all I can do with this current surge in Covid cases.
Read full storyGamma Variant Much More Prominent in Illinois
The Delta variant of SARS CoV-2 has been making national news. It is increasingly becoming the dominant strain in the United States. It is causing "breakthrough infections" in already vaccinated people (I have seen this personally), and it is wreaking havoc in the unvaccinated. In fact, 99.5% of COVID deaths are in the unvaccinated.
Read full storyNew Research Suggests Long-lasting Immunity After COVID Infection
Source: Medika Life (www.medika.life) There has always been uncertainty over how long immunity from SARS CoV-2 infection lasts. Is it three months? Six months? A year? Lifelong? Studies – and resultant headlines – abound.
Read full storyMulti-drug Resistant Bacteria Found in Dog Food
Understandably, the world has been hyperfocused on the global SARS CoV-2 pandemic. It has wreaked – and continues to wreak – havoc on many parts of our world. At the same time, there are other threats to the global health order to which we must pay attention, and one of these threats come from what we feed Fido.
Read full storyBeware of How You Hydrate As The Weather in Chicago Gets Warmer
It was a very hot summer. A young man showed up to my ICU several years ago after suffering a seizure. His sodium level was dangerously low, which was the cause of his seizure. He was treated and recovered quickly. When he regained consciousness, I asked him his story.
Read full story