Category: Conditions

The COVID vaccine selfie: The caption matters as much as the picture

COVID-19 has forever changed science. There have been many positives. The virus has forced us to question long-held notions in immunology, virology, and critical care, improving our ability to battle disease. There have been brilliant expressions of cr…

6 things people should know about the COVID-19 vaccines

Two COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA so far, and many health care workers and first responders are already receiving the vaccine. As the general public waits their turn, there are many …

A very COVID Christmas

As I was running into the grocery store, I couldn’t help but take a moment to look at the light, the candy cane border, and the bell ringers stationed in front of the door.  For a moment, I felt like I was in some dystopian Hallmark movie.  I loo…

Health care is making progress on the “social” in the biopsychosocial model

In his seminal 1977 Science magazine article, “The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine,” Dr. George Engel outlined the biomedical model’s limitations and proposed a new model, which he termed the biopsychosocial …

What this physician says to vaccine-doubters

Can you tell the difference between an “anti-vaxxer” and a “vaccine-doubter”? An anti-vaxxer will outright deny and reject vaccines and may be quite rigid in their views. In contrast, a vaccine-doubter understands the importance of vaccines but has man…

COVID: Perspective brings growth

“Quarantine for 14 days. Quarantine for 10 days. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Watch for breathing difficulties. Call me with any questions.” These are the phrases I’ve said over and over for months. Now they are the recurrent thoughts in my own mind a…

Why male circumcision should be delayed

In Finland, lawmakers recently voted to make an existing ban on female genital mutilation more explicit by outlining punishments for such manipulation under the Finnish criminal law. This bill’s passage was widely applauded as it furthers the glo…

A record number of guns were sold in 2020: Should we be concerned?

Amidst the abundance of coverage of the 2020 presidential election mixed with an evolving pandemic, here is a news story you may have missed: it’s 2020 and guns are more popular than ever in the U.S. According to data from Small Arms Analytics to date,…

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

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 s…

A heartfelt thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine trial volunteers

We officially now have the vaccine and have begun to immunize the frontline workers at our hospital with the COVID-19 vaccine. And since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine emergency use authorization and…