Mayo Clinic Talks31 Mars 2022

Mayo Clinic Q&A: COVID-19 metrics improve, expert still urges caution

This episode is shared from Mayo Clinic Q&A and was recorded in March 2022

Guest: Gregory A. Poland, M.D. (@drgregpoland)

Host: Halena M. Gazelka, M.D. (@hmgazelkamd)

Hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 continue to decline, leading to some optimism about the way forward from pandemic to endemic. But experts still urge caution as the omicron subvariant, named BA.2, has quickly become the dominant strain in the U.S.

"When you look around the nation, all of the metrics, with the exception of BA.2, have fallen precipitously," explains Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "But we need to be very cautious about pretending that the pandemic is over."

Dr. Poland explains that each time there has been a waning number of COVID-19 infections, people have let down their guard and relaxed precautions, which has led to another surge. Dr. Poland still recommends masking in crowded indoor settings and urges people to be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 to reduce the chance of infection.

"We're just coming down into a quiet period," says Dr. Poland. "But every time we've seen this set of markers in the past, we've had a new variant that's caused a surge. The question is, will it be BA.2, one of the newer variants that have been identified, or something completely unexpected? We just don't know."

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland discusses the latest COVID-19 news including potential changes to booster recommendations, data on vaccine protection for pregnant women, and the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(500)

Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Regis Fernandes, M.D. We’ve known for some time that patients who have hypertension and diabetes are at increased risk for developing subsequent cardiovascular di...

30 Juni 29min

Common Pickleball Injuries

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Joshua M. Romero, M.D. Pickleball has become one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., especially among older adults. This rapid rise in popularity has also ...

23 Juni 26min

Vector-Borne Illnesses

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Stacey Rizza, M.D. Although vector-borne illnesses can be acquired by travel to distant parts of the world, some can be acquired here in the U.S. As a result, the...

18 Juni 21min

Update on Lyme Disease

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Stacey Rizza, M.D. Lyme Disease is a tick-borne illness commonly seen in various parts of the country. Despite its common occurrence in the primary care practice,...

16 Juni 28min

Ebola Virus

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Stacey Rizza, M.D. We’ve now had our second outbreak of a potentially deadly infectious disease. Hantavirus has been diagnosed in several individuals and most rec...

9 Juni 31min

Addiction Care & Empowering the Non-Specialist

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Benjamin Lai, M.D. Substance use disorders are chronic and often relapsing conditions associated with compulsive substance use. They result from a complex interac...

2 Juni 28min

Fibromyalgia

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. Guest: Michael Mueller, M.D. Fibromyalgia is a chronic health problem commonly seen in a primary care setting. It can be challenging to diagnose and even more so to mana...

26 Maj 33min

Bladder Cancer

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D Guest: Mark D. Tyson, III, M.D., M.P.H. Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and primary care clinicians are often the first to evaluate patie...

21 Maj 28min