Though we’re in the waning stage of more than three years into the pandemic, “long COVID” retains the stigma of a mystery disease. But is it a mystery? Or an ambiguous, complex syndrome not uncommon in other post-infectious conditions? Long COVID is not an unexpected mystery disease—many other infections cause similar symptoms. Don’t be misinformed
The flu season is just starting, and with COVID and seasonal viruses present, already there’s an increase in influenza activity. The dominant strain this year is influenza A, subtype H3N2v. It’s a variant (denoted by the small “v”) of the swine flu pandemic strain H1N1 of 2009. And it has the potential to cause severe
I wish the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic were over. But it’s not. In fact, we’re still in the OMICRON wave that started with BA.1 in late 2021 and mutated to BA.5 by summer 2022. Nor have we haven’t reached herd immunity or vaccinated our way out of this pandemic. We’re at an elevated plateau, but no longer
Why aren’t we any wiser about COVID prevention than we were in early 2020? One reason is that SARS-CoV-2 variants evolve fast. As pandemic conditions shift with vaccination and antivirals, the virus finds new ways to infect. Another is that bureaucratic incompetence got in the way. The government and healthcare bungled the early response and
Stay vigilant because of combination infection by the flu and SARS-CoV-2, which health experts call Flurona. It’s hard enough keeping up with the latest pandemic twists and turns. We also must deal with seasonal influenza outbreaks. I’ve written extensively on surviving pandemic influenza in my books Viral Immunity and Beating the Flu. Many immune-supportive protocols
As we begin the third year of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic, now more than ever, my patients have lots of questions about the Omicron variant surge. They find the uncertainty unsettling. Here are my answers to the most common questions. 1. When Will It Be Over and What to Expect in the Months Ahead? That isn’t
Infectious disease experts caution us not to panic because Omicron is less harmful. We’re all tired of this pandemic, but it’s not time to become indifferent. Don’t think the Omicron variant is more contagious but less severe. That’s dangerously over-simplified thinking. Omicron is designated SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.529 with the potential to cause serious disease and
COVID vs Flu: catching a cold and getting the Flu are routine seasonal illnesses. We accept the inconvenience. Each fall through winter, 64 percent of those 18-30 years catch a cold. Adults in the U.S. get two to four colds every year. Children fare worse, getting up to eight colds each season. And every year,
There’s no doubt that low vitamin D level —just like low vitamin B12— is underappreciated by doctors, especially for infectious disease prevention, and goes underdiagnosed and inadequately treated. Optimal vitamin D is particularly important during the pandemic. Links between a low vitamin D level and COVID-19 include worse outcomes for acute lung infection and the
The Delta variant wave is profoundly concerning. Cases have increased and will continue to go up because it’s more infectious and spreads faster, and can make you sicker. But also because we let our guard down. For example, people who got vaccinated stopped wearing masks. And many unvaccinated people, tired of breathing through masks, didn’t