Dust off your rubber ducky this winter because it’s National Bubble Bath Day on January 8! A lot of us remember bubble baths from our childhoods, and if you’ve never had a bubble bath before then this is definitely a holiday you should try out.

The soapy bubbles of these foaming baths are luxurious, ideal for pampering yourself after a hard day. There’s nothing quite like slipping into the hot water of a bubble bath for a nice relaxing soak in the tub. But let’s be honest —when was the last time you had a bubble bath? Most of us hop into the shower in the morning and zip off to start our day.

We barely even take the time to eat breakfast, let alone spend an hour sitting in the tub getting prune fingers. Showers may be convenient, quick, and easy, but you can’t relax as well standing up, and everybody deserves a little me-time now and then. A hot bubble bath will relax your muscles, refresh your skin, and help with any congestion you might have. It will even clean your bathtub!

For National Bubble Bath Day, join us in celebrating the healthful benefits and all-out luxury of these sudsy soaks.

Read more here. . . .

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

December 29, 2022

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19



(Same as last weeks..... New Podcast next week)

"Thank You, Dr. Jena: Part 2,"

IIn "Thank You, Dr. Jena: Part 2," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the crisis that China is currently facing, the latest influenza data, and what we should expect from this virus in 2023. Dr. Osterholm also interviews Dr. Jena to get an update on the impact that the pandemic continues to have on healthcare workers in the U.S.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

• CHINA IS BEING DEVASTATED BY COVID RIGHT NOW. NEW VARIANTS WILL LIKELY ARISE AND CIRCLE BACK TO THE USA. BOOSTING REMAINS THE BEST APPROACH + MASKING.
• 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 THIS TEST IF YOU HAVE CLASSIC COVID SYMPTOMS.
• MASKS OF THE KN95 AND N95 VARIETY CAN BE HELPFUL. CLOTH MASKS AND SURGICAL MASKS ARE CURRENTLY NOT AS EFFECTIVE WITH DELTA VARIANT 
• THE THREE/FOUR/FIVE VACCINE REGIMEN IS PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST SERIOUS ILLNESS AND HOSPITALIZATION. DEATHS AMONG THE VACCINATED ARE MASSIVELY REDUCED.
• GET YOUR BOOSTERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

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

Even before Hamlin was carried off the field in Cincinnati, posts amassing thousands of shares and millions of views began circulating online claiming without evidence that complications from Covid-19 vaccines caused his health emergency.

Unfounded claims about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines proliferated in the hours and days after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during Monday’s game, revealing how pervasive vaccine misinformation remains three years after the pandemic began.

Even before Hamlin was carried off the field in Cincinnati, posts amassing thousands of shares and millions of views began circulating online claiming without evidence that complications from Covid-19 vaccines caused his health emergency.

While cardiac specialists say it’s too soon to know what caused Hamlin’s heart to stop, they’ve offered a rare type of trauma called commotio cordis as among the possible culprits. Physicians interviewed by The Associated Press say there’s no indication Hamlin’s vaccine status played a role, and said there’s no evidence to support claims that a number of young athletes have died as a result of Covid vaccinations.

Read more here. . . .

A new version of omicron has taken hold in the U.S., according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The subvariant of omicron, named XBB.1.5, has raised concerns about another potential wave of Covid cases following the busy holiday travel season. 

The CDC projected Friday that about 40% of confirmed U.S. Covid cases are caused by the XBB.1.5 strain, up from 20% a week ago. In the Northeast, about 75% of confirmed cases are reported to be XBB.1.5.

It’s not clear yet where this version of omicron came from, but it appears to be spreading quickly here. There’s no indication it causes more severe illness than any other omicron virus, Dr. Barbara Mahon, director of CDC’s Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, told NBC News. 

While overall Covid hospitalizations are rising around the country, areas such as the Northeast that have seen high levels of the new variant have not experienced a disproportionate increase in hospitalizations, Mahon said.

Read more here. . . .

Sander Brus didn't expect a photo of his friend's grandfather's flu diagnosis to go viral. But when he shared the image on Twitter in December, he was bombarded with messages, he said. People in the U.S. wanted to know how to purchase the rapid test in the picture, which simultaneously screened people for three common respiratory viruses: Covid, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and two types of influenza, A and B.

The viruses have circulated widely this winter and share many of the same symptoms, meaning they're often indistinguishable without a diagnostic test. But unlike Covid tests, which are available over the counter, RSV and flu tests must be performed at a doctor’s office or ordered via prescription. And the FDA hasn't authorized an at-home test that can rapidly detect all three viruses at once.

The rapid test from Brus' photo, however, is available in the European Union, and the manufacturer has certified that it meets the E.U.'s health and safety standards.

Brus is the founder of Measie, a diagnostics vendor that sells the test online. The test costs 6.5 euros ($6.92), and the company has sold around 10,000 of them thus far, Brus said.

The test’s manufacturer, Shenzhen Microprofit Biotech Co. Ltd., says it captures 100% of cases that are negative for Covid, flu or RSV — meaning it won't produce false positives — and picks up on 90% of influenza B cases, 92% of influenza A cases, 93% of Covid cases and 95% of RSV cases.

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.

'Pretty Women'

Bathrooms are not often seen in movies. But when they are, they truly hold some of the funniest, most memorable movie moments that stay with you for a long time.

Out of all the movies we have seen, the Pretty Woman bathroom scene has to be our favorite! One of the best classic's of all time.

Just watch it. . . . .