Without a doubt, life has been peculiar since the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. The social, political, financial, and emotional tolls have been staggering; however, most recently, I’ve been interested in the sensory deficits it seems to be unma…
Category: Infectious disease
In these times of crisis, remember the Golden Rule [PODCAST]
“We are in the midst of a crisis in humanity. While we are still dealing with COVID pandemic and its deleterious health, economic and societal consequences, our troubling past of racism and inequality is rearing its ugly head. The senseless killi…
How a physician finds laughter during this dark time [PODCAST]
“With my passion for writing and connecting digitally with others in health care and the general public, this ‘downtime’ has allowed for an expansion of these interests. I’ve begun recording on my podcast, a multidisciplinary conversation between…
Communication in the time of COVID
I stirred awake when my husband’s cell phone rang. It was early, and we had gone to bed late, and slept little. My father-in-law was in the ICU in a hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was now intubated, hooked up to a ventilator, victim to COVID…
Safe restaurant practices as crisis therapy: lessons from a bartender
With a leftover airline credit to spend, I recently decided to take a quick trip down to southern California and make one of my routine treks along Interstate 5 from San Diego to Orange County. I wanted to see how the area was dealing with the pandemic…
A doctor plans a funeral during a pandemic
“A great man was lost today.” Those were my words to my wife at 1 a.m. several weeks ago on the phone, in reference to her father. While she was attending to our younger boys two hours away at our home, I was staying with my mother-in-law, doing the b…
How can we stop the spread of coronavirus?
I have chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and I do not want anyone to infect me. Because of my leukemia, I have low immunoglobulin levels, so I am extremely cautious. If I were to become infected, it would mean that I did something to put myself in danger. …
The superhero within during the time of COVID-19
Over the past few months, my 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son have been confined almost entirely to our house and backyard to shelter them from the coronavirus pandemic. They know that “the virus” is dangerous and invisible. However, like super…
Is COVID-19 contraction risk lower in ER than in routine activities?
With COVID-19 continuing to spread, some might assume that the one place to avoid is a hospital emergency room. After all, the space is filled with health care providers who work in close contact with sick people. This assumption could be harmful to a …
A new ICU reality that may not disappear soon
Barriers. Barriers of yellow tape and plastic mark our makeshift rooms. Red zippers define the “ENTER” and “EXIT.” In the middle is a window of still clearer plastic, partially obscured by taped ECGs. Barriers are put up to keep us safe, but they can d…
