'Here’s What to Expect From the 2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony'

The Paris Summer Olympic Games are coming to an end this weekend, a moment to be marked with the closing ceremony.

This year’s Games kicked off with a historic opening ceremony on the Seine River, featuring many notable moments, including a moving performance by Celine Dion. The Games themselves weren’t without controversy; a $1.5 billion investment to make the Seine safe for some swimming events sparked anger, frustration, and amusement from the public. After triathlon practice sessions were canceled and the men’s event was postponed a day because of high levels of E. coli in the water, athletes were finally allowed to compete in the famous river.

But the Games were also full of excitement. The U.S. women’s gymnastics team reclaimed gold in the team final; Katie Ledecky beat her own record for the most medals won by an American woman in Olympic history after earning her 14th medal; and two Caribbean countries won their first ever Olympic medals when Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred earned gold in the women’s 100-m sprint and Dominica’s Thea LaFond was awarded gold with a 15.02 meter jump in the triple jump.

After the Olympic Games end, the Paralympics are up next on Aug. 28. Much of what organizers have planned for the Olympic closing ceremony will be a surprise, but here’s everything we know so far.

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 11, 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

August 8, 2024

'COVID-19 & H5N1: What's Going On?'

IIn this episode, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the current COVID-19 and H5N1 trends, answer a listener question about influenza vaccination, and share the latest news on a listeria outbreak linked to deli meat.

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.

 Four years after the SARS-CoV2 sparked a devastating global pandemic, U.S. health officials now consider COVID-19 an endemic disease.

"At this point, COVID-19 can be described as endemic throughout the world," says Aron Hall, the deputy director for science at the CDC's coronavirus and other respiratory viruses division, told NPR in an interview.

That means, essentially, that COVID is here to stay in predictable ways.

The classification doesn't change any official recommendations or guidelines for how people should respond to the virus. But the categorization does acknowledge that the SARS-CoV2 virus that causes COVID will continue to circulate and cause illness indefinitely, underscoring the importance of people getting vaccinated and taking other steps to reduce their risk for the foreseeable future.

"It is still a very significant problem, but one that can now be managed against the backdrop of many public health threats and not as sort of a singular pandemic threat,” Hall says. “And so how we approach COVID-19 is very similar to how we approach other endemic diseases."

Ever since the coronavirus exploded around the globe, officials have been referring to COVID as a “pandemic,” which occurs when a dangerous new disease is spreading widely in different countries.

The definition of “endemic” is fuzzier, but generally refers to a disease that’s become entrenched in places, like malaria is in many parts of Central and South America and sub-Saharan Africa, forcing people to learn how to live with it.

Many hoped the Paris Olympics would be the post-COVID Games. Instead they seem to be the ‘’who cares about COVID’’ Games.

Noah Lyles won a bronze with the virus in front of tens of thousands of spectators, and dozens of other athletes at the Games have tested positive. But organizers have only issued health recommendations, and no restrictions, allowing athletes to compete if they wish and are able to.

This comes in sharp contrast with the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, which had to be delayed by a year due to the global pandemic and were held under intense COVID-19 regulations — and no fans allowed at any events. Six months later, the Winter Games in Beijing had even stricter protocols because of China’s zero-tolerance policy.

In Paris, the Olympics recall pre-COVID times. French people have revived the double-cheeked greeting embrace — “la bise.” Fans joyfully reach out at venues to slap athletes’ hands. Masks are rarely seen in crowds of supporters, and people from across the world could come to France without proof of vaccines or negative virus tests.

The World Health Organization said earlier this week that at least 40 athletes at the Olympics had tested positive for the virus, amid growing cases worldwide.

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

 An outbreak of Valley fever among attendees and workers at an outdoor music festival in California’s Central Valley highlights the fungal infection’s mounting threat.

Fourteen people who traveled to attend or work at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival in Bakersfield in May have tested positive for Valley fever and developed symptoms, the California Department of Public Health told NBC News on Thursday. At least three of them were hospitalized. 



“About a week after getting back from the festival, I just got hit with crazy body aches and crazy fevers,” said Eric Mattson, 33, a musician in San Luis Obispo, who said he attended the festival this year. He tested positive for Valley fever last month.

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

Y

2024 Paris Olympics:

What to know about the Closing Ceremony

Enjoy the Closing Ceremony Tonight &

Stay Safe!