General Science
July 17, 2025
Defunding Science — What’s Trump’s Goal?
The Trump administration is revoking billions of dollars of NIH grants and drastically reducing funding at CDC, FDA, and EPA. American scientific leadership and world health are being gravely harmed. What's the goal?
February 28, 2025
Keep an Eye on Bird Flu and MPox
Bird flu has spread to cows and infected some humans. Fear of human-to-human transmission is real, though has not yet occurred. With drastically reduced funding for CDC, NIH and related agencies, our risk of an epidemic is much greater. Pay attention.
June 30, 2024
Radon May Be Endangering You in Your Home
Radon gas exposure threatens many more homes in Massachusetts than we had realized. Detection and mitigation are not difficult.
February 7, 2021
Covid-19 Shots Starting for >75, Distribution Improving, Confusion Still Reigns
Covid-19 vaccines began last week for everyone over 75 in Massachusetts. The state distribution program includes websites to sign up, outreach calls from major health care organizations and pharmacies, and a new 211 call center. Most all elders should be started on vaccination this month and finish by late March. The over-65 population and younger…
January 4, 2021
Calculating the Risk of Asymptomatic But Infectious Person in a Group
We use available state Covid-19 infection rates and other published data together with the binomial distribution to calculate the risk of unsuspected infections in small group gatherings. With our current high level of infections (20 times higher than summer) the risk is 5-10% for groups of 10 or 20. You DON'T want to gather indoors…
January 3, 2021
Why Do We Fail With Covid-19? Antibody Infusions Not Realistically Available
Two monoclonal antibody treatments are conditionally approved by the FDA, seem to substantially help moderately severe cases of Covid-19, and are supposed to be available for use as outpatient infusions to prevent hospitalizations and deaths. In practice they are not actually available, as I found out this weekend trying to arrange an infusion for a…
October 12, 2020
Covid-19 Q&A
We provide multiple brief updates about the state of the Covid-19 pandemic, the vaccines, the treatments or lack thereof, how you isolate, and what the future holds. Stay the course. Keep your guard up. Get your flu shot. We are in this for a long time.
April 27, 2020
Understanding Covid-19 Test Uncertainty and Managing Your Personal Risk
I explain multiple and sometimes complex issues with the Covid-19 epidemic, starting with where we are in the infection epidemiology (new infections in Mass. are leveling off but are still high, deaths are growing). Then I explore the types and efficacy of biological tests (PCR and antibody), and why different people have different personal Covid…
April 9, 2020
Covid-19: Day 6 of Week 4: Where Are We Heading? Understanding the Numbers
The next six weeks will be risky for all of us as the Covid-19 epidemic continues to extend its reach. Nevertheless, I am convinced we can all stay safe with a high degree of probability during this time, whether by keeping in our circles of safety, or by careful use of personal protective gear, providing…
March 28, 2020
Covid-19: Day 1 of Week 3: Safer, But at Least a Month to Go
Today marked beginning of the third week of our collective quarantines. Our practice has had just several possible or likely cases of Covid-19. We will be in "lockdown" certainly through April and most likely through May. We are not providing any off label treatments at this time. Much more testing of active and past disease…
September 20, 2019
NDMA Redux: Now Playing in Ranitidine
NDMA now contaminates ranitidine (Zantac), a common OTC antacid tablet. This is the same chemical that contaminated drugs for blood pressure.
September 20, 2019
“Vaping” Is Unknowingly Unsafe
Recent deaths from lung failure related to using vaporized nicotine or marijuana are of great concern. Do not use "vaping" products.