Health

by Dr. MarkAlain Déry, DO, MPH, FACOI Most public health successes are the results of years of research. Vaccines are a good example; the research needed to develop them can take decades. In emergent settings where the luxury of time is absent, however, resolute action is needed. In 1847, after the Hungarian obstetrician Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis realized the necessity of … [Read more...] about Droplets, Cloth Masks & the Broad Street Pump

by Dr. MarkAlain Déry, DO, MPH, FACOI    The United States makes up less than 5 percent of the world’s population. Yet we have 25 percent of the world’s coronavirus cases — and those cases are not distributed evenly among the population. It has been well-documented that racial and ethnic minorities have sustained a disproportionate burden of illness and death … [Read more...] about Protecting Our Vulnerable Front-Line Workers

Across the United States and around the world, face masks are highly recommended, if not required, when going out in public.  Some people wear masks; some wear gloves.  Others wear both.  While wearing a mask helps protect others from potentially being exposed to deadly COVID-19, we need to be aware of proper protocols for disposing of these daily-use … [Read more...] about Public Health in Your Hands

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards is using a phased-in approach to lifting stay-at-home orders which allows some businesses to re-open doors. Public health officials, however, are keeping a watchful eye. Opening too soon could be potentially dangerous with a new disease circulating and no vaccine to protect the public. It’s a difficult balance. Elected officials are under … [Read more...] about COVID-19 Phase One: The Potential Health Impact of Re-Opening