While everyone is anxious to resume a more normal holiday season this year, COVID-19 numbers continue to increase in our communities. As we enter a season of holiday parties and gatherings, consider these tips on how to celebrate safely with…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now support booster doses of all three types of COVID-19 vaccine available in the United States. What does this mean, and who should get booster…
If you’ve ever been prescribed an antibiotic for an infection, you know how effective these medications can be. But they don’t work for every illness—including COVID-19. “Patients with COVID-19 sometimes ask us to prescribe antibiotics because they believe this will…
While there isn’t enough data to show that people with diabetes are more likely to contract COVID-19, the evidence does show they are likely to suffer worse complications that tend to deteriorate more rapidly. The American Diabetes Association notes the…
You may only be aware of immunizations, or vaccinations, in children, but on-time vaccination is important in children and adults. You can protect yourself and your family against vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, cancers caused by HPV and influenza. Speak with…
If you’ve recovered from COVID-19 in the past, you may be wondering if it’s really necessary to get vaccinated. Compelling new research suggests the answer is “yes.” While being sick with COVID-19 creates antibodies that protect against future illness, it’s…
Family nurse practitioner Gina White, DNP, had concerns when the COVID-19 vaccine was released under Emergency Authorization. But when evidence showed the Delta variant was targeting children and sparking rapid respiratory decline, she and her husband made the decision to…
Brian Su, 55, a Springfield businessman, never quite believed COVID-19 would reach the United States. Once the pandemic took hold here, he questioned the safety of vaccines until the virus nearly took his life and threatened to rob his wife…
The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus has prompted new warnings from health officials and renewed lockdowns in parts of the world. It’s now the dominant COVID-19 strain, accounting for more than 83% of new cases in the United States. Infection prevention experts at Memorial…
Four days before testing positive for COVID-19, Bill Jones walked half a mile to his deer stand, shot a deer and hauled the carcass back to his vehicle himself. “No problem,” the 59-year-old Taylorville man said. In the days that…