e-Patient Dave

Power to the Patient!

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The Long COVID Survival Guide: essential new book with first-hand patient reality

I’m burning my way through this book, which was just released last week. It’s a compilation of first-person essays and advice from twenty Long COVID patients and experts. Curated by long-hauler Fiona Lowenstein, The Long COVID Survival Guide strikes me as street-level gut-punch practical. I don’t think any of us – patient, family, clinician or government – can feel we understand this condition without reading these essays.

I was hooked when I discovered, in the first patient story, that hives can be a result of Long COVID … which explains the weird, unexplained hives my wife had 4-6 weeks after COVID. Nothing like some front-line patient reality!

That’s a strong example of a big shift that’s happening in medicine: shifting away from expecting doctors to know everything important, and toward doctors actively partnering with the sick people. And by “partnering” I don’t mean asking patients’ opinions: I mean actually sharing the work, acknowledging the value of patients’ work, and sharing decision making – not just on individual cases but on development of remedies and priorities for research.

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Found a bargain CO₂ meter worth having for virus defense

As I’ve blogged before, ventilation is one of the most important defenses against air that might be contaminated with coronavirus or anything else, and a CO₂ monitor is a good way to check it, wherever you are. I’ve bought several models and have taken them with me into stores, restaurants, gyms, doctors’ offices. (Yes, doctors; all the ophthalmologists I’ve visited have bad ventilation, except at Lahey Health. Pharmacies, and doctors’ offices in hospitals, have all been decent, I’m happy to say!)

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Stop being surprised by new COVID variants! Wise up! Vaccinate! Mask up! Gear up!

I’m getting tired of people, governments, and news stories being alarmed every time a new variant arises. This is exactly what smart people have been predicting. It’s what viruses do, especially this one. Expect more of it, adjust your thinking, and take sensible actions!

I don’t know everything but I’ve studied this enough that no recent virus news surprises me, so it appears things have become predictable enough to be manageable if you’re willing to think. If you’re not, then move along … there’s nothing for you here. :-)

Here’s a dump of everything actionable I’ve learned in recent months, for people who want to understand what actions makes sense.

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“A realist adjusts the sails”: my CO₂ monitor, levels at my Y, Osterholm’s podcast, B117

After yesterday’s post on CO₂ monitoring, I’ve been happily surprised at how many people expressed interest. Here’s more on that, and a few updates. Vaccines are rolling out as a new danger arrives; it’s more important than ever to be careful and think clearly.

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Update on CO₂ monitoring for virus protection

Note: tomorrow I’ll have an important update on the coming surge of the B117 variant.

The Washington Post ran a big piece on CO₂ monitors last week, and I felt smug, because I scooped ’em with my Jan 23 post. CO₂ is a good indication of air freshness, which is important because fresh air dilutes any contaminants, including virus particles. Their article:

In a major new pandemic trend, people are turning to carbon dioxide monitoring devices to help assess ventilation quality

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Ventilation for COVID-19 defense, part 2: CO₂ and new warnings

I’ve started compiling all my virus posts into a /covid19 page.

Four months ago in Winter’s coming. Time to talk about ventilation for coronavirus defense, I talked about ventilation (fresh air) and about HEPA filters for cleaning indoor air. Here’s an update, focusing particularly on the latest bee in my bonnet: CO₂ detectors.

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