As the Omicron blizzard sweeps across the country, so many questions have emerged. My comments here are based on available scientific data and, where indicated, on my clinical experience with the latest surge. Here are a few key points we can safely say we know about the Omicron variant: It is Highly Transmissible: Omicron is […]
In my search for strategies that can limit Covid-19, I’ve discovered a potential role for non-toxic anti-viral nasal sprays. You may want to consider them for yourself and your patients, in situations in which you or they are potentially exposed to the virus, including work, travel, school or social encounters. The mucosal lining of the […]
Back in March of 1918, the ‘Spanish flu’ was spreading rapidly across the globe, killing millions and terrifying a world already ravaged by the first world war. During that summer the pandemic died down, only to rear its ugly head the following winter, killing many more. More than a century later, we are now into […]
Daily supplementation with zinc picolinate markedly reduced the prevalence of severe symptomatic COVID-19 among a cohort of high-risk patients in the state of Florida, according to data from a new case-control study. “Individuals in the control group were 5.93 times more likely to develop symptomatic COVID-19 infection as compared with individuals in the treatment group,” […]
Echinacea is consistently among the top selling herbal supplements in the US, and has been for decades. Many people take it as a go-to remedy for respiratory infections such as influenza and rhinovirus, and for general immune system support. It’s no surprise that sales of this popular herb jumped by more than 50% in the […]
The ability to link specific genetic features with particular diseases is among molecular biology’s greatest achievements. But there’s a downside to that scientific triumph: it has oversimplified the picture of the relationships between genotype, environmental factors, gene expression, and health or illness, and created blind spots in our understanding. The truth is, there are many […]
As we head into the peak months for the flu, we as health care providers need to be especially vigilant about the integrity of our patients’ immune systems. Paired with COVID-19, this year’s flu season carries the serious risk of compromising their future immune response. A key step in preventing these complications lies in helping […]
We are nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than ever, it’s worth looking into what goes on in the body and how the immune system works in critical situations like COVID-19. The pandemic has certainly put the functioning of the immune system to test, but it has also brought to light the […]
Globally, there are striking regional variations in per capita antibiotic consumption. A 2018 study of prescription patterns in 31 European countries showed that Greece tops the list in Europe, at roughly 40 doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (Klein E, et al. PNAS 2018). That’s a 4-fold difference from the Netherlands, where use is lowest. […]
Antimicrobial resistance is just the tip of the iceberg of adverse health consequences caused by antibiotic overuse, according to Martin J. Blaser, MD, director of the Rutgers University Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine. The less obvious—and therefore more dangerous—part of the iceberg, he says, is the epidemic of chronic inflammatory diseases driven in large […]
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