While some people consider lockdowns and closures necessities to get ahead of the virus, one wonders what’s happening to our mental health during lockdowns. How are adults coping versus kids? What about people who are losing jobs and whole businesses, and how is that financial stress, compounded by shutdowns, impacting mental health? I’m also […]
There has been a lot of praise for Singapore’s Response to COVID-19, especially in the beginning of the pandemic. There has also been a lot of criticism over how the US handled the pandemic, which leads to the question: Why did Singapore’s reponse work well, compared to the US’s response? What did they do differently? […]
What we can do to boost our immune system during a pandemic: This is not medical advice. This is information only. By Erin Stair, MD, MPH A lot of the news is about things we can’t do during the pandemic. There are mandates, closings, restrictions and lockdowns all in the name of health. That […]
Another day, another fight over face masks. It used to be that we couldn’t talk about politics or religion. Well, I added a third: face masks. If you have strong opinions in those 3 areas, you will lose friends. But let’s talk about the Dannish face mask study, because while I enjoy a good fight, […]
Prior to the current pandemic, the news cycle was dominated by the opioid epidemic, a beast that has taken the lives of many people from all walks of life. Recently, the Sackler family’s Purdue Pharma, the maker of Oxycontin, plead guilty to federal criminal charges related to the marketing and selling of opioids. Universities, like […]
How many deaths did COVID-19 really cause? Causation can be tricky, especially if you believe in upstream & downstream causes for something happening. So, I wanted to teach a lesson on causation using my coffee mugs. I posted a link to my Vimeo video that you can watch OR I invite you to watch the […]
What is the relationship between Obesity and COVID-19? Does one fuel the other and vice versa? You know, the pandemic has bred a lot of memes. Some of the memes were about how folks were gaining the “COVID-19”, meaning 19 pounds while on lockdown or in quarantine. Folks were gaining weight! When I first […]
A lot of my friends and readers have been asking me about the coronavirus and strokes. A few folks have sent me articles from newspapers and online blogs featuring harrowing stories related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and strokes. One article I read was about a 45 year old man who tested positive for COVID-19. He […]
It seems like everyone is fighting over when to wear a face mask. Some people don’t want to wear one at all. I just hopped on Twitter and was blessed with watching a video of a man telling his viewers that they can take their face masks and stick it where the sun doesn’t […]
By Erin Stair, MD, MPH (My own opinion & not reflective I’ve anyone I work for) For a field that was already fighting for trust, Public Health is in trouble due to the inconsistency in messaging regarding the pandemic. I’ve spent the last week listening to angry people on the phone and reading their […]
Ozone therapy for the Coronavirus? What?!? Have I lost it? Is this quackery? 😉 Guys, on my latest Causes or Cures podcast episode I chatted with Dr. Howard Robins on ozone therapy for the coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19. Now, I want to make this clear: I don’t endorse this treatment for the coronavirus. […]
By: Erin Stair, MD, MPH Can the new coronavirus spread via smoke, specifically cigarette smoke? Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus, the manner and ways in which it spreads are still being discovered. Viruses aren’t alive. But they are uncanny in their ability to spread, mutate and avoid being detected and destroyed by […]
Ban live meat markets. It’s time for that and much, much more. There has to be a much stronger international effort to ban live meat markets and come down harder on the illegal wildlife trade. It didn’t happen after SARS, but it needs to happen now. Turning a blind eye to them is the equivalent […]