Sara writes:
Hi Daniel
I never miss an episode of the Clinical Update and learn so much from the discussions.
My question: After almost four years and several vaccinations (minus the new booster), Covid has found me.
The symptoms don’t worry me much (it feels like a bad cold), but I am very afraid of getting Long Covid. My mother was diagnosed with ME/CFS when I was a child and has been living with this cruel disease ever since, paying for every joyous activity with days if not weeks of exhaustion and pain.
I will soon be 40 years old and there’s no way of getting Paxlovid here in Switzerland due to the restrictions.
What else can I do to minimize the chance of developing Long Covid?
Many thanks and best wishes from foggy Zurich
Sara
Walt writes:
Your latest clinical update fussed about people saying Paxlovid prevents death when indeed it does NOT prevent 100% of people who get it, from dying
How can Lipitor substantially reduce the (statistical) RISK of dying, except by PREVENTING thousands of deaths per year among those who get it?
It seems the medical profession long ago made its choice on the wording. My Atorvastatin bottle is clearly labeled to take one tab “daily to PREVENT heart attacks and strokes”
Let’s keep saying PREVENT, acknowledging that no medical intervention, even the very best like measles vaccines, are 100.000%
Nikki writes:
Daniel,
Mycoplasma pneumonia in preschoolers is rising. I personally know a child who was hospitalized. Why haven’t we reconfigured our -POINT OF CARE- PCR machines to screen for it? Currently, we have to send a nasopharyngeal swab to the lab. Very few providers are ordering that lab test. Routinely prescribing amoxicillin to these little ones is not the answer. If we diagnose the correct organism, we can prescribe the correct antibiotic!
Thank you,
Nikki, RN
Dr. Paul writes:
Dr. Griffin,
Here’s what can happen during a Covid-19 outbreak in a skilled nursing facility in 2024. 28 residents became ill with Covid-19. One hundred percent were treated with an antiviral medication, 22/28 receiving Paxlovid and 6/28 receiving Molnupiravir. It takes less than 5 minutes to assess the patient’s renal function and drug interactions before prescribing Paxlovid. Two residents died, aged 90 and 98. Twenty patients were over 85 years old including seven who are 95 or older (one 102, another 103). One resident was hospitalized with severe disease and survived. One resident was unvaccinated and had mild disease. Two were incompletely vaccinated, and 25 fully vaccinated.
Credit for this outcome is due to vigilant bedside nurses and aides, a very committed and capable infection control nurse specialist, facility leadership support, and a physician practicing science-based medicine.
This is in contrast to a skilled nursing facility outbreak in November 2020 I was involved with where all 79 residents of the facility became ill and 25% (19-20 people) died.
Thanks for all you do and keep at it! I am a regular listener, a MicrobeTV supporter, and a past TWIP case-solving participant who lucked into a copy of Parasitic Diseases.
Dr. Paul
Michigan
Sara writes:
Hi!
I’m a huge fan of MicrobeTV and you! I’m hoping you can provide some advice! My mom is 67 and was diagnosed with COPD about ten years ago. She has no symptoms but is a former smoker. She’s healthy aside from high blood pressure, which she is on meds for. She’s pretty healthy-about 5”4 and no more than 100lbs. She is a very intelligent woman, but her doctor keeps telling her that vaccines are “bad” and that she shouldn’t be getting them. She even dissuades her from getting the seasonal flu vaccine! When my mom questions her, this doctor tells her to only listen to Fox News and that in Europe, no one gets vaccines! My mom doesn’t agree with her but is afraid to switch doctors because she doesn’t want to be labeled as “difficult”. My dad, brother and I keep telling her she needs a different doctor and offer to help her find one, but we have no luck convincing her. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks! Sarah