-
COVID-19 in the Rearview Mirror?
One way to think about the Covid-19 pandemic can be that it’s in our rearview mirror, which is one way of saying it’s behind us now. On the other hand, another way to think about it is that COVID-19 is in our rearview mirror because it’s tailing us. So, we can’t keep staring in the…
-
Phenylephrine Spelled Backwards is Enirhpelynbehp
News headlines are screaming about class action lawsuits being filed against drug companies selling the oral form of a nasal decongestant that the FDA says doesn’t work. It’s called phenylephrine. Phenylephrine has been around since the early 1970s and it’s a common ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) cold remedies found in grocery stores in the medicine…
-
Stop Me If You Heard This One Before
I saw one of my favorite X-Files episodes the other night. It’s titled “Monday.” Mulder goes through the day repetitively doing the same things, including fumbling his chance to thwart a bank robber who blows up the bank and everyone in it, including Mulder. See the Wikipedia for a full spoiler alert but I’m going…
-
How to Find Covid-19 Vaccine Availability By County
I’m finding out that maybe the best way to learn what the local public health issues are concerning Covid-19 infections as well as vaccine availability are through the county public health agency in my area. According to the Johnson County Public Health department, hospital admission rates in Johnson County currently low. I can search the…
-
This is National Suicide Prevention Week
Thanks to Dr. H. Steven Moffic for his Psychiatric Times article, “A Psychological Autopsy on My Only Patient Who Died by Suicide.” In it he describes his own experience with a patient who committed suicide. He also reminded us that this is National Suicide Prevention Week. It’s also National Suicide Prevention Month. The quote I’m…
-
CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine This Fall-Winter Season
The CDC has posted a press release announcing that it has recommended the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the fall/winter virus season.
-
CDC ACIP Meeting Today on Covid-19 Vaccines
Today is the scheduled meeting for the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). It meets from 10 AM-4 PM EDT. The final agenda is here. The presentation slides are at this link. I also want to recommend the recent article on the new Covid vaccine published in Scientific American on September 1, 2023, entitled…
-
FDA Authorizes Updated mRNA Covid-19 Vaccines
Today, the FDA approved and authorized the updated mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, specifically for the monovalent XBB.1.5 variant. See the announcement on the FDA website for full details. The CDC ACIP will meet to discuss clinically-based recommendations for the use of these vaccines tomorrow.
-
CDC Update on SARS CoV-2 Variant BA.2.86
New update on the Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 as of Sept. 8, 2023. Highlights: “The current increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States are not being driven by BA.2.86 and instead are being caused by other predominantly circulating viruses. Early research data from multiple labs are reassuring and show that existing antibodies work…
-
Should Doctors Be Funny?
I ran across an interesting Medscape article, “Should Doctors Be Funnier? These MDs Are Real Comedians.” I don’t know if they should be funny, but it probably wouldn’t hurt. I think a sense of humor is a good thing for anyone to have and it’s probably not that hard to develop. There’s even a Wikihow…
