Category: Infectious disease

Practicing oncology during COVID-19

Being an oncologist in New York, having recovered from the trauma of flooding from Hurricane Sandy and the aftermath that ensued when hospitals were flooded in 2012, my anxieties are now heightened again over the global threat and uncertainties surroun…

What COVID-19 taught me about autonomy

I came back from a family vacation to Italy one day before the first case of novel coronavirus was reported there.  Two days later, the CDC issued a Level 3 travel warning for visitors to Italy.  Eight days later, and six days after returning to work, …

What prevents coronavirus? A pathologist grades COVID-19 precautions.

COVID-19 is here, and it isn’t going away. The SARS-CoV2 virus, and the disease it causes, has entered the ecosystem of human pathogens and is running up numbers that make it appear to be heading into the realm of the pandemic. Let’s look a…

Love in the time of coronavirus

“The weak would never enter the kingdom of love.” ― Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera  As the medical community grapples to come up with an appropriate response and protect our patients from this latest pandemic, I cannot help but wo…

The idiot’s guide to coronavirus from an emergency physician

1. Take it easy. The worst part of all this is the fear. More people die from the flu, car accidents, or guns. As of Saturday, March 7th, 19 Americans had died from COVID-19, compared to 1,177 every week from the flu, 746 from car crashes, and 294 from…

MKSAP: 36-year-old man with abdominal cramping, diarrhea, malaise, and nausea

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 36-year-old man is evaluated for a 10-day history of abdominal cramping, diarrhea, malaise, and nausea. Diarrhea is watery without mucus or…

Is the conference cancelled? How coronavirus is upending the conference industry.

Nearly 100,000 pop culture fans flocked to Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle last year, including many dressed as superheroes, aliens, and robots. But something scarier than a comic book villain is roiling the conference this year — the spread of the c…

COVID-19 showcases the bravery of first responders

When first responders answered roughly ten calls from a long-term care center in Kirkland, Washington, over the course of a week, they did not expect to become patients themselves. Entering the Life Care Center of Kirkland last month exposed them to th…

What coronavirus is teaching us about telehealth

“Should I cancel my business trip?” That is not the kind of question that patients typically ask their doctors. For most people, that’s not even a question they can ask their doctors, at least, not without an appointment, a co-pay and an anxiety-induci…

What coronavirus is teaching us about telehealth

“Should I cancel my business trip?” That is not the kind of question that patients typically ask their doctors. For most people, that’s not even a question they can ask their doctors, at least, not without an appointment, a co-pay and an anxiety-induci…