We canceled a long-planned trip scheduled today to Los Angeles to visit our young grandchildren after the NY Times announced that LA County officials this morning declared a state of emergency following the confirmation of six new cases of Covid-19. We all have to carefully reevaluate planned travel and its health risk.
The coronavirus, now called Covid-19, that originated in China last fall, is spreading fairly rapidly and somewhat surreptitiously. It likely is now in the US Northwest. This infection can be serious and cause for self-protection, even though many cases are mild. I update the status and summarize what you can do to protect yourself and your family in this almost unprecedented viral disease outbreak.
A new respiratory virus, coronavirus 2019-nCoV, appeared late last year in China. It is spreading. While cause for concern and preventive action, this does not appear to be cause for panic.
We had a number of staff transitions in 2019. Here is our support team as we start the new year.
Please come to our apple cider pressing event on Sunday October 13 between noon and 3 p.m. at the OHC orchard in Lincoln. Details inside.
NDMA now contaminates ranitidine (Zantac), a common OTC antacid tablet. This is the same chemical that contaminated drugs for blood pressure.
Recent deaths from lung failure related to using vaporized nicotine or marijuana are of great concern. Do not use “vaping” products.
Problems with NDMA contamination of antihypertensive medications such as valsartan continue. You should contact your pharmacy and find out exactly what safe alternatives they currently have so that we can authorize an appropriate substitute.
Measles is making a comeback because of growing failure to immunize all children with the MMR vaccine, which has been available for almost five decades. Measles is serious. We have checked and everyone in Orchard Health Care should be protected.
Low-dose aspirin appears to have little if any benefit in primary prevention of vascular events in older patients while inducing more frequent serious bleeding episodes based on good recent studies. We will advise many (but not all) of you now taking baby aspirin to stop.