HANTA & WHAT’S NEXT

By now, we’ve had a chance to brush up on the Hanta virus, esp. the Andes variety which caused a mini-epidemic on the arctic cruise ship MV Hondius.  Named after Hantaan, the river in South Korea where the disease first emerged, we give credit to Dr. Ho Wang Lee, the Continue reading HANTA & WHAT’S NEXT

Ensitrelvir for Covid Prevention: This Emperor Has No Clothes

Just imagine you were tasked to conduct a seasonal flu study in household contacts of a symptomatic index case.  Your intervention may be (your choice): pre-season vaccination, pre-exposure prophylaxis, or some non-anti-infective protective measure such as wearing a face mask, taking a vitamin or analgesic that is believed to confer Continue reading Ensitrelvir for Covid Prevention: This Emperor Has No Clothes

Some Thoughts about the New Coronavirus Syndrome and its Transmission

First and upfront, let’s call this virus WARS*, which stands for Wuhan Associated Respiratory Syndrome.  President Xi Jingping called for a war against the new virus, and a war it is.  Therefore our acronym makes intuitive sense.  The naming of new viruses is getting politized and silly: yes, we need Continue reading Some Thoughts about the New Coronavirus Syndrome and its Transmission