An abundance of hope has been placed in “flattening the curve,” which is indeed an important concept that must be achieved. This will delay overburdening crowded emergency rooms and ICUs, spreading out the number of critically ill patients. Should this goal be achieved, it does not mean we are out...

The 1996 movie “Independence Day” depicts an alien invasion of Earth, defended by united countries of the world battling as a team. This year, we are under attack by a highly contagious virus, but this is not a movie. The real world has always been divided. Will global leaders work together to...

As coronavirus rules evolved and increased, and the threat of viral spread became ubiquitous, anxiety and stress levels escalated while dietary restrictions fizzled even for the most self-disciplined people. My wife and I are very healthy: shopping organic, exercising regularly, and rarely snacking....

Forty years ago while operating on a trauma victim who fell asleep at the wheel, I became more tired than usual despite the adrenaline rush to save a life. After completing surgery and removing the mask, I was wide awake again. At that time, physiologically, it was explained to me that exhaling into...

COVID-19 is a crisis like we have never seen in our lifetime. Prior to COVID-19 invading our shores, our daily lives were consumed with work, friends, eating great meals, and lots of fun. Post COVID-19, we’ve been reduced to survival mode. Truly, we’ve been thrown back to the hunting and gathering...

Immunology is one of many medical frontiers we have yet to understand fully. One poorly understood question: How does the human body produce an antibody that goes to war and defeats a virus or bacteria? We know our bodies have an innate ability to make defensive antibodies, and apparently in those patients...

In haste to get across the goal line, or where the field is not marked clearly, spiking the ball on the 5-yard line happens. Never to me nor my teammates. It was instilled in us by coaches and family never to give up. I played baseball until I was 26 years old, then went to medical school. Each step...

Living near a freeway can be hazardous to your health. A cloud of exhaust and particulate matter infiltrating skin and lungs can emanate from it. Similarly, a cloud of germs surrounds every hospital. With COVID-19, one has to be fearful that the density of this cloud may be more concentrated. We know...

A showcase for prescription medication can be seen on television daily promoting benefits, yet side effects are reserved at the end with barely audible voiceover warnings and unreadable fine print. New drugs known as interleukin inhibitors are used for rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis,...

I have a few items of family memorabilia I’ve carried around from place to place as I transferred and moved for the Navy and in retirement. This one item, above all, is a memory I can’t seem to let go. It was such a happy time when it came into my life, and when it became mine, it was a very...