Category: COVID-19

Access to Healthcare Podcast with Dr. BCW

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Dr. BCW joins Access to Healthcare Podcast to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on communities, health disparities and inequities.

Episode 59 of COVID-19 Issues In Our Community – Health Disparities & Inequities with Jeffrey A. Murawsky, MD FACP & Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell

In this episode, we learn about the health disparities & inequities in our community. Learn from Jeffrey A. Murawsky, MD FACP, Chief Medical Director of SilverSummit Healthplan & Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Family Medicine at St. Mary’s Health Network, along with Sherri Rice, AHN CEO.

Join Dr. BCW as she discusses these important topics with the Access to Healthcare podcast.  Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell continues her discussions on health inequities as she reviews to COVID situation among other topics.

Take the time to listen to this podcast to support Access to Healthcare and learn from both Dr. Curry-Winchell and other guests.  There is always something new to learn.

Dr. Curry-Winchell has been engaging more and more with other content creators so watch for more collaborations and guest appearances on podcasts to video.

Check out her next appears on the Becker’s Hospital Review.  Last year Dr. BCW was named to their top 75 black healthcare leaders to know in 2022.  This year she was invited to participate in their podcast to share her message.

Check out that podcast here. 

Sure Signs You Have the New COVID Variant

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell, talks with Eat This, Not That about the sure signs you have the new COVID variant.

Read the full Eat This Not That article here

Article Snippet:

Our lives have been turned upside down for over two years now thanks to COVID and while things are returning to normal, the pandemic isn’t over.  People are still getting infected daily with the virus and there’s an uptick of cases in many areas. In addition, there’s constantly new variants because the virus continues to mutate, which makes this feel like it’s never ending. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician, Carbon Health and Saint Mary’s Hospital has been treating COVID patients since the beginning and Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with her about the latest variants and what to know about them. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

What is the Latest COVID Variant and What Should People Know About It?

Dr. Curry-Winchell says, “BA.4 and BA.5 are the two new variants that are causing an uptick in cases. The subvariants are a concern because of their ability to transmit infection quickly (highly contagious) and re-infect people previously infected with COVID-19.”

See what else Dr. BCW has to share as she answers questions for Eat This, Not That as they discuss the sure signs you have the new COVID variant.

First COVID, now gun violence — what’s next for frontline workers?

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell, discusses with, Reno Gazette Journal, the recent gun violence targeted at health care providers and the challenges modern health care providers face from sickness like COVID to gun violence from disturbed patients.  As patients become more and more angry with healthcare workers the risk of violence toward providers becomes more and more of a concern on providers minds.  This is a serious topic for anyone working in the healthcare industry.

Read the full Reno Gazette article here

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“Oh no, not again.” The words we find ourselves saying far too often these days.

Let’s start with COVID. When the virus first spread across the U.S. and paralyzed the world, I was scared.

As an urgent care physician, I was concerned that I could bring this unknown deadly “thing” to my home, and more importantly my family. But despite my fears, I knew I had to help.

There was no hesitation from me, or my colleagues to do our part. We immediately moved into action. No one shied away from shifts, and there wasn’t a single person that hesitated to answer the call of duty.

When some medical offices closed their doors — leaving their patients with nowhere to go — we staged drive-through test sites and mobilized outdoor clinics. Patients came to us extremely sick, unable to breathe, fatigued and with terrible respiratory diseases.

Then, the vaccines.

Initially, people seemed thrilled. But it quickly started to become politicized. We began to see increased mistrust of the health care system, and vicious attacks on frontline workers like myself who diagnosed patients with the virus, or publicly supported vaccinations. Never had there been a time in medical history where people completely dismissed or didn’t believe a doctor’s diagnosis….

See what else Dr. Curry-Winchell has to share about gun violence in her Reno Gazette article linked above.

Already Had COVID? These COVID Symptoms May Never Go Away?

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell, discusses COVID symptoms with Eat This, Not That.  As we continue to learn more about COVID is does appear that some COVID symptoms may never go away.  These long term symptoms are sometimes referred to as long-haulers.  Learn more from the article below.

