Doctor Column

Vaccines Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Kudos to Drs. Kariko and Weissman Connection January 25, 2024 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD “Traditional Vaccines, I noted, “are made of whole or parts of dead or weakened viruses or bacteria. Once a person is vaccinated against a specific virus, for example, the Hepatitis B virus, the immune system manufactures neutralizing antibodies against that virus. It also puts the ‘face’ of the virus into its memory bank. The next time the person is exposed to the hepatitis B virus, the immune system recognizes its face and sets in motion a series of actions: to locate, kill, and remove it from the body.” The Discovery of How Muscles and the G. I. Tract Affect Long Covid? Serotonin, Mitochondria and Long COVID January 15, 2024 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD COVID is an unfinished story. The early chapters of SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19 were written after the virus was initially identified in December 2019. The following spring, March of 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic. Effective vaccines and treatments were developed to manage COVID-19 patients. What became apparent were the worrisome symptoms which persisted after the acute phase of the disease. The constellation of those symptoms were called “Long COVID.” Uncovering Seven (7) Risk Factors That Boost the Likelihood of You Getting Covid-19, Flu, or RSV December 15, 2023 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Our immune system’s job is to protect us against foreign invaders, including respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, Flu and RSV. On September 4th of this year, 72 year old First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, for the second time tested positive for Covid-19. Mrs. Biden initially tested positive for this virus in August 2022. Might her immune system be less than optimal, placing her at greater risk and making her more vulnerable to respiratory viruses and COVID-19? Paxlovid Medication For COVID-19 June 25, 2023 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD As much as we would like COVID-19 to disappear, it has not. It continues to make people sick, causing hospitalizations and in too many instances deaths. The 2020 pandemic has been blunted by Public Health measures and certain medications, one of which has been Paxlovid. 11 LESSONS COVID-19 TAUGHT US May 15, 2023 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD On Friday, May 5th of this year, WHO declared COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency. On Saturday, the day after the announcement, Dennis, a 68 year old retired dentist, tested positive for COVID. Dennis had read the headlines about COVID-19: Nursing Homes — No Mask Requirements; the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services declare an end of the COVID-19 as a public health emergency. Omicron Booster Shots Save Lives! Updated COVID-19 Shots October 5, 2022 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the emergency authorization requested by the pharmaceutical companies Moderna, and Pfizer- BioNTech to distribute their reformulated versions of the COVID — 19 vaccines to be distributed in September 2022. It is estimated that delaying the roll-out of the vaccines till November of this year would result in more than100,000 additional hospitalizations and in thousands of additional deaths. 269T Who Needs to Get Tested for COVID-19? July 25, 2022 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD People are getting mixed signals from the authorities concerning who should get tested, and treated for COVID-19? Also, there is confusion as to when is the best time to be tested for COVID-19? Annabella was delighted to be her sister’s bridesmaid. She had a wonderful time at the wedding, dancing, and chatting with many guests. The next day, she wondered, “Should I get tested for COVID?” She didn’t complain of any symptoms, and decided not to test for the virus. COVID Tests: “Which Is The Right One For Me?” February 5, 2022 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD COVID-19 and its variants continue to dominate the news media and the front burners of medical researchers. There is confusion about COVID tests among the general population and there are differences of opinions among medical experts causing head-scratching — ‘What’s going on?’ Omicron Variant: COVID Rules Have Not Changed! January 5, 2022 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD A variant of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on November 24, 2021. The new, highly transmissible variant of concern, Omicron, was first detected in Botswana on November 11, 2021, three days later in South Africa and on December 1, the variant was confirmed in the United States. Antiviral COVID-19 Pill — Molnupiravir November 5, 2021 Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD Pharmaceutical companies spend a great amount of time, effort, and money in their quest to cre-ate effective drugs to combat viral, and infectious diseases. There have been notable antibiotic successes, but less so concerning antiviral medications.