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Official CDC Update on New Covid-19 Variant BA.2.86
I’ve been looking for official CDC news about the new Covid-19 variant, BA.2.86 and it looks like it was just posted on their website yesterday. Highlights: “Last week, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 called BA.2.86 was detected in samples from people in Denmark and Israel. At least two cases have been identified in the United…
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Heat Joke Alert Again!
Here’s another heat joke. Q: How hot is it? A: It’s so hot, you don’t have to be a liar to set your pants on fire. All you have to do is step outside. It’s no joke, frankly. Heat index values could be in the 110-115 degree range. The Excessive Heating Warning has been extended…
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How the Metta Prayer and the Shower Juggle Are Alike
I’ve been practicing mindfulness meditation since 2014, when I became uncomfortably aware of how unpleasant I was becoming on the job and elsewhere. I called this “burnout.” The word still works as an explanation although it was and is sometimes still an excuse. I learned about the Lovingkindness meditation or the Metta Prayer during the…
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Excessive Heat Watch Starts August 20, 2023
The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for many counties in Iowa starting August 20 through August 21. All next week will be marked by very hot temperatures, raising the risk for heat-related illness.
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Remembrance of Dr. William R. Yates MD
I was thinking about the Clinical Problems in Consultation Psychiatry (CPCP) learning sessions which was introduced to me by one of my first teachers in the University of Iowa Dept of Psychiatry, Dr. William R. (Bill) Yates. I had originally been thinking of posting one of my own CPCPs that I presented in 2015. It…
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Moderna Files for FDA Authorization of Updated Covid-19 Vaccine
The Moderna corporation announced in June 2023 that it filed for FDA authorization of its monovalent XBB. 1.5 vaccine. Pfizer also announced the same message in August. It’s on page 4 of the Pfizer Earnings Call.
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Shout Out to University of Iowa Hospitals Doctor Joseph Zabner!
Here’s a big shout out and congratulations to my former University Hospitals colleague Dr. Joseph Zabner who received the 2023 Distinguished Mentor Award.
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The Dragon Breathes Fire Again
Sena and I saw a news video about a technology called “DAX” which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) the other day which promises to reduce or even eliminate pajama time for physicians trying to get their clinical note dictations done during the day instead of taking them home for several more hours of work. The video…
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New Dominant Covid-19 Variant EG.5
There is a new dominant Covid-19 variant called EG.5. It’s also called Eris. It’s descended from the XBB strains. It’s in the Omicron family and there is no indication it causes more severe disease and would be susceptible to current vaccines.
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UI Hospitals & Clinics Gets U.S. News & World Report Recognition
This is just a shout-out to The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics for once again being recognized as one of the top hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Department ranked 6th in the nation.
Go Retire Psychiatrist 