Doctor Column
Different Face Masks and How They Protect Us Against COVID-19
January 25, 2021
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Two hairstylists in Springfield, Missouri complaining of respiratory symptoms tested positive for COVID-19 in May of 2020. They continued working at their job for approximately one week until they got back the positive test results for the virus.
Mask-On: The Reasons I “Don’t Leave Home Without It”
January 15, 2021
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Face masks are “the most powerful public health tool” the country has against COVID-19. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield continued: “We have clear scientific evidence they work and they are our best defense. I might even go so far as to say this face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against COVID than when I take a COVID vaccine.”
Top Ten Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines by the ‘Average Joe’
January 5, 2021
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
“Kindly roll up your sleeve, I’m going to clean the area with an alcohol swab. You’ll feel a pinprick and it’ll be all over. I just want you to remain here for 15 to 30 minutes before leaving.” We’ve heard this spiel many times in the past before getting an injection.
Must Things to Do Before and After Total Knee Replacement Surgery
December 25, 2020
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Having total knee replacement surgery (TKR) is a major undertaking that most likely you’ve been putting off for years. Over time, the pain might now persist throughout the day and even interfere with sleep. You could find it painful to walk, getting up from a chair or out of a car or climbing up and down stairs.
Pets and the Pandemic: Seven Benefits of Pets During COVID-19
December 15, 2020
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Karen and Peter looked forward to celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this past September in Europe. They planned to spend three weeks in Italy beginning in the Lake District of Northern Italy, then onto Venice and from there to Florence and Rome. They were crestfallen when the European Union put a “Do Not Enter Europe” sign on American tourists because of high incidence of COVID-19 in the United States
The “Twindemic” Has Landed: COVID-19 and Influenza
December 5, 2020
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Health experts have predicted the next few months of 2020-2021 will be a “dark winter” in the United States. The confluence, the explosive “twindemic” of COVID-19 and the Flu will cause millions of new cases, a surge in hospitalizations and thousands of additional deaths in this country.
The Importance of Push-Ups as a Risk Factor in Heart Health
November 25, 2020
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
I was watching TV and saw this diminutive 99 year old man, drop to the floor and began doing push-ups. It’s rare that anyone can reach the age of 99 but to do push-ups is another matter indeed. Could push-ups be a link to his longevity and good heart health?
Nobel Prize 2020 Shines Light on Science and Hepatitis C — Understanding the ABC’s of Viral Hepatitis
November 15, 2020
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
On October 5, 2020 three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for their pioneering work in discovering the Hepatitis C virus. Two Americans and one British-born scientist will share this prestigious award as announced by the Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
Monoclonal Antibodies: A COVID’-19 Nemesis?
November 5, 2020
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
When President Donald J. Trump contracted COVID-19 in October of 2020, he was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with a cornucopia of drugs to combat his sickness. They included, as far as we know, Remdesivir, dexamethasone, a monoclonal antibody cocktail plus other medications and supplements to fight off the infection.
Pain 101 — The Basics: How Can We Make Sense of Pain?
October 25, 2020
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Pain tells us that there’s something’s wrong in the body. It has a peculiar way of speaking to us. Whether we complain about a mild headache or the intense, agonizing pain of a fractured thigh bone, it seems to say: “Listen up. It’s for your own good. There may be something terribly wrong going on in the body and you better act quickly to correct the problem.”
