Pulmonary Medicine

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD

In the absence of a vaccine or antivirals against COVID-19, controlling its transmission through social distancing has been an essential strategy. And to prove it, a team from the University of Western Australia conducted research using a simulation city which implemented social distancing versus a city without it. Dr. Matt Birnholz summarizes this study's staggering findings.

Published April 1, 2020

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD

The international supply chain of medical equipment and materials has been strained by Asian and European countries already hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why healthcare gear in dire need is now being looked at from a different perspective by university research teams. Listen in as Dr. Matt Birnholz sheds light on innovative ways PPE is being manufactured by Georgia Tech.

Published April 1, 2020

Host: John Russell, MD

Social distancing is surprisingly not a new concept in the United States. As our country geared up for World War I in 1918, social gatherings and parades to support the military were at an all-time high. But as feelings of patriotism spread at these events, so too did influenza. Join Dr. John Russell as he recounts The Tale of Two Cities: Philadelphia and St. Louis and how the spread of influenza was dramatically different between the two cities due to the actions each took to mitigate risk.

Published March 28, 2020

Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D.

Although there are currently no antiviral medicines or vaccines licensed by the FDA for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, some progress has been made as the first investigational therapeutic is to be studied under an FDA-approved NIH adaptive randomized controlled clinical trial for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein reports on this and other investigational therapies.

Published March 27, 2020

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD

Emerging reports are painting a far more complex picture of clinical presentations for COVID-19 than previously thought, stemming to exceptionally high viral loads in nasal cavities. How will this affect the risk profile for otolaryngologists performing essential ENT procedures?

Published March 27, 2020

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD

Healthcare workers face a new threat beyond the difficult prospects of overrun hospitals, PPE shortages, and incidental spread of the virus to their loved ones. As the pandemic escalates, shifting perceptions and moods from the public have put some clinicians in the crosshairs.

Published March 27, 2020

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD

Strategies of self-isolation from caregivers treating patients with COVID-19 are taking an emotional toll, cutting them off from their support networks at a time when workplace stress is at an all-time high. But the alternative, to many, is unthinkable.

Published March 27, 2020

Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D.

As the number of novel coronavirus cases continue to rise on a national and global scale, how is the FDA responding? Pharmacist Dr. Linda Bernstein provides an overview of the FDA’s action plan with the overall goal of collaborating with interagency and international partners, product developers, and global regulators to speed up the development and availability of medical products needed to diagnose, treat, mitigate, and prevent such outbreaks.

Published March 27, 2020

Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD

Guest: Monica Schoch-Spana, PhD

For many, COVID-19 has revealed an anxiety-ridden world of unknowns. Protecting our mental health is just as important as protecting our physical health in this pandemic. But how can we find comfort if we’re inundated with scary messages and physically cut off from people we love? Dr. Monica Schoch-Spana of the Center for Health Security talks to Dr. Josh Sharfstein about caring for ourselves and for vulnerable populations like frontline healthcare providers, friends, and neighbors in quarantine, and those with underlying health conditions like anxiety or depression.

Published March 23, 2020

Host: Joshua Sharfstein, MD

Guest: Jennifer Nuzzo, MD

Why is the response to COVID-19 so much more severe than the response to other outbreaks like H1N1 or SARS? Will a vaccine be more effective than the usual flu vaccine? Has the shortage of available testing been resolved? Are we seeing more cases because of increases in transmission or testing? Why does COVID-19 cause shortness of breath? Can drinking cold water increase your risk of infection?

Jennifer Nuzzo of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security addresses some myths and questions.

Published March 20, 2020