By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury
There can be no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic is ongoing, serious, and unpredictable. But based on current data and past patterns, we can forecast what Spring 2022 might bring and how to best respond.
COVID Wars: Attack of the variants
By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury
As an increasing portion of the global population continues to receive the COVID vaccine, public health experts, government officials, and healthcare professionals continue to monitor variants emerging around the world. With recent spikes of infections in India that have brought devastating death tolls and an overwhelmed healthcare system, it is clear that reaching the “end” of COVID and moving forward into a sense of normalcy will not be a straightforward process.
A global pandemic calls for global response: The importance of equitable global vaccine distribution
By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury
According to the United Nations, 75% of all COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered among just 10 countries, while 130 countries have not received even a single dose of the vaccine, as of mid-February 2021 (Al Jazeera, 2021). Global health and political leaders have condemned this unbalanced distribution of vaccines and are taking action to ensure vaccine equity. Dr. Tebros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said in a recent address, “The world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure—and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world’s poorest countries” (United Nations, 2021).
Managing the effects of pandemic-induced burnout among healthcare professionals
By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, healthcare workers face unprecedented levels of stress, fear, and anxiety. Situations that trigger chronic stress have always been present within the important and weighty work of caring for patients, but routine stressors are now intensified by the serious risks of working on the frontlines of a pandemic. Together, this creates a perfect storm of heightened risk of burnout.
Management and Rehabilitation of Long-Term Effects of COVID-19
By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury
As a society, we have been enduring life in a pandemic for over half a year. Though we have been feeling the effects of COVID-19 for a long time, medically speaking the disease is still very new to us. It is important to remember that our knowledge is still developing regarding the virus and much remains unknown—specifically the long-term effects of the disease.
Identifying and managing high-risk patients during COVID-19
By Dr. Seleem R. Choudhury
More people are infected with and have died from the coronavirus in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world, according to the available data at the time of this article’s publication (Andrew, 2020). Even with these astounding numbers, researchers are almost certain that the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have been significantly undercounted, since individuals with few to no symptoms are rarely tested.
