Gretchen Peterson

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE FOR HOSPITALIZED COVID PATIENTS?

Treatments Uncertainty and Misinformation

THE DATA (STILL) SUGGEST “NO” New data out of the Detroit area find that hospitalized COVID patients receiving hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) were less likely to die than those not receiving the drug. Sensational headlines ensued. The scientific community sighed in disappointment and frustration. Why? (1) Administration of HCQ was NOT RANDOMIZED (2) The HCQ and non-HCQ Read more…

What have we learned about treatment of Covid-19 to date?

Treatments

A: New discoveries happen every day! In addition to research taking place to develop a vaccine, many clinicians and researchers are learning more about how to treat Covid-19 infection. The new knowledge about treatment falls into three categories: 1) pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection, 2) decreasing disease severity, and 3) minimizing long-term complications. Understanding the physiologic Read more…

Throwback Thursday All About Masks

Masks Staying Safe

For this, our first-ever #ThrowbackThursday post, Dear Pandemic is pleased to present: every single thing we’ve ever posted about #masks (and a few things we haven’t posted before). Q: Should I wear a mask? A: Yes. A thorough review of the evidence of physical distancing, face coverings, and eye coverings as prevention strategies for COVID-19 Read more…

VACCINE NEWS ALERT

Vaccines

TL;DR: Pfizer’s first-round draft pick is doing well at vaccine candidate training camp. Next up: Game time. More information: STUDY DESIGN: Pfizer released data from a small, short-term randomized trial of 45 patients assessing a vaccine candidate’s (1) safety and (2) ability to spark an immune system response. FINDINGS: (1) Safety: Minimal presence of serious Read more…

What is electrostatic cleaning?

Staying Safe

A: It is an industrial disinfecting method used after outbreaks (such as norovirus outbreaks in a pre-COVID-19 era). It is typically not intended for home use. A few important things to know. Cleaning refers to the manual removal of visible dirt. Disinfecting refers to removal of infectious components after mechanical cleaning has been conducted. In Read more…

How do I facilitate outdoor playdates?! Please help!

Families/Kids Infection and Spread Socializing Staying Safe

A: Boy how we empathize – safer socializing outdoors with kids is tricky. We’re here to help! The Nerdy Girls’ Outdoor Playdate Checklist helps you balance the need for children’s socialization with the need to reduce infection risk. Context: Yesterday the Nerdy Girl/IMPACT4HC team had the opportunity to talk about outdoor socializing with the wonderful Read more…

Maybe this increase in cases is good…. aren’t we getting closer to herd immunity?

Biology/Immunity Data and Metrics Infection and Spread

A: NO and NO! It’s been a while since we touched on herd immunity, so first some quick review. If we think of SARS-CoV-2 infections as sparks, uninfected people are the fuel. The very basic idea of herd immunity is that individuals who are already immune–either through previous infection or a vaccine–act as a “firewall” Read more…