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February 25, 2024, 'National Chocolate Covered Nut Day!'

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'National Chocolate Covered Nut Day'


When it comes to the delightful crunch and sweet goodness of chocolate covered peanuts, this particular day is the perfect reason to celebrate this popular and delicious treat.


Get ready to enjoy Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day!


Read more here. . . .



Your Weekly COVID-19 Updates

Paradise Valley Medical Clinic,

Douglas M. Lakin, M.D.

Kaitlin A. Kraemer, PA-C

9977 N 90th Street, Suite 180, Scottsdale, AZ 85258

480.614.5800 (phone), 480.614.6322 (Fax)

Visit Our Website
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ATTN PATIENTS:

Dr. Lakin is using FaceTime ,
WhatsApp and Zoom to connect with you
for a 'Telehealth' visit. You can connect using your iPad, iPhone, Android phone, a laptop, or a PC with a camera.

Please watch these videos so you can be prepared and know how to connect with Dr. Lakin for a 'Telehealth' visit.

CLICK ON THE PICTURES

FROM THE DOC

February 25, 2024


LOTS OF COVID REMAINS THIS WINTER…

ALL DOING WELL.  WITH MORE TOURISTS THERE WILL BE MOVE COVID. BE PROACTIVE TO PREVENT NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION.

 

  • COVID REMAINS HIGH. DO NOT GO OUT WITH GROUPS OF PEOPLE IF YOU ARE SICK AND HAVE NOT TESTED FOR COVID…YOU MAY HAVE COVID AND BE SPREADING IT!


  • WEAR A MASK DURING TRAVEL IN THE AIRPORT AND ON THE AIRPLANE (UNTIL 10,000 FEET) …. AT THIS TIME DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF COVID INFECTION. ONCE THE SURGE HAS DROPPED OFF, THIS IS NOT AS ESSENTIAL.


  • GET BOOSTED IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO…PARTICULARLY OVER AGE 65.

 

  • FLU IS WANING…BUT IS STILL AROUND. THE TIME FOR FLU SHOTS HAS PASSED. NO MORE FLU SHOTS THIS SEASON


  • VERY LITTLE RSV IN THE VALLEY.


IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A COLD OR RESPIRATORY INFECTION RIGHT NOW…. YOU MAY WELL HAVE COVID OR THE FLU. PLEASE DO A COVID TEST TO CHECK AT HOME.  

  

ALMOST ALL DOING WELL, BUT WE ARE SEEING A FEW PEOPLE NEED THE HOSPITAL TO RECOVER. 


FLU TESTING CAN BE DONE IF YOU ARE FEELING PARTICULARLY SICK WITH YOUR UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION. FLU IS STILL AROUND.

 



**Read Dr. Lakin's Full February 25th Comments Here

TOP PODCAST DONE WEEKLY

BY DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM

(UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA)  

 

He is a world-renowned epidemiologist who was credited with first elucidating TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME in the 1980’s.

He provides comprehensive and understandable/actionable ideas related to COVID.

 

Dr. Osterholm Update: COVID-19

February 22, 2024



https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/episode-151-harm-reduction



'Harm Reduction'

In this episode, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss COVID isolation guidelines, the BA.2.87.1 variant, and the importance of measles and other rare public health threats.


According to Dr. Osterholm……


  • GET YOUR 5th BOOSTER (7th SHOT) IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID OR IT’S BEEN LONGER THAN 4 MONTHS SINCE YOU HAD COVID YOURSELF
  • A GOOD MASK, N95 OF KN95, DOES HELP REDUCE TRANSMISSION…. USE IT AT HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS
  • GOOD VENTILATION IN ROOMS/HOME/BUSINESSES IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION
  • VACCINE, VACCINE, VACCINE…THIS IS OUR PROTECTION.  ALL VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AND WITH TIME WE ARE SEEING THAT THE J&J VACCINE IS PICKING UP STEAM AND GIVES SOLID LONG-TERM PROTECTION.
  • BOOST, BOOST, BOOST…THIS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECURRING SURGE AND TO RAISE ANTIBODY LEVELS IN THOSE ALREADY SET WITH THE PRIMARY COVID VACCINE SERIES.
  • ANTIGEN TESTING IS USEFUL, BUT OF LIMITED VALUE. DON’T DEPEND ON IT…BUT USE IT.


Know that unvaccinated remain a source of potential infection.  Avoiding unvaccinated persons will reduce your risk of COVID.

After you received your COVID vaccinations, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.



BUT FIRST.......

PLEASE COMPLETE THE INFORMATION ON THE CARD BEFORE YOU SEND IT TO US!

What we need:

  1. Your name
  2. Date vaccination received
  3. Brand name
  4. Lot number if available
  5. Which dose you have received


**Email your COVID vaccine completed info HERE

Arizona COVID-19 News

Small Study Shows a Possible Reason Some Long COVID Patients Experience 'Brain Fog'


According to a new study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers at Trinity College in Ireland used blood tests to measure certain biological markers and specialized brain images to discover that long COVID patients with brain fog had more permeability or "leakiness" of their blood-brain barrier – offering the first biological evidence that this symptom may be due to underlying changes in the brain.


"A lot of long COVID symptoms, especially brain fog, are often written off as 'oh that’s all in your head' but this study is suggesting an actual biological mechanism behind it," Dr. Leah Croll, neurologist and assistant professor at Temple University, told ABC News. "Knowing this is real can be very validating for people who experience this symptom."



While this study is small, it could help inform ongoing research to better understand how to diagnose and treat long COVID that impacts millions of Americans. There is currently no test or treatment for this condition that can be disabling to those who have it.


