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Dear Patients,
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I have a very brief video that I think is worth
watching. It is less than 3 minutes long and really
puts our lives in perspective. None of us have ever
been through anything like this, the 2020 Pandemic.
We may be fearful that we or one of our loved ones
or friends will be infected. We may be stressed
that our job may or may not be there when this is
over or that financially, we may be stressed. And
yet, we press on; we are not hungry, we have a roof
over our head and we have every reason to believe
there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Take a
few minutes to watch this. It will center you. You
may have even seen this before; I have and I still
get something out of it every time I watch it. Click
here.
Administrative Issues:
The office will, of
course, be closed this week.
Honestly, I do not expect that we will be back
seeing patients for another month or so, and
once we do, we will likely layer back into a
full schedule. This prognostication could
change, depending on where we are along the
curve.
Another reminder: please
do not send me text messages.
Due to the huge volume, it is too easy for me to
miss some. For urgent issues, please call me on
my cell 443-324-0823. For non-urgent issues,
please send me an email HarryOkenMD@gmail.com.
The numbers:
US: 312,245 cases
8,503 deaths 2.7%
fatality rate (up)
Maryland: 3,609 cases
67 deaths 1.8%
fatality rate (up)
(14.6% of tests in MD
are positive; 24,728 total tests; 936 have
been hospitalized)
Do not get disillusioned that what we are doing
is not working. I strongly believe that we are
making a slow and steady impact on the
pandemic. These next two weeks are predicted to
be the worst part of this. And then, if we do
our part, it should start to fall off.
So continue with:
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Stay home
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Wash your hands with soap and water or use
hand sanitizer.
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Do not touch your face.
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Yes to wearing a face mask in potentially
contaminated environments; keep hand
sanitizer with you when you leave the house
for mission-critical activities.
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Use 6 feet of social distancing.
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Use hand sanitizer after all out-of-the-home
touches: door handles, elevator buttons,
shopping carts, gas pumps, etc.
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Get your rest, get some sunshine, get your
exercise, take your vitamins, eat mushrooms,
fruits and veggies.
Symptom information about COVID-19:
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So far, all of my presumed positive patients and one
confirmed COVID-19 patient have recovered successfully
using a variety of remedies. If you fear that you have
it, of course, contact me and we will work through your
treatment plan. Remember that 8-9 out of every 10
people who get the infection will make an uneventful
recovery and in the end will have immune status!
Diagnostics and Therapeutics:
Ingenuity and innovation! As I've said before,
necessity is the mother of invention!
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Hydroxychloroquine (HC)+Azithromycin+Zinc therapy is
being used with little to no toxicity; time will
tell us if used early, whether it changes the course
of the illness. You might enjoy this article in the
Wall Street Journal article attached to this email.
Hopefully more information by the end of this week.
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Ivermectin has, in the test tube, shown a strong
inhibiting effect on COVID-19, Zika, Dengue. You
may recognize this drug as it has been used for
years to treat parasites in humans and animals. It
may be very effective as a single dose at the onset
of infection. The drug has been used for many
purposes even as a topical treatment for certain
skin rashes Click
here
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Beginning this Tuesday, at the Columbia VEIP, there
will be a drive-though test center. Details for how
to register and set up an appointment are being
worked out. I'll provide more details once I
receive them. Keep in mind, if you have symptoms,
you are presumed positive until proven otherwise.
At present, it still takes 3-5 days to get back test
results.
On a musical note:
On a lighter note:
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Reach out. Stay connected. Stay home. Save
lives. The power of one. Be well.
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Harry A. Oken, M.D.
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Office: 410-910-7500, Fax: 410-910-2310 |
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Cell: 443-324-0823 |
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Adjunct Professor of Medicine |
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University of Maryland School of Medicine |
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