Sunday House Call, #738, May 10, 2020: …and what happens after?

Topics today include:
With countries relaxing pandemic restrictions, clusters of confirmed cases are beginning to surface. South Korea and Germany, two countries that have responded well with a coordinated effort are facing this outcome.

What do countries with less robust testing and contract testing will to risk when they too start to open up again? Is there a level of contagion, morbidity and mortality that is acceptable to society as pressure from financial ruin and other health conditions left by the wayside continue to mount? This is a question that is likely to gain traction especially when the resurgence of clusters occurs. Will our initial response be for naught? I certainly hope not.

Your calls about:

• The flu’s severity can change year over year for many reasons.
• “Water on the knee”
• Treatment of hemorrhoids and how to verify the diagnosis in a man who has not responded to six weeks of treatment
• A 70-year-old man with controlled type 2 diabetes has had a lump in his throat for one week. No other symptoms. Wants to know if he has COVID-19
• The difference between carbon monoxide poisoning’s affect on blood oxygen levels and the reduced oxygen saturation observed in people with COVID-19