It’s hard to find. There’s a lot of uncertainty about how to best protect ourselves from public health threats. Is it dangerous to go grocery shopping because of the risk of contracting some new COVID variant or it the greater risk being shot by some deranged MoFo with an AR-15 or AK-47? Who knows?
Neither the CDC nor the FDA have yet made a definitive statement regarding taking a second bi-valent COVID booster. Some, but not all, medical experts recommend one for those of us over age 50. Although many say that there is no need for masks anymore, I still wear mine given that there are still hundreds of COVID deaths each day – the majority in people my age or older.
There is little, if any, Influenza or RSV circulating these days. Most folks with cold-like respiratory symptoms either have a simple cold or they have COVID. The only way to know is to test at least on two days, if the first test is negative. If your test is positive, seek a prescription for Paxlovid at your pharmacy. If you are obese (BMI>30), talk to your PCP about taking a course of Metformin to avoid severe COVID.
I and most physicians received a heads-up from the CDC regarding two outbreaks of Marburg virus and related Ravn virus in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. These are viruses related to Ebola, highly deadly, and for which there is neither treatment nor vaccine. I hate it when that happens. There have not yet been reports of either disease outside these outbreak areas, but if they occur, another pandemic response will need to be marshalled. I mention these distant threats lest we all get too secure and start taking our good health for granted – never a good idea.
It’s hard to know what to do to stay safe. I still wear a mask in public. My brother carries his concealed pistol everywhere that it is allowed. Sigh.