Perhaps you live in a city that borders on two-state jurisdictions, such as Minneapolis-St Paul, Washington DC-Maryland-Virginia,  If you live in one state, does it matter that the doctor treating you online is in another? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, and the ability to conduct certain virtual appointments may be nearing an end.   This story also ran on Time. It can be republished for free. Televisits for medical care took off during the worst days of the pandemic, quickly becoming commonplace. Most states and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tempora ..read more

 COVID GLOBAL MAP. click here (will load slowly) source World Health Organization WHO GLOBAL MAP AND STATISTICS The allocation of COVID-19 vaccine between countries has thus far tended toward vaccine nationalism, wherein countries stockpile vaccines to prioritize access for their citizenry over equitable vaccine sharing. The extent of vaccine nationalism, however, may strongly impact global trajectories of COVID-19 case numbers and increase the potential emergence of novel variants, according to a Princeton University and McGill University study published Aug. 17 in the journal S ..read more

  California Medical Association (CMA) President Peter N. Bretan, Jr., M.D., issued the following statement in response to rogue physicians selling bogus mask exemptions: "We are deeply troubled by reports that a few rogue physicians have decided to ignore the science surrounding the spread of COVID-19 and place the lives of children and their families in danger. There are very few medical reasons and situations that would exempt an individual from masking requirements. It strains credulity to think that a single physician would have dozens or hundreds of patients with valid medic ..read more

Today’s typical medical check-up is based largely on a physical exam developed in the 1820s using tools that haven’t been upgraded in over a hundred years. And what passes as “a comprehensive health check” happens only once a year, giving us a mere snapshot of our actual health. A lot can happen within a year’s time. For an exponentially accelerating world in which our phones, computers, and cars update their software every few weeks, the idea of checking in on your health on an annual cadence is abysmal.  The problem is that our bodies are accelerating at such a ra ..read more

Perhaps a trip to your dentist will help your mood.  Contrary to what you feel about going to see your dentist for that toothache, it may have a beneficial effect on your mood due to a finding from a limited study. In this study, it turns out laughing gas (Nitrous oxide) may be a treatment for depression that does not respond to other treatments for chronic depression. Laughing gas has been used to dull pain in dental offices and maternity units for more than a century, and researchers now think the gas, called nitrous oxide, may effectively treat depression when other therapies have ..read more

As the rate of Covid 19 decreases behold thresholds social distancing will be discontinued as well as masking.  Some venues may require masking and vaccination to enter.  Some are planning to use a vaccine passport to screen entrants to large venues.  Questions arise as to the legality of this being required. With the use of smartphone apps or even a printed vaccination. card, much like the yellow one we used as children, it will be easy to carry your vaccine passport where ever you go. Smartphone app developers are already in the process of having these available on the G ..read more

Vaccination has made a tremendous difference decreasing serioius illness and hospitalization. The Good News The Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday released a study showing that 99.75% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between Jan. 1 and April 13 were not fully vaccinated, according to data provided to Axios. Why it matters: Real-world evidence continues to show coronavirus vaccines are effective at keeping people from dying and out of hospitals. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines have been found to be 95% and 94% effective, respectively, at preventing symptomatic infections. Detail ..read more

At the beach, Pacific Beach, San Diego As usual, especially along either the left or right coast or the river or lake, young people head to the beach to picnic swim, surf, sunbathe, or just plain relax this summer vaccination will be offered to young people. Now that the FDA has approved Covid 19 vaccination for 12-15 year olds.  The F.D.A.’s authorization of Pfizer’s Covid shot for 12- to 15-year-olds is a milestone in battling the coronavirus, but actually getting them vaccinated involves new challenges. Even more incentives could include a free joint (with parental permission). L ..read more

  Hit by Higher Prices for Gear, Doctors and Dentists Want Insurers to Pay SACRAMENTO — Treating patients has become more expensive during the pandemic, and doctors and dentists don’t want to be on the hook for all the new costs. This story also ran on Los Angeles Times. It can be republished for free. For instance, the box of 100 gloves that cost $2.39 in February 2020 costs $30 now, said Dr. Judee Tippett-Whyte, president of the California Dental Association, who has a private dental practice in Stockton. Her practice used to rely on surgical masks that cost 20 cents each but has u ..read more

  CVS and Walgreens Have Wasted More Vaccine Doses Than Most States Combined Joshua Eaton and Rachana Pradhan May 3, 2021 Two national pharmacy chains that the federal government entrusted to inoculate people against covid-19 account for the lion’s share of wasted vaccine doses, according to government data obtained by KHN. This story also ran on NBC News. It can be republished for free. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 182,874 wasted doses as of late March, three months into the country’s effort to vaccinate the masses against the coronavirus. Of those, CVS wa ..read more