Read the full Eat This Not That article here

Article Snippet:

While many people won’t become seriously ill with COVID or deal with short-lasting symptoms, for others that’s not the case. Millions are experiencing a wide range of symptoms for weeks or even months after the initial infection of the virus and researchers are still baffled as to why they have PASC (post-acute sequelae of COVID-19), or “Long COVID.” “While it might seem like forever now, in the medical world, COVID is still considered relatively new – which means we’re still learning new things about the virus daily. So far what the? CDC?has identified as long-term effects range from a series of general symptoms, respiratory, heart and neurological symptoms,” Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician, Carbon Health and Saint Mary’s Hospital tells us. There’s now growing concern that some symptoms are never ending and Dr. Curry-Winchell, who has been treating COVID patients since the beginning, explains what signs of COVID may never go away. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these

See what else Dr. BCW has to share as she answers questions for Eat This, Not That as they answer the questions, Already Had COVID? These COVID Symptoms May Never Go Away?

Healthcare Workers Plagued With COVID-Related PTSD and Burnout

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell, works with Inside Edition to deliver an article and short video on COVID-Related PTSD and Burnout in Healthcare workers.

For some outside of the medical industry it might seem like the everything is just back to normal.  But for many healthcare workers the COVID pandemic has left an indelible impact on them mentally and emotionally.  The COVID pandemic brought fear, uncertainty, loss and long hours which were initially met with gratitude but as the pandemic wore on it also began to bring more and more frustrated patients that were angry with doctors and the entire healthcare system for a situation they believed as all a hoax.  There is a lot to deal with as a medical provider on a day in day out basis during “normal times” but the COVID pandemic was anything but normal and the extra stressors have seriously impacted medical providers and they are just starting to realize the impact the pandemic had.  This short article and video from Inside Edition was a great acknowledgement of the situation.  If you are in healthcare or have a loved one that works in the health care system, please make sure to check in on them and make sure they are dealing with the pandemic fall out and if they are experiencing COVID-Related PTSD please find them help.

See the whole story here @ Inside Edition

Dr. Curry-Winchell

Signs You Have an Acute Upper Respiratory Infection

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell,  discusses signs you have an acute upper respiratory infection with Eat This, Not That!

An upper respiratory infection can be a serious issue.  Please take the time to review this important topic and check out the article linked below.

Read the full Eat This, Not That article here

Article Snippet:

Upper respiratory infections may be short lived, but can be really painful. “Acute upper respiratory infection refers to an infection that is localized to the nose, throat and sinuses that will last a short period of time, usually a couple of days,” Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician, Carbon Health, and Saint Mary’s Hospital tells Eat This, Not That! Health. While the symptoms can be irritating and cause discomfort, the good news is upper respiratory infections don’t cause serious harm to your health. Dr. Curry-Winchell explains what to know about upper respiratory infections and signs you have one. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

See what else Dr. Curry-Winchell has to share as she answers questions for Eat This, Not That as they discuss signs you have an acute upper respiratory infection.

Symptoms COVID Patients Say They’ve Had Most

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell talks with Eat This, Not That, about  COVID Symptoms, what to look for and what to do if you experience them.

Read the full Eat This, Not That article here

Article Snippet:

While there’s still much to be learned about COVID, one thing is clear—everyone has a different reaction to the virus. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician, Carbon Health, and Saint Mary’s Hospital tells Eat This, Not That! Health, “The virus affects everyone differently based on the level of exposure, variant, current health status and vaccine plus booster status.” That said, there are common symptoms that many patients do experience and Dr. Curry-Winchell reveals what the symptoms are and why vaccinated people are still getting COVID. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

Loss of Smell and Taste: Dr. Curry-Winchell says, “Loss of taste and smell, [is common among COVID patients], which is profound when you reflect on how integrated these senses are a part of our daily lives. Some patients have not had their taste and smell return.”…

See what else Dr. BCW has to share as she answers questions for Eat This, Not That as they discuss symptoms COVID patents say they’ve had most.

Here’s Who’s Getting Omicron Now

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell,  discusses the COVID-19 Omicron variant and who is most commonly getting Omicron at this point.  This is an important topic as cases continue to rise.  Please take the time to read the full article linked below.

