Category: Infectious disease

I have been thinking a lot about Dr. Lorna Breen

Dr. Lorna Breen, an ER physician in New York City, killed herself after working the front lines in the pandemic.  Her death has created a call to action.  The headlines read that healthcare workers are suffering; they are heroes; they need support.  Dr…

The safe return to elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital for the economic viability of health systems

A guest column by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, exclusive to KevinMD.com. It is the ultimate irony that health care professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic are among the highest risk, not only for exposure to the deadly v…

Will the pandemic derail medical students’ career paths?

As I sit here and stare at my computer screen for the 11th hour today, my attention has drifted from my hypothetical study material to reality. Over the past two months, I’ve spent hours on WebEx lectures as opposed to learning from patients, hours on …

Please avoid getting sucked into polarized binary thought

A number of people have asked my take on Plandemic and a viral interview of a couple of docs in Bakersfield who challenge conventional wisdom on COVID. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t amplify the chatter. But maybe I can type something slightly antiv…

COVID-19 as a threat to wellness

I believe physician wellness is essential to an effective doctor-patient relationship and an optimal healing environment. Thus, I approached my intern year with a sense of curiosity about what wellness would look like during a time that is well-known t…

How are the residents doing during the pandemic?

When the director of my general surgery program asked for a report on how the pandemic was affecting the residents, I queried my colleagues, promising anonymity to encourage candor. I received a wide variety of responses and reactions. Some are thrivin…

Upset with the government’s pandemic response? Let’s elect more scientists and doctors.

As a physician on the frontlines, l have watched in dismay as many U.S. states have begun to reopen from the lockdown. This is despite the fact that most of them do not fulfill the recommendations set forth by the White House. Those guidelines ask for …

Medical education in the COVID-19 pandemic can’t be ignored

Within the current COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers and educators have quickly needed to make adaptations and sacrifices. In order to make room for the conservation of necessary aspects of care, we need to take a conscientious look at our resourc…

COVID-19 isn’t the great equalizer

I am an internal medicine doctor on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Oakland, California. Before the first confirmed case at my hospital, I could sense the fear and anxiety of the impending disaster with every interaction I had with colleagues…

COVID-19 isn’t the great equalizer

I am an internal medicine doctor on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Oakland, California. Before the first confirmed case at my hospital, I could sense the fear and anxiety of the impending disaster with every interaction I had with colleagues…