On the 20th of January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that initiated a freeze on foreign aid, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This abrupt suspension of funding has triggered a global heal…
Category: Infectious disease
The heartbreaking pandemic story I will never forget
The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world five years ago, and the world seems to be contemplating that history lately. Numerous articles reflect on that time now that we are passing that first major milestone. In many ways, we are still struggling with the f…
Antimicrobial resistance needs a publicist
The mass layoffs at federal health agencies, combined with the recent flurry of federal government announcements—paused communications, stop-work orders, and canceled meetings—have the health care and life sciences communities on edge. One announcement…
Why hand washing isn’t enough to stop infections in hospitals [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Emergency physician W. Frank Peacock discusses his article, “What if a doctor didn’t wash their hands between patients?” He explores the critical role of…
Hidden infections: Are bats a missing link in the Countess of Chester tragedy?
As you should know, bats carry Histoplasma capsulatum and shed it in their feces (along with Aspergillus and other fungi, bacteria, and viruses). They evolved to deal with the photophobia and tinnitus it causes by hunting at night using echolocation. B…
The untold toll of COVID-19: a doctor’s battle to save lives and family
Hello! Your friendly next-door ID physician here checking in! I haven’t submitted anything here in several years. I’ve been too caught up with my work and family to delve into my creative side. But the very recent news that we will have a n…
What if a doctor didn’t wash their hands between patients?
I’ve been an emergency room doctor for 35 years. I have probably washed my hands over 150,000 times. What the heck? How much is enough? What would happen if I just didn’t wash my hands? Well, first, the hand-washing police (yes, there is su…
Enhancing vaccine uptake for pan-respiratory viruses [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Pediatrician Christina Suh discusses the KevinMD article, “More than just the flu: Helping families and doctors prepare for pan-respiratory viruses.” In this e…
Patient safety in focus: Helping to address risk factors associated with non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia
This article is sponsored by Stryker Oral Care. Hospital-acquired pneumonia remains one of the most common—and deadly—infections patients face during hospitalization. Yet, while significant progress has been made in reducing ventilator-associated pneum…
More than just the flu: Helping families and doctors prepare for pan-respiratory viruses
In previous flu seasons, only about half of all Americans got the flu shot. Now we face pan-respiratory season, when we must worry about RSV, COVID, and the flu. The good news is these vaccines are lifesaving. The bad news is that if people don’t…
