by Jorge Rodriguez | Mar 11, 2020 | Corona, Covid, COVID19, Deadly Virus
What a day. The World Health Organization declared this a “pandemic”. Before you freak out let me clarify what that means. It means that this infections have crossed geographic boundaries and is affecting an exceptionally large number of people. It does not mean that it is necessarily deadly. The truth is that those of us in the health profession, especially those have been in my field have known that this is what was probably going to be happening. The physician assigned to Congress and the Supreme court supposedly stated that there will be approximately 75-150 million Americans affected. That may true. Or it may not. The difference starts NOW. It should have started two months ago. This is what is called #FlatteningTheCurve. Which means that the greater the number of people that get infected, the more other people will get infected. Some people I have spoken to have thought it is no big deal because 80% of the people get only mild symptoms (see yesterday’s post). Well, it is a big deal, because the more people get infected the more there will be of really sick people. Which will possibly put a huge drain on our health care system. That being said. DO NOT GO TO YOUR DOCTOR JUST TO GET TESTED. (Hopefully in the near future that will be the case) Firstly there are not nearly enough tests. If you feel sick CALL YOUR DOCTOR’S OFFICE FIRST or CALL YOUR HOSPITAL. They will guide you to testing if appropriate and to treatment. But when in doubt call your physician. (Make sure to buy a thermometer! Most places with telemedicine are going want to physically see you take your temperature!). All is NOT bad news. Many will be putting pressure on government to increase testing production. Research on potential treatment is proceeding at a speed that I have never seen before. Research on a vaccine is also proceeding in lightning speed, with the first human tests possibly starting in a few months. But right now, YOU can make the biggest difference. In conclusion, the time to make a difference is NOW. Hygiene is crucial. WASH those hands. Use towels to close and open doors. Avoiding places that are too crowded is also helpful. If you feel sick, stay home and CALL your health care professional. And remember, this is NOT a foreign virus. This is a virus. Period. It does not discriminate. So, chin up. Let’s stay healthy.
#COVID19 #CORONA #COVID
by Jorge Rodriguez | Mar 10, 2020 | Corona, Covid, COVID19, Italy, Quarantine
As parts of the world take extreme measures to prevent the spread of COVID19, I wonder. Is it better to limit coming into contact with the virus or is it better to be healthy in case we do contract it? It’s probably a bit of both. I am reminded of a medical school professor of mine, who would put us in our place when we tried to impress him with the latest journal article we had read. He would dismissively tell us: “all you’re saying is that the sicker you are the worse you do”. Case closed. And in deed he was and is correct. The vast majority of the people who have died from COVID19 have either been very elderly or had an underlying disease. My point is this, whether there is COVID19 lurking or not, we should all be as healthy as possible. I need to remind myself every time a donut calls my name. But seriously; if you are diabetic, get that sugar under control now. If you have high blood pressure, see your doctor, take your medication and modify your lifestyle. STOP smoking. For God’s sake stop smoking! Take care of your asthma. If you are battling a malignancy; make sure that all your other labs and organs are where they should be. In other words: YOU are the best armor. Forget the toilet paper and get as healthy as you can. It’s never too late.
#COVID19 #ITALY #QUARANTINE #CORONA #COVID
by Jorge Rodriguez | Mar 9, 2020 | Corona, Covid, COVID19, Pandemic
Over the next few weeks we will probably see the cases of COVID19 in the USA markedly increase. Not necessarily because more people are getting infected but because testing kits will be more available and finally a truer count will be reported. This seems scary but it is not. It’s a good thing. We will see that the mortality rate is less than reported. For 95% of people it is like the flu. People who are older (like me) and have chronic illnesses need to take extra precautions. So people….take your own pulse and stay calm. Go out and get sun (UV rays kill viruses!). Wash your hands often. Get rest. This is not the apocalypse… that being said, vote Trump out in November!
#COVID19 #CORONA #COVID #PANDEMIC
by Jorge Rodriguez | Mar 3, 2020 | CDD, Corona, COVID19, Pandemic, Viruses
Dr Jorge joins HLN Headline news to help clear up some misconceptions about the disease. (more…)
by Jorge Rodriguez | Dec 1, 2019 | AIDS, HIV, PrEP, Prevention
Twenty-five years ago a nurse called me emergently into the hospital room of a “disorderly” patient. As I walked into the room, expecting to find an outraged belligerent man, I instead found a sobbing, naked man huddled on the floor in the fetal position. Written on the wall from the blood dripping out of the lose IV in his arm, were the words, “death with dignity”. I froze in shock. My eyes filled with tears. I covered him in a blanket and put him back to bed. I would never know the fear and pain he was experiencing… and I lived through the eye of this damn epidemic. So, to expect a generation that has never experienced the death of friends, family or lovers, to understand that HIV is still killing hundreds of thousands of people a year, may be unrealistic. To have them give a damn may be impossible. But affecting millions and killing hundreds of thousands a year, it still is.
It is estimated that THIRTY-SEVEN million people in the world are infected with HIV. Three million of those are children. One million of those are in the Unites States. Since the beginning of the epidemic over THIRTY-TWO million people have died. Approximately 700,000 died last year. The HIV epidemic is here and it is not going anywhere anytime soon. But there is good news…the rate of new infections and deaths are definitely slowing down drastically. Here is where we can all make a difference.
I am not sure that there will be a cure for AIDS in my life-time. But I am sure it can be completely contained. At least a quarter of the people infected with HIV don’t know it. Which means that one of the main ways of controlling this epidemic is that all people who are at risk, and indeed perhaps all people, should be tested for HIV. If positive, they should be placed on treatment immediately. Studies now confirm that having an undetectable viral load means that HIV cannot be spread. Undetectable means unstransmitable. Secondly, it you have unprotected sex, you should be on pre- exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Not just if you’re gay. Everyone. In the U.S.A. one of the highest rates of new infections is among African American women in the south. HIV doesn’t discriminate. The healthcare system does. Until the distribution of healthcare is more equal in this country, remember that protection means prevention.
So, today, ask someone who has lived with HIV or through the epidemic about the “bad old days”. Learn from the past. It is a part of a history that you should know…because it isn’t over. It may be just beyond the horizon, but it is not beyond our memory. Does World AIDS Day really mean anything anymore? It should.
