Politics, Science, and Other Assorted Musings
I love helping people understand issues and look at them from a different perspective. In this blog, I hope I can offer you some new insights—bridging the gap between basic science and your medicine chest—as I am still a practicing physician, as well as having had broad clinical research experience. I'm interested in developing new medicines and treatments, as well as caring for patients—and explaining these topics for you.
As medicine has evolved, so have my interests. I have also become increasingly interested in health disparities, social justice issues, and ethics. I invite you to join me as we explore a variety of territories. I hope that reading these posts will encourage you to learn, engage, and above all, work for the forces of good.
If there are topics you'd like to see me cover, please let me know—I welcome your input as to what you would like us to discuss in this column.
Coronavirus - COVID19
Please note that I will be posting Coronavirus Tidbits of news here. You can sign up for updates by clicking the box at the right and subscribe to Covid, Politics, and Science. All Covid posts will go here, and I will upload back issues as I have time. Please share w friends. Thanks!
I’m going to have a reference file here for articles I have found particularly worthwhile, and will update this here as we learn new information. Click on the COVID-19 Resources, below, to expand that.
If you see something terrific, please share. We’re all in this together.
Quick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. In this time of rising antisemitism, the warnings and lessons from my family’s story, Resilience, are more pertinent than ever. I had the honor of speaking to faculty at the Allegany College of Maryland this week, sharing the story of my cousin, Mari. She was only 5 years old and an American citizen when she and her family were in concentration camps. I am available to speak to synagogues, churches, sisterhoods, book clubs and community groups on a variety of themes, including short vignettes that bring the impact of the Holocaust to life in a very personal way. Please reach out if your group might like a short talk. Thank you! News Wastewater monitoring: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/ @michael_hoerger PMC COVID-19 Forecast, May 13, 2024 (U.S.) Expect transmission to hover around 350,000-500,000 infections/day through mid-July. Transmission has increased…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. New Post: 4.95 Million People Die From Treatable Infections Annually. A New Project Tells Their Stories https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2024/05/07/the-global-antimicrobial-resistance-diary-puts-a-face-on-serious-infections/?sh=611bddc643ba News Mike Hoerger, May 8: “SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater have increased marginally (2%) this week after months of decline. We expect a gradual increase through the end of May, and then a decline again around early June.” ~ ~ ~ @JPWeiland What is “FLiRT”? FLiRT is the clever nickname for two mutations on the spike protein of the highly mutated variant “Pirola”, that accounts for >99% of all Covid right now. F->L at position 456 and R->T at 346. Both escape mutations were present last year, but never on Pirola. ~ ~ ~ WHO declares Covid airborne…and At the time when @WHO was assuring the world: “COVID-19 is NOT airborne”… …a ‘return to office’-document for WHO…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. News Overall, transmission is trending down. Mike Hoerger: “Transmission continues to decline. About 1 in 161 people in the U.S. are infectious, the lowest levels since July 1. Transmission levels are higher than during 27% of the pandemic… the over-reporting in real-time data lead me to believe there’s a 50-50 chance we see a May ‘wavelet’ versus continued decline for a couple months. Check for your nearest wastewater treatment reports: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/ ~ ~ ~ WHO Overturns Dogma on Airborne Disease Spread. The CDC Might Not Act on It. KFF Health News By Amy Maxmen MAY 1, 2024 The WHO concluded that airborne transmission occurs as sick people exhale pathogens that remain suspended in the air, contained in tiny particles of saliva and mucus that are inhaled by others… The change puts fresh emphasis on the need…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. Please share: Great explanation of http://BlueVoterGuide.org – How to build the blue wave in 2024! https://youtu.be/1l8R_jEuZyA?si=i8v2kK-5To0TMxWY… New post: Bird Flu H5N1-What We Know So Far About Its Spread To Cows https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2024/04/27/bird-flu-h5n1-what-we-know-so-far-about-its-spread-to-cows/?sh=550693a36fbe News Mike Hoerger: In the current “lull” of U.S. COVID-19 transmission, we are seeing an estimated 391,000 new infections per day, with 1 in 122 people actively infectious. In a group of 30, that’s about a 1 in 5 chance someone is infectious. Peter Hotez: we’re now at about our lowest levels of new COVID hospitalizations since the beginning of the pandemic… ~ ~ ~ @VirusesImmunity (Akiko Iwasaki) In a nutshell, we showed that over-the-counter cheap generic antibiotic neomycin can be repurposed in nasal formulation to prevent & treat infection, block transmission, and reduce disease burden against a wide array of…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. ~ ~ ~ Alert: The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states It is no longer safe to organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas. News JP Weiland: Infections are expected to start rising again because of FLiRT mutation. Mike Hoerger: “COVID-19 transmission is estimated to be its lowest level in 9 months (since July 16, 2023). 