'National White Wine Day'

Sipping on that chilled, light and refreshing beverage is like a delightful escape to a relaxing oasis. Cheers to good times!

There is a positive rainbow of wines in the world, but none so sweet and fair as those that are deemed white.

Make no mistake, white wines are rarely if ever truly white in color, but instead are beautiful varieties of straw-yellow, gold, or yellow-green.

National White Wine Day was created to help celebrate this wine that stands out from all others.

Telehealth Visits

Dr. Lakin is using ZOOM,

FACETIME and WHATSAPP to connect with you

for a 'Telehealth' visit if needed.

You can connect using your iPad, iPhone, Android phone, a laptop, or a PC with a camera.

August 4, 2024

COVID STRAIN IS VERY CONTAGIOUS AND IS PRESENT THROUGHOUT ARIZONA… WE ARE SEEING SEVERAL EACH WEEK, MOST DUE TO TRAVEL OR LARGE EVENT ATTENDANCE.

IF YOU GET SICK AFTER TRAVEL OR ATTENDING A BIG GATHERING… DO A COVID TEST.

ALL DOING WELL.  BE PROACTIVE TO PREVENT NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION.

• I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH… IF YOU DON’T WANT COVID FROM TRAVEL… WEAR A MASK IN THE AIRPORT CROWDS AND ON THE AIRPLANE (UNTIL 10,000 FEET)… THIS IS NOT AS ESSENTIAL AS IT WAS WHEN COVID WAS MORE PREVALENT… BUT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID INFECTIONS IN GENERAL DURING TRAVEL... IT’S A RECOMMENDATION.

• EVEN SELECTIVE MASK USE WORKS WELL… SUCH AS ONLY IN CROWDED SPACES IN THE AIRPORT, AND DURING TRAVEL ‘TO’ YOUR DESTINATION, SO THAT YOU ARE NOT ILL DURING YOU VACATION/TRAVEL TIME.  LESS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU RETURN FROM VACATION.

• GET BOOSTED IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO…PARTICULARLY OVER AGE 65 WITH HEALTH ISSUES OR OVER 75 WITHOUT HEALTH ISSUES.  EVERY 6 MONTHS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS GROUP. 

• IF YOU WERE BOOSTED IN MARCH/APRIL… MAXIMUM PROTECTION IS TO GET ANOTHER SHOT IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER WHEN THE NEWEST/UPDATED VERSION IS AVAILABLE

• FLU SEASON IS OVER… NO MORE FLU SHOTS NOW, BUT CAN BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER FOR OUR NEXT, UPCOMING FLU SEASON

• VERY LITTLE RSV IN THE VALLEY.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A COLD OR RESPIRATORY INFECTION RIGHT NOW…. YOU MAY WELL HAVE COVID. PLEASE DO A COVID TEST TO CHECK AT HOME.  

ALMOST ALL DOING WELL, BUT WE ARE SEEING A FEW PEOPLE NEED THE HOSPITAL TO RECOVER. 

THE CURRENT COVID VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.

  IT IS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM HAVING A MORE DIFFICULT TIME WITH INFECTION AND KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

I RECOMMEND THE COVID BOOSTER GENERALLY FOR THOSE OVER 65. BUT…

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A BOOSTER FOR THOSE 80 & OLDER.

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BOOSTER FOR THOSE OVER 65 WITH HEART FAILURE, SIGNIFICANT LUNG CONDITIONS, AND DIABETES.

CONSIDER BOOSTING WITH THE NEW COVID VACCINE TO REDUCE RISK OF COVID AND TO REDUCE COVID SYMPTOM SEVERITY. NEW COVID VACCINE AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER

TOP PODCAST DONE WEEKLY

BY DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM

(UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA)  

He is a world-renowned epidemiologist who was credited with first elucidating TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME in the 1980’s.

He provides comprehensive and understandable/actionable ideas related to COVID.

Dr. Osterholm Update: COVID-19 Podcast

July 25, 2024

(Same as last Week's. . . New Podcast next week!)

'Class is Not Dismissed'

In "Class is Not Dismissed," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall review the latest trends in COVID-19 and discuss new human cases of H5N1 influenza. Dr. Osterholm also answers an ID Query on Paxlovid eligibility and shares his perspective on timing the next dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

•  GET YOUR LATEST AVAILABLE BOOSTER IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID OR IT’S BEEN LONGER THAN 4 MONTHS SINCE YOU HAD COVID YOURSELF

•  A GOOD MASK, N95 OF KN95, DOES HELP REDUCE TRANSMISSION…. USE IT AT HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS

• GOOD VENTILATION IN ROOMS/HOME/BUSINESSES IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION

• VACCINE, VACCINE, VACCINE…THIS IS OUR PROTECTION. ALL VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AND WITH TIME WE ARE SEEING THAT

• BOOST, BOOST, BOOST…THIS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECURRING SURGE AND TO RAISE ANTIBODY LEVELS IN THOSE ALREADY SET WITH THE PRIMARY COVID VACCINE SERIES.

