National Chocolate Caramel Day!

National Chocolate Caramel Day falls on March 19 and is a fun way to enjoy mouthwatering sugary treats. From cookies to brownies, ice creams, and milkshakes, the irresistible combination of chocolate and caramel never fails to impress those with a sweet tooth. While chocolate has been around since ancient times, the invention of caramel had to wait until the European settlers emigrated to the New World.

The combination of the two flavors by a clever confectioner gave us delicious chocolate caramel candy.

Read more here. . . .

March 19, 2023

THE CROWDS ARE GONE…AND VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE MASKING, BUT THE VIRUS REMAINS AROUND……IT’S NOT FINISHED WITH US…ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID YET.

 CONSIDER WEARING A GOOD MASK (KN95 OR N95) SELECTIVELY AT BUSY INDOOR LOCATIONS TO STAY HEALTHY. IF GOOD VENTILATION, OPEN SPACES…NO NEED TO MASK AS A GENERAL RULE.

CONTINUE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE AND GO OUT AND ABOUT AS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE…… AND YOU SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING SO.

IF YOU HAVE HAD 5 COVID SHOTS….THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL SHOTS AT THIS TIME AND YOU CANNOT GET ANOTHER VACCINE AT THIS TIME.  WE AWAIT WORD ON PLAN FOR ANY ADDITIONAL VACCINATIONS. WE ANTICIPATE COVID VACCINATIONS WILL BE EITHER ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR

IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID AND NOT HAD 5 SHOTS…AND ARE OVER 65…THE DATA IS COMPELLING THAT ADDITIONAL SHOTS WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.

FLU IS ON THE DECLINE AND LEAVING THE VALLEY.   RSV IS LOW…

COVID REMAINS STABLE IN ARIZONA AT MODERATE LEVELS.   WE ARE NOW SEEING 10 CASES OF COVID PER WEEK AMONG OUR PATIENTS AND MOSTLY AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE NOT YET HAD COVID.  

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO GET ANOTHER COVID BOOSTER. DATA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT IT’S USE AND BENEFITS.

IF YOU ARE OVER 65 YOU SHOULD GET 5 SHOTS IN TOTAL…. THE DATA SUPPORTS THIS.

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

March 9, 2023

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/episode-126-truth-midst-political-theate

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



'Truth in the Midst of Political Theater'

In this episode, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the state of the pandemic in the US and around the world, the role of booster doses and masks in the months ahead, and the debate on the origin of the pandemic.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

• 5 VACCINATIONS IS THE MAXIMUM AT THIS TIME.  I ANTICIPATE THEY WILL RECOMMEND EITHER ONCE A YEAR OR TWICE A YEAR VACCINATIONS BUT WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR.
• 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 THE J&J VACCINE IS PICKING UP STEAM AND GIVES SOLID LONG-TERM PROTECTION.
• 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.

After you received your COVID vaccinations, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.



BUT FIRST.......

PLEASE COMPLETE THE INFORMATION ON THE CARD BEFORE YOU SEND IT TO US!

What we need:

1. Your name
2. Date vaccination received
3. Brand name
4. Lot number if available
5. Which dose you have received

**Email your COVID vaccine completed info HERE

Advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration voted 16-1 on Thursday in support of full approval of Paxlovid, stating that the benefits outweigh the risks of the drug for treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in adults who are at high risk for severe disease, including hospitalization and death.

Before the antiviral medication is fully approved, the FDA – which typically follows the recommendations of its independent advisory committee – must conduct its own review. That’s expected to wrap up in May.

More than 8 million people in the US have received Paxlovid, a combination of the drugs nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, since it became available under emergency use authorization in December 2021.

Read more here. . . .

At our office, we are continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will strive for ways to keep our patients and staff safe.



We recommend that all unvaccinated and vaccinated patients and visitors entering our office cover their nose and mouth at all times.

To prevent further spread of the Delta & Omicron variants, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on March 21, 2022, to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks when in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of Covid-19.

We have a limited supply of paper masks and will make these available to patients while they last, however, we encourage you to bring your own facial covering.

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:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Thermometer-Reading-Waterproof-Indicator/dp/B087T3S4TR/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=THERMOMETER&qid=1597159324&sr=8-6

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

https://www.amazon.com/Innovo-Fingertip-Oximeter-Plethysmograph-Perfusion/dp/B07YVGZPRZ/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=PULSE+OXI&qid=1597159388&sr=8-20

OTHER ITEMS FROM THE HOME MEDICAL KIT:

·       TYLENOL, ADVIL, OR ALEVE

·       Sudafed 30mg tablets

·       Chlorpheniramine 4mg tablets

·       Robitussin DM syrup

·       Imodium AD

**CLICK HERE TO READ COMPLETE INFORMATION

Chocolate Caramel Cake Recipe

Stay Safe!