1 in 123 people actively infectious…the forecasting models show strong agreement that transmission will rise again soon. Expect 300,000-600,000 daily infections in the U.S. the next several months.” ~ ~ ~ Long Covid: Biomarkers for long COVID that were present in patients at eight months have largely resolved by 24 months among a cohort of people who contracted COVID-19 during Australia’s first wave. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-covid-patients-immunological-years-infection.html? ~ ~ ~ COVID-19 booster immunity…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. New post: Important Test-to-Treat Program For Covid Patients Closes, Leaving Many Stranded https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2024/04/08/important-program-for-covid-patients-closes-leaving-many-stranded/?sh=5274a83742b6 News Mike Hoerger: Transmission is low (for the past year) and high (absolute terms). 500,000 infections/day; Expect 400,000-600,000 daily infections the next 4 months; 1% of the U.S. actively infectious, 40% chance someone in a room of 50 would be infectious >25,000 resulting daily cases, equivalent to a small town daily Full Report https://pmc19.com/data/ The Good News Transmission is low relative to the past year. Now is the time to get required medical care that imposes risks. Use high-level precautions. ~ ~ ~ JPWeiland: “Now at low transmission levels, slight decline from last week. Still some time until JN.1 with FLiRT take hold. 245,000 new infections/day; ~2.76 avg total infections per capita across the US; 1 in every 135 people currently…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. ~ ~ ~ PSA – Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform Act (SOAR) brought by Representatives David Valadao (R-CA), Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN), Adrian Smith (R-NE), and Julia Brownley (D-CA), is identical to S.3821 introduced by US Senators Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on Feb 28. The SOAR Act would establish a new payment methodology for liquid oxygen and for supplemental oxygen patients to access respiratory therapists. The legislation is supported by the American Lung Association, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, COPD Foundation, American Thoracic Society, American College of Chest Physicians, Council for Quality Respiratory Care, and American Association for Respiratory Care, and Alpha-1 Foundation. Please consider asking your federal reps to support this. The American Lung Association created an online form to allow constituents to easily contact their senators. ~ ~ ~ A call…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. A call to action–to defeat the GOP and protect democracy. Note: Maryland is now important to get involved in. If Hogan wins the Senate race, he will work w the Right wing Republicans. He is not the “moderate” many believe him to be; Hogan is just another one of Mitch McConnell’s allies. Given what is going on with the Supremes and in the world, it’s clearly more important than ever that we work to do this. There are so many ways you can help, from GOTV, to supporting various grassroot efforts, to phone banking, etc. There are 3 groups I work with and recommend: Strongly suggest checking out NOPE Neighbors https://nopeneighbors.org/ VoPro Pros: vopropros.com Field Team 6: MISSION: Register Democrats. Save the World. I’ve also been working this week doing research for the Blue Voter Guide. They could use more…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. New post: No one is coming to save us; we must do what we can to take care of ourselves and our community since the CDC has abdicated responsibility. Ventilation Should Be A Larger Focus In Our Fight Against Covid-19 https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2024/03/22/ventilation-should-be-a-larger-focus-in-our-fight-against-covid-19/?sh=176d40b2529f News Forecasts: 1.43% (1 in 70) are infectious; >680,000 COVID cases/day; >30,000 resulting Long Covid cases/day. Expect continued declines in transmission the next 3 weeks, but a high trough. — Mike Hoerger, http://pmc19.com/data ~ ~ ~ 430,000 new infections/day; JN.1 + “FLiRT” (F456L and R346T) are now growing. 1 in every 770 became infected today; 1 in every 77 people currently infected JP Weiland https://twitter.com/JPWeiland/status/1768774655542767937 Wastewater levels: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/ ~ ~ ~ Vaccines cut risk of post-COVID heart failure, blood clots for at least 6 months, data suggest from large European study published in Heart The study…
Read MoreQuick links News Diagnostics Drugs Devices Epidemiology/Infection control Tips Politics Feel good du jour Comic relief Perspective/Poem Bits of beauty Announcements: First, there is now a Resources Page here for the most commonly asked questions I’m getting. Happy to continue to answer your questions/concerns as best I can, so don’t be shy about that. ~ ~ ~ A call to action–to defeat the GOP and protect democracy. Note: Maryland is now important to get involved in. If Hogan wins the Senate race, he will work w the Right wing Republicans. He is not the “moderate” many believe him to be: “GOP Governor Larry Hogan vetoes bill to expand abortion access” – CBS News“Paid family leave program passes despite Governor Hogan’s veto” – The Baltimore Sun and WMAR“Gov. Larry Hogan vetoes bills helping unions, tenants and voters” – The Washington PostHogan vetoed legislation that would have let voters fix mistakes on mail-in ballots– The Washington Post Hogan is just another one of Mitch McConnell’s allies. Given what is going on with the Supremes and in the world, it’s clearly more important than ever that we work to do…
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