• ANTIGEN TESTING IS USEFUL, BUT OF LIMITED VALUE. DON’T DEPEND ON IT…BUT USE IT.

Know that unvaccinated remain a source of potential infection. Avoiding unvaccinated persons will reduce your risk of COVID.

 As the majority of the country experience a surge in COVID-19 cases, more people testing positive might be seeking out relief through treatment drugs like Paxlovid. Following an announcement from Paxlovid’s manufacturer Pfizer last fall, the drug’s costs jumped after transitioning to the commercial market.

Here’s what you need to know about those cost changes and how to access it.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported individuals on Medicare, Medicaid and those uninsured will be able to receive Paxlovid doses procured by HHS for free through the end of this year. Between 2025 and 2028, HHS officials said Pfizer will continues its patient assistance program for uninsured and underinsured people accessing Paxlovid through HHS’ supply.

HHS added Pfizer is poised to run a copay assistance program for those with commercial insurance coverage through 2028.

The number of measles cases recorded this year is more than triple the total from all of last year — with five months still to go.

According to data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 188 cases have been reported in 26 states and Washington, D.C. No deaths have been reported, but 93 people have been hospitalized — mostly children under 5 years old.

The U.S. has seen 13 measles outbreaks this year, the largest of which took off at a migrant shelter in Chicago in March and was linked to more than 60 cases.

This month, measles cases have been reported in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and Vermont. Massachusetts’ case was the first in the state since early 2020.

Last year, there were only four measles outbreaks in the U.S. and 58 cases in total.

After you received your COVID or any other vaccination outside our office, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.



What we need:

1. Your name
2. Name & date of vaccination received
3. Brand name
4. Lot number if available
5. Which dose you have received

 Since 2020, the condition known as long COVID-19 has become a widespread disability affecting the health and quality of life of millions of people across the globe and costing economies billions of dollars in reduced productivity of employees and an overall drop in the work force.

The intense scientific effort that long COVID sparked has resulted in more than 24,000 scientific publications, making it the most researched health condition in any four years of recorded human history.

Long COVID is a term that describes the constellation of long-term health effects caused by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These range from persistent respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath, to debilitating fatigue or brain fog that limits people’s ability to work, and conditions such as heart failure and diabetes, which are known to last a lifetime.

We Are Here to Take Care of Your Healthcare Needs.

We Are Here to Serve!

Our office is using techniques to reduce exposure to a minimum during your visit. These include: 

• Multiple Super-HEPA filters to filter out potential virus and

particles in the office.

• High Level UV light air cleansing in the office to eliminate

bacteria and viruses in the air.

OUR OFFICE SCHEDULE  

DOORS OPEN     

7AM - 4PM Monday through Thursday

7AM - 11AM Friday

IN OFFICE

APPOINTMENTS: MONDAY – THURSDAY

7AM – 11:15AM & 1PM – 3:30PM

APPOINTMENTS: FRIDAY

7AM – 10:30 AM

DR. LAKIN WILL CONTINUE ‘TELEHEALTH’ VISITS WITH FaceTime, WhatsApp or ZOOM WHEN NEEDED.

SUMMARY OF A COVID KIT & CHECK LIST:

This is what you should have at home to prepare for possible COVID, to monitor yourself if you were to get infected:

DIGITAL ORAL THERMOMETER: MANY BRANDS ARE FINE…HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

PULSE OXIMETER:  TO CHECK OXYGEN LEVELS. MANY BRANDS ARE FINE...HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:



OTHER ITEMS FROM THE HOME MEDICAL KIT:

• TYLENOL, ADVIL, OR ALEVE
• Sudafed 30mg tablets
• Chlorpheniramine 4mg tablets
• Robitussin DM syrup
• Imodium AD

'Find Your Type of White Wine'

From Pinot Grigio to Gewürztraminer, and even orange wines, there is something for everyone in the diverse world of white wine.

1. Pinot Grigio - Also known as Pinot Gris, it’s the prototypical crisp dry white wine, but there’s more to this grape than meets the eye.

2. Sauvignon Blanc - Famed for its green aromatics of cut grass, gooseberry and even bell pepper, you’ll find Sauvignon Blanc pairs excellently with southeast Asian cuisine.

3. Riesling - A great choice to match with Indian cuisine and Spicy Thai, Riesling exudes rich peach and apricot aromatics and ranges from bone dry to very sweet.

4. Gewürztraminer - The most floral popular white wine with aromas of roses and potpourri. Surprisingly, many of these wines are bone dry!

5. Chardonnay - The fullest body of the white wines, not because of the grape but because of the winemaking method. Aging in oak adds richness to these wines.

6. Orange wine - a newly popular but ancient white winemaking method that allows white grapes to ferment like red wines. These wines have rich color and flavor from the skins.

Stay Safe!