Christine Lau is a physician.
COVID-19 has drastically impacted every facet of life. Health care has been the center of this pandemic, and those working in health care have seen first-hand the crisis and the advancements made. As we reflect on the impact this pandemic has, we have seen both the worst and best of our health care system.
1. The scientific and medical community is interconnected and, together, can achieve amazing things. If we reflect …
Two COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) have received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA so far, and many health care workers and first responders are already receiving the vaccine. As the general public waits their turn, there are many questions and even more misinformation and disinformation about the vaccine.
1. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines – they do not contain the live virus. The COVID-19 vaccine is …
The holiday season is when we would normally be celebrating with family and friends, all coming together to eat way too much food and watch loved ones open gifts. The reality is COVID-19 has caused us to alter our holiday plans, and this year’s holiday season may look quite a bit different. That being said, perhaps this is the year to appreciate the true meaning of the holidays – to …
During this past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has turned our lives upside down and changed not just the way we live and work but also how we think and behave. Every part of the world has been affected, and every aspect of life has been impacted. Our everyday routines were brought to a stop, and any sense of normalcy was lost. While we stop and look at the world around …
COVID-19, first identified in December 2019 and declared a global pandemic in March 2020, has taken a toll on everyone around the world. After months of varying levels of lockdown and quarantine, people are developing pandemic fatigue, and craving human contact and normalcy again. This, coupled with the reopening of the nation, businesses reopening, and schools back in session, many people are relying on COVID-19 testing to say they are …
During the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists, physicians, and public health epidemiologists have come together, and there has been a surge in research worldwide. Basic science research has been leading the way in developing vaccines and genome sequencing the SARS-CoV-2 strains. The industry has ramped up research on developing antibody tests and viral tests to keep up with the increased need for COVID-19 testing. Clinical research and trials have drastically increased to …
COVID-19 caused the nation to shut down and wreaked havoc on everyone’s daily lives. International travel has been halted, restaurants and businesses have been closed, and large gatherings and celebrations have been forced to be postponed or canceled. After six months of quarantine and social distancing, however, people are developing pandemic fatigue.
Over 150 candidate vaccines for COVID-19 are currently being investigated in different phases of study. With a few entering …
COVID-19 testing has been on the rise – with more and more tests being developed and more testing sites available. Many are drive-thru and walk-in test sites, and anyone is able to show up and get tested. There are so many different types of COVID-19 testing (PCR testing, antigen testing, and antibody testing) via different routes (nasal, nasopharyngeal, oral, saliva, venous blood sample, and fingerpricks), that patients often don’t know …
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on every aspect of life. With over 5 million cases and 167 thousand deaths in the United States, COVID-19 has caused the nation to shut down. During the pandemic, social distancing and masks have been crucial in controlling the spread of virus. However, with the reopening of the states, social distancing and masks are not the only factors to consider, especially with talks about children going …
Antibody testing, also called serological testing, can be used to determine whether an individual is currently infected with COVID-19 or has previously been infected with COVID-19 and recovered. Unlike the molecular testing (PCR tests), which detects the presence of genetic material from the virus from a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab, these antibody tests identify exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes COVID-19) by looking for antibodies generated by the immune …
1. Not all antibody tests are the same.
There are currently over a hundred different antibody tests – in different phases of development. Only a small subset of these tests has FDA approval for diagnostic purposes and emergency use authorization. A majority of these tests are approved for research and surveillance purposes only (some pending FDA approval). Many are still in development and are not FDA approved yet.
Some of these …
In the current health care system, patient outcomes, and patient satisfaction are increasingly important. With the hospital value-based purchasing program, Medicare adjusts payments to hospitals based on the quality of patient care they provide. Hospital consumer assessment of health care providers and systems scores are tied to Medicare reimbursements. Under the hospital-acquired condition reduction program, hospitals in the highest quartile of hospital-acquired conditions are subject to a 1 percent payment …
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