In this Email
- “Live Soundly, Sleep Soundly“
- “HCQ and COVID-19: What Does the Evidence Show?“
- Covid-19 mRNA Vaccine Update
An article on sleep: “Live Soundly, Sleep Soundly“
Countless articles have been written on sleep, so why write another? I have several reasons, but the main reason is that I wanted to share two ideas that I think are often overlooked in discussions on sleep: i) sleep as a contextual value ii) sound sleep as a result of sound living.
Read the article for more discussion of these points. I also review some remarkable cases of sleep deprivation, and I discuss my experience with other tactics that can either promote or reduce the quantity and quality of sleep:
- Cognitive Off-Loading
- Timing
- Preparation
- Light
- Temperature
- Nutrition
- Caffeine
- Exercise
You can read the article here.
HCQ and COVID-19: What Does the Evidence Show?
Hydroxychloroquine was in the news for months as a drug that many thought safe and effective for the prevention and/or treatment of Covid-19. There were several controversies and scandals with regard to this drug. Recall that it was initially given an EUA (emergency use authorization) by the FDA which was then revoked. There was also the Surgisphere scandal in which two articles published in major journals (NEJM and Lancet) were retracted when it was discovered that the firm supplying the data (Surgisphere) was a sham and the data was fabricated. Then some states and pharmacy boards temporarily banned use of the drug for the treatment of Covid-19.
The controversy continued in the mainstream media, with some outlets saying the drug was a failure, and others interviewing experts who said that the FDA (and others – like pharmaceutical companies) suppressed the use of an effective drug. These stories eventually died down as they were replaced with other stories. And, now that vaccines are around the corner, you’re unlikely to hear of it again. But, it’s important to know – was there a conspiracy? Is the drug effective? I did my best to answer this question for myself and my clients, and though it might be on the late side, my article was published in a periodical called “The Objective Standard.” You can read the article here.
Covid-19 mRNA Vaccine Update
Two weeks ago, I published an article reviewing the data on the mRNA vaccine for Covid-19. Most of the data I reviewed at that time was with regard to the Moderna vaccine.
In the interim, additional information has been released in NEJM about the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine demonstrating a similar safety and efficacy profile. You can read that NEJM article here.
Another article in NEJM was released on December 3, 2020 demonstrating persistent antibody mediated immunity for Sars-CoV-2 induced by the Moderna vaccine up to 119 days after the first vaccination. Here is an excerpt:
At day 119, the binding and neutralizing GMTs exceeded the median GMTs in a panel of 41 controls who were convalescing from Covid-19, with a median of 34 days since diagnosis (range, 23 to 54).2 No serious adverse events were noted in the trial, no prespecified trial-halting rules were met, and no new adverse events that were considered by the investigators to be related to the vaccine occurred after day 57.
What does all of this mean? It means that both companies seem to have produced extremely effective vaccines. The safety profiles appear to be excellent. The first non-trial recipients have been vaccinated in the past week. If there are any unforeseen major issues, they should come to light within the next 4-8 weeks. Let us hope that none do.
-Steve
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Medical Practice Updates
I am currently licensed in South Carolina, Maryland, and now Pennsylvania. This means I’ll be able to accept clients from all three of these states.
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As always, please contact me with comments and questions. I really appreciate the ideas and feedback that I receive. You can email me at steven@kornweissmedical.com or visit kornweissmedical.com and go to the contact page.
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