Reasonable...

 

There's news of massive surges in COVID numbers in China.  There are reports of COVID numbers rising in places  that have relaxed or abandoned COVID  protocols, such as Britain.   Now, there's Ukraine.   

Beyond the ravages of war, this piece details concerns of a viral nature.   There is a reasonable fear of  things like HIV, COVID, TB & others spreading during the Russian onslaught going on in Ukraine.  The effects of this aggression will be felt for decades.  

The fear of these illnesses spreading valid & reasonable.  Take care & best wishes to those in need. 

Cya...

Distance Problem...

 

A problem for me regarding my HIV treatment has always been distance.  I've use telemedicine, but it's not the same.  Still, it beats a 2 hour drive for me just to sit in a waiting room for 15 minutes, then see a resident for 5 just to get lab results.  It's not worth the effort.  

HIV shouldn't be treated like a rare, tropical illness.  Loads of people are dealing with, it's a billion dollar industry & we've been actively facing it for almost 4 decades.   Why am I still going to a specialty clinic?

Why aren't at least the more common, socially communicable diseases being brought together in place?  HIV, STI's, Hepatitis, TB,... most are things I'm regularly tested for.  If I'm getting tested for them why aren't they being actively treated in more general locations, instead of being relegated to specialists, hours away?  

If these illnesses were treated like other ailments & physicians were expected to have at least a passing knowledge of them, then we might make a dent in their progress.   These diseases are common in many areas now.  It's no longer makes since to act like they're isolated events.  Normalize these illnesses.  Treat them like any other ailment.  Then we might see them diminish.

Cya...

3 Of Interest....

When it rains, it pours is true with articles.  I found 3  today.  I won't go too deep into them, they deserve a read.   Support these articles.

The 1st piece concerns HIV & TB.  It details how HIV+ people are more at risk from TB.  This is article was focused on areas with lower resources, but these conditions could always spread.

2nd, this article is about a man & the Ohio Court.  He argues being imprisoned & HIV+ during the COVID outbreak, could constitute a death sentence.  That it was cruel & unusual.  If the virus gets in the prison, it will spread & kill many.  

Finally, this piece is about a HIV+ man.  After years of safe sex, he slipped & contracted HIV.   He now approaches people as if they're all HIV+.  To me, that's the only safe way.   Now, he's reacting to COVID-19 the same way.   Again, reasonable.

Give these a read.  Take care.

Cya...

Brief...

My net is being a pain today.  So, I'll tell you of a common theme I've been reading lately, co-infection.  Many + people are also infected by other communicable diseases such as TB, Hep C & Syphilis.  I'd imagine it was probable they'd also carry a host of other ailments transmitted via sexual contact, needle sharing or blood.

This doesn't seem like much of a surprise to me, but it seems like ground shaking news to the medical communities.  Why?  I don't know.  It's a common sense approach to test the + patients for all these ailments in the beginning of treatment.  I had this done & my doctors acted like it was just SOP.

I guess all I can say on this matter is that if you're +, then you should make sure you get tested for these type  of diseases as well.  The sooner you're diagnosed, the sooner you can get treatment.

Cya

Tandem...

+ people know that it isn't uncommon for a + person to also have Hep C or TB.  Now, research is showing treating ailments like TB & HIV in tandem is a better option.  The article shows that many people are being saved when their treatments are integrated.  Not to be rude, but duh!

HIV compromises your immunity.  Ailments like TB are much more apt to take hold in people with impaired resistance levels.   Again, not to be rude, but many of these ailments are also found in the same communities.  TB spreads via close contact, as does Hep C.  HIV & Hep C can also be spread in many of the same manners.  It would only make sense to test someone for all three.

My doctors have tested me for Hep C, Syphilis & TB.  They also watch for high blood pressure & elevated cholesterol levels.  Why?  Because it is common, or at least not uncommon,  for these ailments to present themselves in people who are +.  If screening for all these at the same time makes sense, then why wouldn't treating them simultaneously? 

At least the research is there to back up what should have been common sense.

Cya