PREVENTING SEVERE COMPLICATIONS OF COVID19

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The virus which causes COVID19 can produce severe inflammation called a cytokine storm, which can then set off a chain reaction which results in thrombosis (tiny blood clots), which can damage all of the organs in the body.  This process is known as DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation).  As we age, we become more prone to … Read more

TREATING COVID19 WITH HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AND AZITHROMYCIN

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I have received many questions about azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine.  These medications have been on the news, and some politicians and reporters are touting them as miracle cures.  At this time, these medications are being used experimentally for treating COVID19, mostly on hospitalized patients with severe disease.  The studies which have been done are small with … Read more

SHOULD I GO TO URGENT CARE?

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In a typical insurance-based primary care office, patients are scheduled months in advance, and there are no appointments available if you get sick or injured.  When patients call for an appointment, they are told to visit an urgent care, where they often wait for hours in a waiting room filled with patients with highly infectious … Read more

IT’S NOT “JUST A VIRUS”

During my urgent care shifts, I see 20-30 people with viral upper respiratory infections. They are all feeling miserable, and they just want to feel better. They want an impressive-sounding diagnosis to justify their suffering to themselves, their spouses, and their bosses. They want a prescription medication which will immediately cure their illness, so they … Read more