I’m writing weekly for Medium about my experiences as an emergency medicine doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can read my previous posts on vaccine inequities, the variants, and more, here.

Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 two months ago was a huge relief. As an emergency medicine doctor, it came with the comfort that caring for Covid-19 patients would carry less risk. It also came with a white card proving I’d been vaccinated. I felt certain this small card would be my pass to Big Things. To date, I haven’t yet had to prove my vaccination status. That will soon change.

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I’m writing weekly for Medium about my experiences as an emergency medicine doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can read my previous posts on vaccine passports, why this summer will be really weird, and more, here.

The joint recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 13 to “pause” the use of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Janssen vaccine was a very unwelcome surprise.

Prior to the announcement, the pace of vaccination had been expanding every week, partly due to the increased supply of the J&J vaccine. Soon every adult…

I’m writing weekly for Medium about my experiences as an emergency medicine doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can read my previous posts on vaccine inequities, the return to “normal” life, and more, here.

A month ago I wrote that the next phase of the pandemic hinged on vaccines, variants, and how well we followed the public health measures necessary to keep Covid-19 in check. Since then it’s become increasingly clear this summer will be amazing (even if a little weird). What’s less clear is how this spring will shake out with respect to Covid in the U.S.

So let’s…

I’ve seen countless severe Covid-19 patients struggling to breathe. When they come into the emergency room, we immediately put an oxygen face mask on them and hook it to the wall. A quick turn of a bedside valve and oxygen rushes forward, quickly filling the patient’s lungs. In many cases, the improvement in the patient’s condition is immediate and dramatic.

In turning that valve, I never worry about the supply of oxygen running out. But my health care colleagues around the world aren’t so lucky.

Despite oxygen being one of the most abundant substances on Earth, people around the world…

Pandemic Reflections

In New York City, the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed on March 1, 2020. Today, on the one year anniversary, I wrote myself a letter. This is what I wish I could have told myself at the start of the pandemic.

Get ready. Sleep more. Spend extra time with the family. Cherish every minute. Things are about to get weird. It won’t be okay for a while.

As a doctor in the emergency room, the next year will test every part of you. This pandemic will strip your energy. It will eat away time from your family. Make you…

I’ve treated hundreds of Covid patients in my emergency room. I saw many say goodbye to their family over grainy FaceTime videos. I’m as eager as anyone to see the end of this pandemic. Thankfully, that may be in sight.

Covid cases and hospitalizations are dropping. Vaccines are getting into arms. So, what happens next?

Some experts are warning of a fierce fourth wave driven by viral variants. Others believe the worst is behind us and Covid will fade in the coming months.

The truth is: The next phase depends on a balance of vaccines, variants, and continued adherence to…

I’ve personally received more doses of a Covid-19 vaccine than 130 countries. While most of the world is still waiting for its first vaccine shipment, the United States currently administers 1.7 million doses per day, a substantial increase from the first weeks of our vaccine rollout when only health care workers like myself were vaccinated. But despite this improvement in speed, the rollout has been plagued by inequities, with populations most impacted by Covid facing the greatest hurdles. The inequities are even more staggering on the global stage.

The stark imbalance between the rapidly expanding rollouts in wealthy countries and…

The early days of infectious disease outbreaks demand immediate action. Even after managing the initial chaos, it can be difficult to catch your breath and find time to reflect. Unless you end up in the hospital with nothing else to do.

In late 2014, I spent 19 days battling a virus that kills the majority of people it infects. In the beginning, every day brought more bad news. Liver failing. Then kidneys, too. Feeling weaker and weaker. Time paradoxically slows down when the odds are you’ll be dead in a few days. A health care provider in full protective gear…