The “IT” I am referring to in the title of this entry is the Covid virus. As much as all of us would like to forgot those dismal months/years of wearing masks, losing friends/loved ones, placing our vacations on hold, trying to tend to our jobs as our children were being schooled via Zoom and scavenging for toilet paper, chicken breasts, wipes and assorted other foods/household goods, the Covid virus is still with us, albeit not as severe.
This entry was prompted by many recent cases when patients of mine have called me up asking for an antibiotic to treat a “summer cold”, but when I recommended they take a home Covid test first, MANY have called me back and said “Damn (or other expletive), the Covid test was positive.” As opposed to prescribing an antibiotic that treats bacterial infection, I instead called in Paxlovid, the medication targeting the Covid virus.
Covid cases are spiking, with a new variant, resulting in the most ER visits since February. The cases contracted appear to be not influenced much as to whether the people were vaccinated (with boosters) or not. Most people are not having the extreme cases characterized by respiratory failure, the need for ventilator therapy and/or death. However, people do feel quite sick with fever, body aches and poor appetite.
The point of this entry: Keep home Covid tests available at your home and if you do develop a respiratory illness take the test. Please do not assume what you have is a common cold. If the test is positive, contact your physician for treatment.
We have all been through a pandemic…but we are not really through at all with this ____ virus. “IT” has not gone away.
The first time I contracted Covid, the virus took my breath away…so, here is that famous song from Top Gun.
