Category: Infectious disease

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…

How to prevent coronavirus: Your COVID-19 questions answered by a public health professional

1. What can I do to prevent becoming infected? When people are sick with a respiratory disease like COVID-19, they cough or sneeze particles into the air. If someone is coughing near you, the virus could easily land on your eyes, nose, or mouth. These …

COVID-19’s biggest threat is to the health of our economy

“Made in China.” Words ubiquitous throughout the products we use every day and now, ironically, applicable to the virus that has laid siege around the world.  Illness and death have spread across borders and continents, as well as fear and …

An infectious disease doctor answers your COVID-19 and coronavirus questions

Being a specialist in infectious diseases right now is an interesting experience. Added to the usual challenges of our everyday practice — caring for people receiving transplants or chemotherapy, those with HIV, surgical infections, tropical diseases, …

A doctor’s COVID-19 advice to physician leaders

I work as the medical director for a non-profit agency that serves people who are currently or formerly homeless. I am trained as a psychiatrist and have previously worked in local government. I live in the county in Washington State, where people have…

Seattle is at risk for explosive coronavirus growth

The coronavirus outbreak in the Seattle area is at a critical juncture and could see explosive growth in cases much like Wuhan, China, if public officials don’t take immediate, forceful measures, according to a new analysis of genetic data. The author …