There has been a lot of focus recently in the press about treatment of Covid particularly with monoclonal antibody medications like Paxlovid, and much less emphasis on continued vigilance and prevention. “Treatment” is sadly the whole basis of “modern” western medicine which is not healthcare, but rather sickcare. More accurately, western medicine is “disease management”. We doctors do little to promote disease reversal, let alone disease prevention, and are too quick to simply prescribe a medication or recommend a surgical procedure. And our continued expanding waistlines, chronic disease rate and massive healthcare costs are evidence of that. 10% of 5 year-olds already being obese? Where are we heading?
Case in point is a recent multi-country study looking at elective stent placement or cardiac bypass surgery to treat heart disease. These procedures can be life saving in an acute setting, but electively, there is no proof that they help if you continue living the life you lived before. I just saw a 60 year-old in the last few weeks who had 6 bypasses. That’s 6 heart vessels deemed diseased enough to bypass!!! When I asked him about whether lifestyle changes were discussed, the answer was shockingly no. In fact, he said that the surgeon literally said the next morning after surgery as he was recovering in the ICU that “you have 6 new pipes. You’re good to go”. WTF? In my opinion, that is malpractice.
Getting back to Covid, initial information seemed to indicate that the antivirals were not effective against the Ba.2 Omicron variant but that seems not to be the case. Although these antiviral medications can really reduce the severity of disease and can potentially save a life, they don’t protect you from getting sick in the first place, which should continue to be our focus. Instead, we seem to have given up and are responding to public fatigue and rebellion against masking, vaccination and other important means of protection.
Oh well. Let’s just carry on. Business as usual. And if you get sick, hopefully you’ll do OK, if you can even get these meds in the first place. Maybe society is OK with that, but I am not. Nor should our scientific and medical organizations who pass out this information and give advice.
The evidence continues to support the importance, value and safety of vaccination.
The evidence continues to support the importance and value of proper masking.
The evidence continues to show that people are still dying from this disease and, once again, case numbers are on the rise.
Waving the banner is getting pretty frustrating and tiring, but I’ll keep doing it. Because it’s worth it. We’re all worth it.
I’m going offline for a bit.
Stay safe and be well.
AC