Read more here. . .

Free COVID-19 Tests Still Available

Each U.S. household can now order four more free Covid tests, to be sent out by the federal government starting the week of Nov. 27.


The Department of Health and Human Services announced the new round of test shipments Monday as the holiday season begins — a time when public health experts typically expect cases of Covid, flu, colds and respiratory syncytial virus to surge.


As with the previous five rounds of government-issued Covid tests, orders can be placed online at Covid.gov. People who didn’t take advantage of the last offer in September can still order the four rapid antigen tests made available then, for a total of eight tests. The only information required is a name and a home address — no health insurance information needed. 


The order page warns that although tests may arrive with expiration dates that have passed, the Food and Drug Administration has extended the dates for most approved tests. So users can check the true expiration dates of their Covid tests on the FDA’s regularly updated list.


Read more here. . . .


Study IDs Immune Abnormality Possibly Causing Long COVID

Swiss scientists have identified immune system abnormalities in patients with long COVID that might open the door to new diagnostic tests and treatments.

The researchers found that a group of proteins in the blood that are part of the body's immune response called the "complement system" are not working properly in patients with long COVID.


Blood samples turned up important differences between those who recovered from COVID and those who did not. These differences might be used as biomarkers to diagnose long COVID and might even point the way to new treatments for the condition, the researchers said.

By testing for 6500 blood proteins in about 300 patients, the Swiss researchers found that dysfunctional complement system proteins could possibly explain fatigue and "smoldering inflammation," said Onur Boyman, MD, a professor of immunology from University Hospital Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland.



Long COVID has been linked to hundreds of symptoms including brain fog, chronic fatigue, pain, and digestive issues. Various factors drive the condition and likely work with one another other, said David Putrino, PhD, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. The Swiss study is useful because "we're trying to best understand how we can explain all of this far-reaching pathobiology," he said.

Read more here. . . . . .

Mask Policy in Our Office

At our office, we are continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will strive for ways to keep our patients and staff safe.



We recommend that all unvaccinated and vaccinated patients and visitors entering our office cover their nose and mouth at all times.


To prevent further spread of the Delta & Omicron variants, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on March 21, 2022, to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks when in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of Covid-19.


We have a limited supply of paper masks and will make these available to patients while they last, however, we encourage you to bring your own facial covering.


What Should I Do If I Get COVID While Traveling These Days?

Approaching the pandemic’s four-year anniversary, By The Way Concierge looks into protocols for testing positive abroad


Traveling has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected.


Want to see your question answered? Submit it here.


“What should you do if you test positive for covid while touring a European country?” — Margaret L., Allen Park, Mich.


Gone are the days of vaccine passports and time-sensitive PCR tests; what’s left now will depend on the country you’re visiting — and probably will look like suggestions rather than mandate.


For example: In France, you’re not required to do anything, although masking, avoiding vulnerable people, working from home and telling close contacts that you’re sick is recommended. In Germany, the national guidance is to stay home “if possible” and avoid contact with others, but there’s no official requirement to isolate. Italy lifted covid isolation requirements last summer.


Ideally, you should follow local rules and do your best to minimize the spread of disease, says Lin H. Chen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Travel Medicine Center at Mount Auburn Hospital.


But remember that what stands today may not hold true by the time you’re traveling. Check in with the destination’s health ministry website to stay up to date before your trip.


Read more here. . .



We Are Here to Take Care of Your Healthcare Needs.

We Are Here to Serve!

 

Our office is using all techniques to reduce exposure to a minimum during your visit. These include: 

·       Temperature checks of all patients and staff.

·       Masks for all people in the office.

·       Cleansing of hands and surfaces repeatedly.

·       Multiple Super-HEPA filters to filter out potential virus and particles in the office.

·       High Level UV light air cleansing in the office to eliminate bacteria and viruses in the air.

  

OUR OFFICE SCHEDULE

 

DOORS OPEN     

7AM - 4PM Monday through Thursday

7AM - 11AM Friday

 

IN OFFICE

APPOINTMENTS: MONDAY – THURSDAY

7AM – 11:15AM & 1PM – 3:30PM

 

APPOINTMENTS: FRIDAY

7AM – 10:30 AM

 

DR. LAKIN WILL CONTINUE ‘TELEHEALTH’ VISITS WITH FaceTime, WhatsApp or ZOOM WHEN NEEDED.

Dr. Lakin's Info For COVID-19 Kit &
Recommended Treatments

SUMMARY OF A COVID KIT & CHECK LIST:

 

This is what you should have at home to prepare for possible COVID, to monitor yourself if you were to get infected:

 

DIGITAL ORAL THERMOMETER: MANY BRANDS ARE FINE…HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Thermometer-Reading-Waterproof-Indicator/dp/B087T3S4TR/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=THERMOMETER&qid=1597159324&sr=8-6

 

PULSE OXIMETER:  TO CHECK OXYGEN LEVELS. MANY BRANDS ARE FINE...HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

https://www.amazon.com/Innovo-Fingertip-Oximeter-Plethysmograph-Perfusion/dp/B07YVGZPRZ/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=PULSE+OXI&qid=1597159388&sr=8-20

 

OTHER ITEMS FROM THE HOME MEDICAL KIT:

 

·       TYLENOL, ADVIL, OR ALEVE

·       Sudafed 30mg tablets

·       Chlorpheniramine 4mg tablets

·       Robitussin DM syrup

·       Imodium AD




**CLICK HERE TO READ COMPLETE INFORMATION


Stay Safe!