“Rumor has it that the SARS-CoV 2 virus was brought into prison via inmates who were on a work-release program. Allegedly, they boarded a city bus with a driver who was ill. From there, it crept beyond the work-release camp and wafted over to t…
Category: Infectious disease
Caregiving for COVID at home: a physician story
The day after Christmas, my husband Paul developed a fever, chills, and cough. On Sunday, he tested positive. He probably got sick helping a family member, but we’ll never be certain how the virus invaded our home, rendering us hostage for weeks. Sinc…
COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people with severe allergies
The intensive care unit nurse was worried the COVID-19 vaccine would kill her. In the past, just minutes after getting the influenza vaccine, she had hives, wheezing, and throat swelling. Her life-threatening reaction only resolved after an epinephrine…
The COVID-19 pandemic brought many new challenges in medicine. A novel tool may help to overcome some of them.
In December 2020, almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States lost 140,000 jobs, and all of them were held by women. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unrivaled and unprecedented challenges, and the damage done to gender equity in the w…
COVID vaccine distribution is a fiasco
The way the COVID vaccine is being distributed is ridiculous. Vaccines continue to be sent to states who distribute them to facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies. Do they really think this is an efficient way to do this? When hospitals…
Being “essential” has been overwhelming
In July 2020, we became essential workers. We threw on our scrubs, put our stethoscopes around our necks, and walked to work for our first day as pediatricians. Six months later, I have had a moment to reflect on what it has meant to be “essential.” I …
A frontline physician’s experience with a COVID patient
She was the brightest thing in that white room. Warm brown eyes locked on mine. She peered out at me from behind an oxygen mask, a small woman hidden under a cloud of brown hair. Usually, when I came into the room to examine her, she was lying flat on …
How COVID accelerates change: Bridging business principles with emergency medicine
Over the past year, we have experienced massive organizational change at an unprecedented pace. Traditionally, we could spend weeks planning how to best make a change in our workplaces, but COVID-19 was anything but traditional. Our emergency departmen…
Critical care physicians have been through hell
It was a cold winter morning in January 2021. Another day in the ICU, another day caring for critically ill patients with complex medical conditions, another day caring for patients on their death beds, another day interacting with patients’ families a…
I keep going because I miss them. And I miss me.
I have written a lot about how COVID has changed me. Changed medicine. Changed America. I have written about it as a pivot point. A way to build a better medical infrastructure. I have alluded to how we can use innovation, advocacy, and listening to…
