All people in the U.S. over the age of 16 are eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine. And now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds, our primary care concierge doctors in Jupiter thought this would be a good time to bring you up to date on what we know about kids and the COVID-19 vaccines.
Whoever dubbed the searing pain of acid indigestion “heartburn” got it right. The (usually) benign phenomenon can come on suddenly and have you wishing for an internal fire extinguisher to make it stop. Fast.
An estimated 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month. Because it’s so common, our concierge doctors in Jupiter, Florida, want to explore the causes of heartburn, ways to prevent and treat it, and when you should be concerned about it.
We’ve been living with the coronavirus pandemic for a year now. Our concierge doctors are seeing more and more claims regarding special types of face masks that will supposedly offer more protection from the virus.
We’re also getting more questions from our patients on this subject. Especially now that at least three variants (mutations) of the coronavirus have been identified as circulating in this country.
So we thought we’d tell you what we know to date on how to find the best face mask.
It sounds so easy: Pop a pill (or pills) every day and enjoy radiant health. Unfortunately, our concierge doctors have to caution you that it may not be not that simple. And, according to a new study, the claimed benefits of taking supplements might not even be true.
The study, published this month in the journal BMJ, suggests that the perceived benefits of over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin and mineral supplements may largely be due to the power of the mind.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all adults and children older than six months receive a flu shot by the end of this month. The CDC says it takes at least two weeks for the vaccine to become effective. Then it won’t reach its peak effectiveness until another week after that. And children who are being vaccinated for the first time need two vaccines spaced a month apart to become fully protected.
Therefore, our concierge doctors suggest you get your flu shot for the 2020-21 influenza season as soon as possible. While there have been scattered reports of shortages around the country, The Washington Post recently reported a record number of flu vaccine doses—between 194 million and 198 million—have been ordered. Because the vaccine is shipped in stages, more is on the way.
We love the sunny, warm weather here in southern Florida, but unfortunately it’s also a recipe for an extended allergy season. We not only get a longer time to encounter summer pollens, including flowers and grasses, soon we’ll be having to deal with the fall-blooming ragweed as well as mold allergies that arise from our state’s hot, humid weather.
Our concierge doctors have said previously that COVID-19 affects all ages, including young children. But the highest death toll has been among older people, from ages 60-65 and up. In the U.S., 80 percent of deaths from this pandemic have occurred in adults age 65 and older.
Our concierge doctors at MD 2.0 in Jupiter have heard many of those pushing back against social distancing restrictions wondering why such a fuss is being made over the viral respiratory illness COVID-19. They claim it’s just another type of flu.
Our concierge doctors thought this would be a good time to tell you about viruses in general, especially the novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, aka COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus; COVID-19 is the disease it produces. This nomenclature is similar to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and its resulting disease, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Perhaps the only people who might relate to the stress everyone is feeling these days are those few who were alive during the flu pandemic of 1918-1920 (yes, it lasted three years). Then, as today, the pandemic caused global industry shutdowns, overcrowded hospitals, mandatory closures, and people huddled in their homes in fear.
