Newsletter

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 41

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Coronavirus Update #71 A look at the next pandemic

From a recent article, we see a 10 point series of mitigation measures for a future pandemic based on rational thought: “A more realistic public health approach is to adjust current mitigation goals to be more data-driven and to minimize unintended harms associated with unfocused or ineffective control efforts.”
a) Accelerate vaccinations, b) ease restrictions as fast as possible based on science, c) emphasize education and harm reduction, d) Encourage outdoor activity, e) reopen schools, f) avoid lockdowns, g) deemphasize ineffective mitigation measures, h) reassess testing, i) expand treatment and prophylaxis, j) prepare for future pandemics.
And more…
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 40

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Dr. Katz – “Human offspring come into this world much like the young of all other mammals, and like all the others, within minutes of our arrival, we are hungry. Food figures prominently in our lives ever after, but never is it more important than in childhood, when it serves as the literal construction material of those growing bodies and brains. The initial food choice for human babies should be self-evident, as it is for all other baby mammals: the milk of their mothers. The provision of that milk is among the defining characteristics of the mammalian class; it is part of what makes us what we are….

Also, we discuss marijuana and vaping as well as new work by Derek Sivers.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 39

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Coronavirus Update #70 GOOD NEWS: This information is so important to help us all understand risk. Stratified risk is the only true way to measure personal risk. Let us look at some CDC data from the spring Omicron BA.1 and .2 spikes versus the fall 2021 delta wave.
Median age of hospitalization has increased from 60 years old with Delta to 64 with BA.1 and 71 with BA.2. Any underlying medical condition associated with hospitalization increased from 89% with Delta to 92% with BA.1 to 95% with BA.2 respectively. Length of hospital stay decreased from 4.8 to 3.9 to 3.3 days. ICU admission was down from 24% to 18% to 13% of admitted patients. Mechanical ventilation decreased from 14% to 8% to 6% of admitted patients. And Finally, death from 12% to 8% to 5% overall.

What we can glean from this data set is very clear. With successive SARS2 mutations coupled to increased population based exposure to virus via infection or vaccine, we are now seriously in a reduced risk state unless you are older than 65 years with a comorbid disease or younger than 65 with a serious disease. 95% of hospitalizations were related to a comorbid disease regardless of age. The other big takeaway was this: if you are in this high risk group, getting every available booster is vital to your survival based on the risk reduction data. For everybody else, the data is clear, you are ok – to boost or not to boost is up to you. But, absolutely work on your general health.

To your health,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 38

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Loss has seemed to follow me more this year than any other. Whether it is a newborn baby that never had a chance to take a crack at life, an 86 year old who lived a rich life or now a 20 year old in his prime, the loss is profound each and every time. My exposure is clearly occupational as well. However, how do we continue to process this time and time again? Does it get easier? How do we talk about it with those that have lost? How do we keep the faith and live for our best selves as we are the ones left behind as the dead cannot suffer?

Let’s Explore,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 37

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Coronavirus Update 69.

Quick Hits and other musings –
1) In the interview with Dr. Offit there were a few big take aways:
  • Boosters for non risk based teen and young adults are unlikely to provide benefit while offering a small but real level of risk from myocarditis
  • Boosters are offering minimal benefit to the nation from a transmission perspective. At best 8-12 weeks of protection against symptomatic disease
  • Dr. Offit voted against adding omicron antigens to this fall’s booster as there was limited data that it would any benefit. He was in the minority at the FDA advisory meeting, thus this fall’s booster will have new strain genetics in it
  • The boosters could, not shown yet in humans, block future variant immunity to newer strains through viral immune imprinting

A lot more this week to digest.

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 36

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Biome Depletion Theory or Biota Alteration Theory
When we look at risk of disease over time in humans, we need to take stock in what was supposed to be versus what is. If we become mismatched genetically to the environment that we find ourselves in, then we will begin to suffer disease. The work of Dr. William Parker and colleagues is very fascinating here. His understanding of our immune solvency takes us back to a time when macrobes like parasites lived with us in a semi-symbiotic way. Most of them were harmless where a few were pathogenic. This matters tremendously because as we are learning, the microbes that exist within us play a major role in tuning the immune system towards tolerance and effective pathogen killing.
A lot to explore here,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 35

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Coronavirus Update #68

At this point the fundamentals completely point to a world of Covid mitigation based on personal risk tolerance and previous vaccination and/or disease. It no longer makes any sense for the entire population to be asked to change the way they live and exist. The messaging remains a struggle for me as people including the heads of major health organizations are pushing for measures beyond what is logical. Messaging continues to be unrealistic regarding Covid for society at large. Why?

We tackle these questions and more this week.

Dr. M

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