“We are grateful to be avoiding the need to use draconian measures for resource allocation. We have been afforded the blessing of lead-time here in Los Angeles and have the chance to learn from other parts of the world, as well as other areas wit…
Category: Infectious disease
Mask up like you buckle up
In this world of misinformation, fear, social media overload, and mistrust, seek counsel from your health care provider. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have witnessed the bravery of my colleagues on the front lines treating patients and pu…
After 3 straight weeks in the NICU, a neonatologist’s take on the pandemic
We are tired, overwhelmed, very committed, missing our families, and carrying each patient with us as we try to deliver excellent care in a very disorienting time. We worry about the health of our families and friends and community as well as our own h…
When did it become acceptable to attack the medical community for simply doing their jobs?
Maybe I haven’t been paying close attention. Forgive me, I’ve been a bit busier than usual. When did it become acceptable or seemingly the norm to attack the medical community for simply doing our jobs? I understand that corporations, notab…
Infection control lessons that we have learned so far [PODCAST]
“We are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s already very clear that the infection prevention community in the U.S. has never faced such an enormous challenge. We have learned many things that will make us better prepared for th…
Our health system is stealing a free ride on the broken backs of the nurses
Nursing has always been my passion. The idea of spending hours at a patient’s bedside, putting in blood, sweat, and tears to save a life. Now that is living! I was made to be a nurse. I’m not afraid of hard work. I have worked 13 consecutive hours with…
The COVID-19 pandemic reveals gaping holes in locum tenens contracts
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic brings to the fore many health system weaknesses that we always knew were there, but not too bothersome to be addressed. The media has focused on paid sick leave as a public health policy to permit infected workers to stay…
Debunking false arguments about COVID-19 racial disparities
Black Americans are dying at disproportionate rates from COVID-19. In Chicago, nearly 70% of deaths involve black individuals, who comprise only 30% of the population. At a closer look, these deaths were initially concentrated in just five neighborhood…
In the age of misinformation, don’t be a contributor to the problem
There are two battles waging from the COVID-19 virus this year: the obvious fight for human life but also the attack on science. During philosophical and political debates, one steadfast weapon has been the scientific method. Opinion doesn’t matter. St…
The unseen debt of the pandemic
Some images stick in the mind as unreal and incandescent things, despite their lived experience. My mind holds onto the gray-haired woman, stooped from age and wearing the hospital-issue facemask, standing alone with her hands clasped tightly behind he…