Read the full Eat This, Not That article here

Article Snippet:

COVID numbers are down in the U.S., but with a surge happening in Europe and Asia, experts warn we could see an uptick in cases. “What we’re seeing in Europe, and particularly in the U.K., is something we really need to pay attention to because they are starting to see a reversal and a resurgence of cases,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, told “GMA3” on Friday. “So even though our cases are continuing to come down, I would not be surprised if in the next couple of weeks … that we might well see an increase in cases.” Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician, Carbon Health, and Saint Mary’s Hospital who explains what to know about Omicron right now and who’s at risk for getting it. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.

Dr. Curry-Winchell shares, “The increase in cases could be a warning sign the U.S. will face another Omicron surge.  In the past the U.S. has experienced a surge approximately four to six weeks after a rise in cases in Asia and Europe. The recent variant B.2 subvariant is extremely contagious however, on a positive note it’s not associated with an increase in lethality. It’s important to keep a close eye on the effect this new variant has on hospitalization and death rates…

See what else Dr. Curry-Winchell has to share as she answers questions for Eat This, Not That as they discuss who is getting Omicron Now

 

Nevada’s mask mandate has been lifted. Now what?

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell, discusses the Nevada face mask mandate lift with the Nevada Independent

Read the full Nevada Independent article here

Dr. Curry-Winchell,

On what has been a long and uncertain road leading to the governor’s recent announcement about Nevada’s mask mandate being rolled back, there are still questions about what this new recommendation means for public health and our future as we move forward. For example, does this latest measure signal the end of the pandemic and are we really safe to say good-bye to masks?

Unfortunately, the lifting of the mask mandate doesn’t mean the pandemic is done. COVID-19 is still present, and we do not know whether the next variant will be worse, the same or milder.

The new mask guidelines from the State of Nevada are in response to COVID-19 virus infectivity rates. When rates are high in a specific area, it is recommended to still wear masks as they have been proven to provide a layer of protection from the virus. When infectivity rates trend lower, health and state officials make recommendations and respond accordingly — and that’s where you start to see a shift in restrictions such as what we are experiencing now.

For those who are unsure whether they should wear a mask or be a bit hesitant about unmasking, here are a few things to consider.

Hospitals and health care facilities can still require masks

According to the governor, hospitals and health care facilities are categorized as health and human services facilities and can therefore make their own decisions as to whether they will require masks. In these kinds of facilities, patients can range from those who are acutely ill to those seeking chemotherapy to those with other serious issues. It is important that these spaces are protected. Keep this in mind and consider providing a level of protection for yourself and other patients around you before entering….

Dr. Curry-Winchell continues to discuss the face mask mandate on The Nevada Independent

 

The urgent care aftermath of COVID-19

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Dr. BCW, Dr. Curry-Winchell, works with Nevada Independent to review the urgent care aftermath of COVID-19.

Read the full Nevada Independent article here

Dr. BCW,

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global devastation, producing long-term effects for all including those who have been diagnosed with the virus, those who lost loved ones to the virus,  and those struggling with the mental health impact of the virus. 

In urgent care facilities, we are seeing a blend of patients including those who have contracted COVID-19 and are suffering from the initial symptoms and those who are developing symptoms associated with long COVID. Initial symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and brain fog are mostly fleeting but are, unfortunately, long-lasting for some. Some long COVID patients are also continuing to cough and are experiencing additional symptoms including lack of concentration, which can be debilitating and disruptive to their daily lives. 

When you have a new cognitive impairment, the people you live and work with might not understand that you no longer have the same level of functionality — so there is also a social aspect that long-haulers have to navigate. They may find it stressful to talk about their symptoms and share their challenges with others, such as co-workers, bosses or friends, some of whom don’t believe them or are dismissive of  COVID.

Sadly, some pediatric patients with long COVID-19 are also having a hard time returning to normal activities. They are not able to walk or run as far, are experiencing chronic fatigue and are finding it hard to concentrate. Parents of these children struggle to help them understand COVID (or to understand it themselves) and worry about how symptoms could affect their children long-term as they grow. 

Additionally, we are seeing an increase in mental health issues. Some patients were already experiencing mental health challenges prior to the pandemic. During the pandemic, many people were not able to access services, as some facilities were completely shut down. Many people were also afraid to seek care because they were scared to catch the virus. Now, patients are visiting urgent care with mental health issues including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)…

 

Dr. BCW continues on The Nevada Independent