HIV and ID Observations

April 4th, 2021

More Excellent News on COVID-19 Vaccines — and Baseball Gets a Policy Right

Big announcement this week from CDC, saying that people who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 can safely travel. Of course many didn’t need this permission, as data increasingly show the vaccines not only powerfully protect you, but protect others. But having official endorsement from our cautious federal health agency surely means the data are especially strong. […]

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August 20th, 2017

Two Quick Thoughts Inspired by Inpatient ID Consults, and An Inspirational Baseball Poster

A couple of quick thoughts for those of us doing inpatient care these days: Thought One:  Is daptomycin now preferred over vancomycin in most clinical settings?  It’s taken a while, but we’re getting there — close to that Gladwelllian “tipping point”.  Allow this recap of vancomycin’s problems: The growing recognition that higher drug levels — the levels we […]

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May 8th, 2016

Zika, Baseball, and Waiting for a “New Normal”

I received an email from someone who’s known me a very long time. Hint:  She’s known me longer than anyone. Literally. Here’s the email: Baseball cancelled in Puerto Rico because of Zika. This story has you written all over it. (To use a cliche.) Mom I told you she knew me well! For those not obsessed with this silly game to […]

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March 27th, 2016

One-Week-to-Baseball ID Link-o-Rama

(Important note:  Title has nothing to do with this post’s content. I just felt like writing something about baseball.) As some of us eagerly await the start of the 2016 baseball season — especially Cubs fans — here are some ID/HIV items yearning to shag flies, toss around the horsehide, and play some pepper: Famous anti-vaxxer — and notorious scientific fraud — […]

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August 6th, 2013

Nelson Cruz and Yet Another ID-Baseball Link

Texas slugger Nelson Cruz is one of the Biogenesis gang just suspended from baseball for use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). For those who care about these things, he’s also probably the most important player from the banned list, since he’s 1) very good and 2) on a team in contention for a playoff spot. For those who […]

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March 15th, 2013

Tom Seaver Has Lyme Disease, and the Baseball, ID, and Wine Trifecta

In my never ending quest to link up various passions in life — especially baseball and Infectious Diseases — I bring you this news story: But for Seaver, after months of private denial, the scariest incident came when his head vineyard worker, who has been with him for seven years, came into the house one morning. […]

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August 24th, 2011

Hepatitis C and … Baseball?

From the prolific folks at NATAP came this surprising announcement: The Cardinals are stepping up to the plate against Hepatitis C. Starting Monday, August 22, fans will be able to get free Hepatitis C screenings at Busch Stadium. It’s part of a nationwide effort by Major League Baseball to bring attention to the causes and treatment of Hepatitis C. […]

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October 5th, 2009

No Baseball Tonight

“Are you writing another funny blog post because there’s no baseball?” asks my son J. As “funny” is very much in the eye of the beholder, that remains to be seen.  But here are a few things on my mind the last few days: No data supporting N95 over surgical masks for flu.  One huge logistical issue […]

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October 8th, 2023

An October ID (and Non-ID) Link-o-Rama

For those venturing next week to IDWeek here in Boston, fall gives us our very best weather. Comfortable sunny days with brilliant blue skies, cool evenings, low humidity — great weather for exercising and sleeping. Usually you just need a light jacket. And now, after one of the rainiest Septembers on record (boo!), October has […]

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June 8th, 2023

Fifteen Years Later, Why I’m Still Writing This

Seems like just yesterday that my wonderful editors at NEJM Journal Watch helped me write a piece marking this site’s 10-year anniversary. But no — that was 5 years ago. Yikes. Let’s see, what happened since the spring of 2018 that is relevant to this place: 216 posts. According to our crack research team, that’s one every 8.449074 […]

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