How ordinary lives have changed in the age of COVID-19

All of our lives have changed in some way. Whether we are hard at work getting ready for a surge of cases or managing stir-crazy kids at home, the basic rhythms of the day have changed.

I’ve been talking a lot with the media to make sure the general public has the information they need to make good decisions. I won’t post all the links here but was really proud to be quoted by Jodi Kantor in The New York Times in her great story, “No Longer Just a Walk in the Park.“ Beyond the thrill of being quoted in the paper I read every day, Jodi was incredibly charming and bright.

So much has changed since the HIV test was first approved, 30 years ago today

Thirty years ago today, on March 2, 1985, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new HIV test. It was the result of nine months of round-the-clock labor by dozens of scientists. Immediately adopted by the American Red Cross and other institutions, the blood test marked the beginning of a new era in HIV medicine.

Since then, so much has changed. Check out my new post at The Conversation to learn more.

Protect Thy Neighbor

We are now deep into flu season. Forty states are reporting widespread influenza, and the number of deaths is greater thane expected.

Hospitalized patients are among the most vulnerable people in flu season. Immune systems already weakened by kidney failure or another major illness, hospitalized patients contract influenza from loved ones and - most ironically - from hospital workers. From doctors to nurses and beyond, a coughing caregivers can be the worst kind of medicine for vulnerable hospitalized patients.

Should hospital employees be obligated to get a flu shot to protect vulnerable hospitalized patients? Some hospitals - including mine - require employees to get flu shots or else suffer consequences such as mandatory masks, furlough and firing. Is this an unjustified infringement on personal liberty, or a thoughtful way to protect the health of our most vulnerable? 

Ethicist Bill Nelson and I explore this controversial issue in a recent issue of Healthcare Executive.