all HAnds on Deck

Because of the COVID surge here in Los Angeles, many sub-specialty doctors have been called in to help in the wards and/or screen patients in the hospital. Typically, we are in our outside clinics or operating rooms, but with many shut down or down-booked for safety, we have been diverted to help our overwhelmed primary care and emergency colleagues.

Today was my turn in the "surge pool," and I am not going to lie - I was incredibly nervous. As an eye doctor, it's been a while since I last had to deal with respiratory issues, back pains, or tonsil stones (yep, dealt with some of those today). Plus dealing with COVID and vaccine questions are not my primary specialty.

Was it daunting? Yes. Was it outside my comfort zone? You bet. I had to admit more than once that I didn't have all the answers, and I asked a lot of questions myself... But in the end, I was honored to help my colleagues.

Throughout this pandemic, I have always felt that we were all in this together. (Literally) getting together over the holidays is likely what worsened this surge here in LA, but working together to educate, protect, and help one another is what will get us through... 🙏🏼

#liveVICTORIOUS✌🏼

My Favorite part about Ophthalmology

I often get asked: What is my favorite part about ophthalmology? 👁

It's easy: I love the variety.

I spend most of my time helping patients in clinic - counseling them and giving them tips to improve their vision and eye health. I do eye examinations and interpret testing and images. And I prescribe drops and medications for eye diseases.

If warranted, I can also do lasers and procedures, and when necessary perform surgery to improve or save someone's vision. I love being able to “do it all” for most of my patients.

Because every day and patient can be different, and I rarely feel bored. It’s what drew me to the specialty as a student and it keeps me sharp to this day. I couldn't SEE myself doing anything else.

COVID Vaccine myths and truths

For many healthcare professionals, it is extremely frustrating to hear all the glaring, false misinformation surrounding COVID vaccines. These vaccines are our best shot at putting an end to this pandemic, but where do these myths even come from? Here are the actual truths behind some of the more common ones:

It does NOT causes infertility - This myth likely arose from a letter supposedly from the “head of Pfizer” (in reality from 2 non-Pfizer affiliated individuals) claiming that the vaccine could cause “female sterilization” because the targeted COVID spike protein is similar to a protein in placental development. The science behind this claim is false - there is not enough similarity between these proteins to cause any confusion in your body.

It does NOT have a microchip. - This rumor likely arose in an interview in March when Bill Gates mentioned that vaccine records may eventually be available as "digital certificates” (vs the paper ones we have now). There was no mention of "microchips" but given his tech associations, one could see the jump.

It does NOT alter your DNA - Unfortunately with similar abbreviations, many may confuse DNA and RNA, but in reality they are 2 different entities with 2 different jobs in our bodies. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It resides in the nucleus of our cells and carries all our genetic information. RNA stands for ribonucleic acid and generally functions in a cell’s cytoplasm outside the nucleus. The mRNA of the COVID vaccine will never come in contact with your DNA.

It can NOT give you COVID - Many people have reported transient headaches, body aches, and fevers following their COVID vaccines. While these symptoms could be misinterpreted as being “sick,” they are actually a very normal reaction and signs that your immune system is healthy and responding to the vaccine.

It does NOT have fetal tissue in it. - The COVID vaccine does not have any aborted fetal cells or tissue in it. However the confusion may have come from the fact that there was some early research with lab generated “fetal cell lines” (which are not the same).

It can NOT cause autism or cancer - The autism myth arose in 1998 when a paper was published falsely linking it to the MMR vaccine. The paper has been since invalidated numerous times, and the doctor who conducted the original “research” has had his license revoked. There is no evidence that the COVID vaccine causes autism or cancer.

I for one am so grateful for the work and research that has gone into this vaccine. I am optimistic that #thisisourshot to ending this prolonged pandemic.

#liveVICTORIOUS #doctormom #covidvaccine #covid19vacccine

#memeMonday

Funny (not so funny) story. This video kinda blew up on Instagram. Super fun, but I actually had no clue, because someone had taken it without my permission, cropped out my info, and published it as their own... (Good thing you can’t crop out my face )

While there is no official reposting etiquette and sharing is definitely caring when it comes to social media, here are a few of my tips to stay out of trouble (and not upset any creators):

1. Repost from the creator’s original post - This is the most ideal way to share content. This not only gives proper credit, but drives traffic to the original post.

2. Tag the creator - If you are not able to share directly, tagging the creator directs viewers to their page to learn more about them and view more of their content.

3. Do not edit the content - This includes but not limited to cropping out the creator’s information, logo, or name.

Do you have any other tips? Has this every happened to you?

#liveVICTORIOUS #doctorlife #doctormemes #medicalmemes #doctormom #doctors

COVID VACCINE APPROVED

The FDA has granted Emergency Use Authorization for a COVID vaccine here in the US. The UK approved one last week and has already begun vaccinating its citizens.

This is monumental - not only for the field of medicine and vaccine development, but for life as we know it, marking hopefully the beginning of the end of this prolonged pandemic.

What to expect.

Who will get the vaccine first? High risk healthcare professionals and nursing home inhabitants will be likely prioritized first. As production ramps up and more vaccines get approved, it will be more widely available early 2021.

Is it safe? Will there be side effects? Yes, the vaccine is safe. In over 70,000 participants in US vaccine trials, there were no serious adverse events. Up to 10-15% of people will experience transient side effects - fevers, fatigue, headaches, and body aches (which are actually good signs that your immune system is revving up). Again, longer term side effects have not been found and are not expected as the vaccine degrades from your system over 1-2 weeks (but will be monitored for).

Why should I get it? Getting the COVID vaccine will not only protect you from getting sick - up to 95% effective after the second dose - but will also prevent you from spreading it to others. Given mortality of COVID is about 2%, with a much higher risk of long term morbidity, experts are recommending everyone get the COVID vaccine as soon as it is available to them.

I for one cannot wait for this vaccine to be distributed. The sooner the public can get access, the sooner we will all be protected and this pandemic can end. Here’s to a safe holiday season and bright 2021.

#liveVICTORIOUS #doctormom #hcw4science #covidvacccine

A vaccine at warp speed

I have heard some concerns about the upcoming COVID vaccine: "It was too rushed. No thank you.” (The comments are usually more colorful.)

First and foremost, I have no doubt that these vaccines were properly researched for safety and efficacy. Yes, they were developed relatively quickly, in a year versus several years - How was that possible? I did a little research, and here is what I found:

1. Researchers drew on pre-existing data and technology - It's not like the researchers started from scratch. mRNA vaccine technology has actually been around for decades, and while this COVID-19 strain is novel, similar coronaviruses in general have long existed. It was about taking existing information and applying it.

2. There was good communication between the vaccine companies and regulators - I'm no professional researcher, but during medical training, I knew that every research project had to endure lengthy, back and forth application processes with review boards to make sure everything was in order. Now imagine instead of submitting paperwork and waiting months among hundreds of other applications, you could just pick up a phone and discuss protocols, materials, and approval criteria in real time - you know, because there is a global pandemic and everyone wants THIS research to happen ASAP.

3. Funding and participants were ready to go - For most projects, securing a grant or funding can take months. And once research is underway, gathering enough willing participants can take years. These were non-issues with the COVID vaccine trials.

So yes, development of these COVID vaccines happened at seemingly warp speed - but due to increased efficiency of the cumbersome process, not by cutting any corners in the research.

What do you think? Are you as excited as I am?

#liveVICTORIOUS #saferathome #CovidVaccine