Karl writes:

Dr Griffin,

I wonder if you would share your thoughts on a product called Nozin, a nasal antiseptic that has quietly become part of my hospital network’s MRSA nasal decontamination protocol.  This product is showing up on the routine order sets for my patients in ICU when they arrive.  I’ve done a cursory search and have found no convincing evidence to support its use, only an FDA letter from 2022 that objects to the company’s claims.  I’ve attached the link:

I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the idea of using this product in hospital without FDA approval.  Please help.  

Thank you for your clinical updates.  I remain a big fan.

Karl Hebbe, D.O.

Middletown, N.J.

(https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/global-life-technologies-corp-674279-02062024 )

 Anonymous writes:

Hello Daniel and Vincent-

Long time listener. Love your weekly podcasts.

I have Type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto’s disease- both confirmed by tests to be autoimmune diseases.

I have yet to contract COVID as my husband and I are very careful. We get boosted 1-2 times a year and I am under 60 yo. I feel confident knowing Paxlovid is available, if/when I contract COVID. However, I have heard on your show and other places that Paxlovid is not as readily available in other countries and I am traveling to Europe this fall, my first major trip since 2019. We will of course mask on the plane and in the airport.

I am hoping my doctor will give me an Rx for Paxlovid, so i can take it with me in case I contract COVID while traveling. However, if she declines, and assuming I cannot obtain Paxlovid in Europe: of the patients you have seen with T1D who are also vaccinated, what percentage of them end up in the hospital? I have trouble finding data on T1D and COVID, as most of the diabetes articles are written for Type 2. 

I appreciate your expertise about my concern.

Thank you,

Anonymous 

Russ writes:

Hi Dr. Griffin,

Do we know if COVID-19 vaccinations (or contracting the disease) confer any resistance to SARS-1 or MERS?

I’m just fishing for a silver lining from the  pandemic, maybe the next coronavirus that comes along will be less likely to start a pandemic.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for all your work!

Cheers,

Russ

Charles writes:

Hello Real Doctors;

From MedPageatoday:

“Sherri Tenpenny, DO, the Ohio physician who claimed COVID vaccines can magnetize people, had her medical license reinstated last month, according to the State Medical Board of Ohio.”

What are state medical boards function?

Thanks,

Charles

Lori writes:

Dear Daniel,

I was listening to the question last week from the 47 year old NOVID who was wondering about the continued efficacy of her 3 SARS COV2 vaccination regimen. She wasn’t too bullish about getting vaccinated if not necessary given her age and low prevalence of the virus, your response seemed to indicate she probably wouldn’t benefit from a “booster”. 

However, I wondered if you could revisit this question specifically in terms of data about continued efficacy of the 3 dose series for those of us NOVIDS; particularly for those of us in the older, but not “elderly elderly” or severely immunocompromised age category. 

My guess is that most of the NOVIDS are people like me; mostly older who took precautions and now wonder how protected we are compared to our hybrid counterparts. Is our T cell immunity still holding strong? Every article I read talks about generally healthy people now being at low risk from severe disease given the high rate of both vaccination and infection. But what about the rest of us?

I am 64, in good health, no comorbidities, and was vigilant about COVID precautions through the end of 2022, thus the likely reason I have never contracted the virus.  (My last vaccination was early summer 2022). 

How do you think this, in general, compares to say, my spouse, same age, same health, got the 3 primary series of vaccines, but then got Covid spring 2022 while on vacation with his family (thus sparing me from infection)?

Bottom line, do you think older(ish) NOVIDS are at higher risk from severe Covid than matched hybrid counterparts? Do we need to keep up regular vaccinations to keep us “on par” with everyone who has been vaccinated and infected?

Thanks and very much appreciate you, Vincent and everyone on Microbe TV!

Lori