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Dear Patients,
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The pandemic: so often, I think 'I am so over this.' I
sometimes get this feeling in the pit of my stomach; ugh,
another day of restrictions and impositions and news devised
to scare us. I am so over this. But then, I snap out of it.
How? I realize how fortunate I am. My family, my friends, my
privilege of being a physician with purposeful work, all of
these are my anchors. I bet that if you think about it, you
are also blessed with an anchor or two as well. Just pause,
maybe close your eyes, and think about it.
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Flu shot information: I recommend that
all my patients get the quadrivalent flu
shot. This is an inactivated (not live)
safe vaccine that will immunize you for
4 strains of the flu. It takes 10 to 14
days to get a rising concentration of
antibody, which peaks at 5 to 8 weeks
and then starts to decline. For this
reason, the best time to get your shot
is from now to the end of October.
Please stop by the office for your flu
shot between 8:30 and 11:45 am, Monday
through Friday. When you arrive in the
parking lot, call my office 410-910-7500
to let us know you are here. You will be
instructed when to come up, wearing your
properly fitting face mask; this means
it covers your mouth and nose. Instead
of entering the waiting room, continue
straight, pass the restroom on the left,
and enter the next door on the left.
Come in through the door, make an
immediate left and you will see a sign
"Flu Shot Room". Enter the room and we
will meet you there to give you your
shot. Please try to wear a short sleeve
shirt to minimize the time it takes. If
you have an upcoming appointment, we
will give you your shot at your
appointment.
If coming to the office is not
convenient, many stores are now offering
them, such as CVS, Walgreens, Target,
etc., and many are free of charge and
some offer appointments.
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The numbers:
Maryland continues
to improve. The fatality rate has decreased to 3.09%.
Hospitalizations and ICU admissions are down. The fatality
rate for 0 to 19 years of age is 0.014%.
Maryland Rt: Now
0.96, we want to see it persistently <1.0. Wear your face
mask, wash your hands frequently, and social gatherings <10
people.
Influenza activity remains very
low in
the Southern hemisphere. If you remember a few weeks ago,
the news was telling us there may be a "Twindemic" on our
doorstep. I am not saying we do not need to be on alert, we
need to get our flu shots, but we also need to be wary of
the news. So far, the facts are that there is little flu in
the Southern hemisphere, and this is the barometer for our
flu season. It appears that it is less likely flu will be a
significant problem this year, but things can quickly
change. Get your flu shot!
The science of COVID:
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Wear your face mask. This
is a great article with lots of good information about
the value of masking.
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The science behind the risk for COVID-19 and blood type
is weak says
this article from JAMA.
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We are now no longer worried about aspirin, ibuprofen
(Advil and Aleve) causing more significant COVID-19
illness.
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There is currently no evidence that taking
anti-hypertensives that are ACE inhibitors or ARBs
causes any increase in the risk or severity of COVID-19
illness.
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For sure, however, we know that age and co-morbidities
such as obesity, diabetes, heart and lung disease do
raise the risk.
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Again, more information that Vitamin D deficiency raises
your risk for COVID-19 and influenza. Take at least 2000
units of Vitamin D-3 daily to avoid Vitamin D
deficiency.
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Those who get their nose swabbed for COVID-19 often say
they pushed the swab into my brain (thanks LO). The
correct swab technique goes straight back
along the floor of the nose.
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On a musical note:
Maybe you're old enough to remember Woodstock; a time when
people came together. We are stardust. We are golden.
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On a lighter note:
Do you think Lucy's facial expressions explain how our year
has been?
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As a reminder, I'm
no longer sending out daily updates and instead, I'm
updating you periodically as things change. Just like
yesterday, face masks, social distancing, hand washing
and/or sanitizer whenever you need to leave your safe zone.
Stay home if you display any symptoms.
I continue to enjoy writing these updates. Initially, these
were only sent to my patients, however, I've been humbled to
learn that, through social media, these writings have been
forwarded and re-forwarded to many. This has brought me
great joy to know that this simple act of sharing facts,
thoughts, opinions, and hopes have touched you in some way.
Hopefully, I've been able to reassure you, maybe make you
smile and laugh, soothe your worries, and comfort you. And
maybe, just maybe, I've helped you to be in the moment! |
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Reach out. Stay connected. Be well. Be smart.
Feel free to forward this on - spread the word, not the
virus.
HAO 24/7
Harry A. Oken, M.D.
Office: 410-910-7500, Fax: 410-910-2310, Cell: 443-324-0823
Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Maryland School
of Medicine
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