In this insightful discussion, Dr. Steven Gordon, Chairman of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Cleveland Clinic, delves into the evolution of COVID-19 and its implications for future healthcare. He highlights the unique traits of SARS-CoV-2 and shares lessons learned from past pandemics, emphasizing the need for global preparedness. The conversation touches on the rise of virtual healthcare and its potential to reshape delivery systems. With a resilient outlook, Dr. Gordon discusses vaccination, immunity, and the emotional toll on healthcare professionals.
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Viral Calm Disrupted
The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call, reminding us of humanity's vulnerability to infectious diseases.
Dr. Gordon discusses prior pandemics like HIV, SARS, H1N1, and MERS, highlighting the unique characteristics of COVID-19.
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Unique Spreadability of COVID-19
COVID-19's high transmissibility, asymptomatic spread, and relatively low mortality rate contribute to its rapid global spread.
Unlike SARS, which had a high mortality rate, COVID-19's characteristics allow it to propagate more easily.
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Pre-symptomatic Spread
COVID-19's pre-symptomatic spread makes universal masking crucial.
The virus's highest viral load at the onset of symptoms contributes to its contagiousness.
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While we can’t be sure what’s in store for us with the future of COVID-19, we can try to learn from the past to tackle this situation in the smartest way possible. That means looking at previous infectious disease epidemics and understanding zoonotic diseases like this one, that are passed from animals to humans, and how they’re different from the other pandemic diseases we’ve been able to eradicate.
I was excited to connect with Dr. Steven Gordon to dig into these topics deeper, today on The Doctor’s Farmacy. Dr. Gordon is the Chairman of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Professor of Medicine at the Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western University. His clinical interests include infective endocarditis including cardiac electronic implantable device infections as well as opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. He is a Fellow in the American College of Internal Medicine and a Member of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Dr. Gordon is the person to talk to when it comes to gaining a better understanding of infectious diseases. He explains some of the unique characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and how they will dictate the way we move forward with healthcare and as a society in the coming years. The good news is that Dr. Gordon has a positive outlook about our ability to cope with COVID-19.
*For context, this episode was conducted on May 1, 2020
Here are more of the details from our interview:
Lessons learned from previous infectious disease epidemics (3:11)
Unique characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and how they will influence our ability to move forward as a society over the next few years (6:12)
Evaluating infection rates, antibody testing, and mortality rates (9:39)
Do we need widespread testing, and is it even possible? (12:02)
Why are some locations affected more than others by coronavirus? (13:53)
Treatments for COVID-19, what we’ve tried and what might be coming (18:44)
Why a COVID-19 vaccine might not be the magic bullet we’ve been waiting for (22:51)
Wearing masks and other culture change for effective COVID-19 prevention (31:18)
Dr. Gordon’s coronavirus projections for the next two years (35:33)
Can you get COVID-19 more than once? (38:28)
How healthcare could improve if 5G and internet were a free utility for all (46:27)
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