Covid 19 Testing
When it comes to nasal swabs, it is better to give than to receive. The hundreds of patients that I have swabbed should be grateful that I have been on both ends of the swab. It does change your perspective. …
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Covid 19 Update
By my calendar it looks like the local Omicron surge started the week of December 20th. It has not peaked yet that I can tell. The good news is that most of the cases that I have seen in boosted…
Outpatient Treatment of Covid 19, the Latest
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Panel has released recommendations that include an order of preference for which therapeutics to use to treat nonhospitalized patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of severe disease…
Can Alcohol Prevent Covid 19?
No. At least not directly. As we have learned, we have to immunize the world to keep ourselves safe from new variants. The mRNA vaccines are not good candidates given their storage and transportation requirements. A couple of Texas researchers…
Time to Upgrade Your Mask
This is a very timely article for the Wall Street Journal. The last sentence is the critical one. click on the link to see the graphics displayed better.https://www.wsj.com/articles/cloth-face-mask-omicron-11640984082?st=d1mx7yt67b3pdzp&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink Why Cloth Masks Might Not Be Enough as Omicron Spreads With the…
Optimism from an Infectious Disease Specialist
Despite information from the Texas Department Health Services that certain San Antonio pharmacies were to be given the new anti-Covid medications Paxlovid and Molnupirivir calls to them today revealed that they were clueless about when they would receive them. Later,…
Outpatient Treatment of Covid 19 the Latest
FROM THE TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, five regional infusion centers in Texas have exhausted their supply of sotrovimab, the only monoclonal antibody treatment effective against the omicron variant, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced Monday. But…
Monoclonal Antibody Availability Update
Much has been said about Omicron being less severe that the Delta variant. One of the ways to tell that is when the local numbers go up, but hospitalizations do not. Mitigating factors can be local immunization rates and the…
CDC Update on Isolation and Quarantine
Isolate if you are infected. Quarantine if you are exposed. Here is the latest: CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population Media Statement For Immediate Release: Monday, December 27, 2021 Contact: Media Relations (404) 639-3286 Given…
Outpatient Treatment of Covid 19
As this surge heats up, the demand for treatment has increased. The lead time on getting monoclonal antibodies has increased from a day to 5 days. It is important to get tested early if you are at high risk of…