• Clinical trials,  Drug development,  Medicine,  Medicine & Politics,  Public health

    Coronavirus Tidbits # 23-3-29 20

    Quick links News     Diagnostics     Drugs     Epidemiology/Infection control     Tips     Politics    Feel good du jour     Comic relief     Perspective/Poem     Bits of beauty Coronavirus Tidbits #    News  Fauci predicts millions of coronavirus cases in US, and more than 100,000 deaths Trump now agrees to extend the social distancing recommendation until the end of April, after recently saying he wanted the country “opened up and raring to go” by Easter" ~ ~ ~ This morning's WTH? Pay cuts and withholding back pay for some doctors and nurses as they battle on the front line of #COVID19 https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/27/metro/coronavirus-rages-doctors-hit-with-cuts-compensation/?event=event25 via @BostonGlobe ~…

  • Clinical trials,  Medicine,  Medicine & Politics,  Public health,  Uncategorized

    Coronavirus Tidbits # 21 3-28-20

    News:  Best news of the day: ‘Going full-on MacGyver’ – U of MN doctor creates makeshift ventilators to battle COVID-19 Even better, in some ways, he’s also made the plans OPEN Source and will be updating here Physical Prototype Video: https://youtu.be/3ssVoWEVxw4 CAD Prototype Video: https://youtu.be/RpEqtGa2vTI Diagnostics: Rapid diagnostic tests are winning approval, like this 5-minute coronavirus test by Abbott Laboratories that won emergency FDA approval The problem is that we don’t yet know enough about the accuracy of the tests, known as sensitivity and specificity? In particular, is a negative test really negative. Until we know more, many ID experts recommend assuming someone who has symptoms is infectious, even if the test is…

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  • Infectious disease,  Medicine,  Medicine & Politics,  Public health,  Uncategorized

    Coronavirus Tidbits #20 3-27-20  

    News  Wondering if you should seek care for suspected COVID-19? Apple and CDC have a new app and symptom checker with a decision tool. https://www.apple.com/covid19 When can we stop the social distancing? We can’t…at least until there is widespread testing. Then you could monitor and slowly loosen restrictions in selected areas. “To consider letting off on social distancing will require sharp decline in cases, widely available rapid diagnostics wherever pts get clinical care, the right PPE available to all HCWS who need it, safe and good hospital capacity to deal with all pts with COVID.” Tom Inglesby, Johns Hopkins Here’s a thread by Scott Gottlieb that explains more: Our path…

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  • Infectious disease,  Medicine,  Medicine & Politics,  Public health

    Coronavirus tidbits # 18 3-25-20

    News: One doctor’s straight talk about the coronavirus strikes a chord with anxious Americans This is an excellent, very short clip. Highly recommended Emily Landon https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/20/emily-landon-coronavirus/ Perspective: The coronavirus economic downfall will affect those who can least afford it https://www.zmescience.com/science/the-coronavirus-economic-downfall-will-affect-those-who-can-least-afford-it/ Why you should stay at home: My friend Shira is a superstar with her advocacy for patients with #RareDiseases, and is the founder of Sick Chicks. She posted this selfie partying with her parents. They have a remarkable sense of humor, generosity, and resilience. Let’s keep them and all the #vulnerable folks in our lives safe.   Diagnostics: Companies, countries, buying robots to increase testing https://www.zmescience.com/science/spain-coronavirus-robots-92253552/ Drugs: Another chapter in why…

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  • Infectious disease,  Medicine,  Medicine & Politics,  Public health,  Social justice

    Coronavirus Tidbits # 17 3/23-24/20  

    Coronavirus Tidbits # 17 3/23-24/20   News  I wrote a new post; I hope you will check it out here. Immigrant Detainees Are Sitting On A COVID-19 Time Bomb – First Infection Reported Mutating? The coronavirus is not mutating significantly according to scientists who are closely studying the novel pathogen’s genetic code. That relative stability suggests the virus is less likely to become more or less dangerous as it spreads, and represents encouraging news for researchers hoping to create a long-lasting vaccine. https://wapo.st/3aj046V https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/health/coronavirus-sars-cov-2-structure/ ~  ~ ~ At a time when we desperately need more doctors… “The status of more than 4,200 foreign doctors who were chosen to do medical residencies in…

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  • Infectious disease,  Medicine,  Medicine & Politics,  Public health,  Social justice

    Coronavirus Tidbits # 15 3-21-20

    With the help of the two Michael Stones, my website, https://www.drjudystone.com/politics-science-and-other-assorted-musings/​, will be much more useful​​​. It now has Google site search. Thanks, guys! (No idea what just happened w formatting here)  News  Health officials in hard-hit areas of the U.S. have a new message on coronavirus: Don’t get tested ~ ~ ~ STAY HOME! or physically away from others “One of the things that terrifies me now is, as this is spread in the west is, there’s this sense of invulnerability among millennials.” Millennials aren’t taking the coronavirus seriously, warns WHO’s Dr. Bruce Aylward https://ti.me/3bgRJ3Y by Sara Paglia               photo Carlos Del Rio Doctors are desperate…

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