Americans are being forced into seclusion as our leaders try to contain the coronavirus. Time will tell if this is the best policy. There are many unknowns here. But there is one thing for sure. In the process, they are crashing the economy. The stock market has lost one third of its value. The bond markets are gyrating. Corporate debt is teetering. Businesses are being forced to close. Our Federal Reserve is printing money on a massive scale, leaving even more debt for our children and grandchildren. And our political class is squabbling who should be the biggest winners in the upcoming bail outs. These actions will have huge consequences of the health of Americans. Thus far, the coronavirus has not caused a great deal on death and illness in the United States when compared to other recent infections. At the time of this writing, there have been about 45,000 cases and close to 550 deaths. In 2009, the Swine Flu pandemic resulted in 61,000,000 infections and 12,500 deaths. Meanwhile, the 2019-2020 seasonal flu – which is upon us now - has resulted in 10,000,000 cases, 280,000 … [Read more...]
The Coronavirus Epidemic Explained
The world is in a panic over a coronavirus, specifically COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). The stock market has dropped precipitously, airport travel has plummeted, vacations are being cancelled and students are returning early from foreign countries. There is a lot of misinformation about COVID-19, and perhaps reviewing some basic concepts will allay readers’ fears or at least enhance an understanding of the situation. 1. What is a virus? Viruses are microscopic organisms that do not have the ability to reproduce. Thus, they survive by becoming parasites, invading the cells of host organisms, hijacking the cells’ functions, replicating, and then invading other cells. 2. How are viruses classified? Viruses may be classified according to their microscopic appearance, how they reproduce or what diseases they cause. For example, the AIDS virus (also called HIV), rabies virus and polio virus are named after their respective diseases. The coronavirus, on the other hand, is named after its microscopic appearance, … [Read more...]
The Insurance Companies Don’t Care if my Patients Go Blind
One of the proudest accomplishments of my profession, ophthalmology, is the reduction in blindness from glaucoma. Decades ago, it was common to hear “Uncle John went blind from glaucoma.” Now such tragedies are rare. But now the insurance companies are refusing to pay for the most effective glaucoma medicines while increasing the patients’ deductibles. The result will be that more patients go blind. Unlike many diseases, glaucoma has few symptoms in its initial stages. In most cases, the pressure in the eye is elevated causing damage to the optic nerve, the nerve that transfers visual images from the eye to the brain. Usually, glaucoma affects the peripheral vision first. But many patients don’t notice this as it occurs gradually. This is why ophthalmologists advise all patients to have their eyes checked, even if they have no visual complaints. A simple eye pressure check along with examination of the optic nerve can identify patients at risk for glaucoma. Over the past generation, the pharmaceutical companies … [Read more...]
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