Of Barbed Wire and Butterflies

Somewhere between an election, the stumbling roll-out of vaccines, and the exhausting pain flowing from the previous Administration, I feel like an eternity of noise and isolation is finally giving way to hope. There’s a light shining, however dimly, at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

Instead of listening to politicians harangue the opposition, I’m doing some stitching. Rather than watching Senator Hawley’s latest excursion into QAnon myths, I’ve been reading — I mean, not just email but books, those things that have covers and pages and authors. I’ve even been able to sit down long enough to watch a whole movie, beginning to end….more on Medium.

Dr. Mike Answers 22 Common COVID Questions

Early this week Mary Fisher spoke about the COVID pandemic with Dr. Michael S. Saag, distinguished professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical School and an Infectious Disease researcher, clinician and commentator. Some of Mary’s questions rose from her own experience; others came from readers of this column. “Dr. Mike” offered some rare insights and perspective. (The interview was edited for length.)

Mary: Everybody seems nervous because we can’t get simple, clear answers to “what now?” questions. Frankly, we want this thing over. Now.

Dr. Mike: Understood. I do too. If everyone works together and follows common-sense advice, we may be closer to the end than many people think….more on Medium

Finally Got the Vaccine?

Dear Reader,

Michael S. Saag is a professor, author, researcher, commentator and globally recognized infectious disease physician. He’s also my hero and my cousin. In this column two months ago Dr. Mike set the COVID pandemic in the context of the AIDS epidemic he helped stem a quarter-century ago. Much has changed since then, and I asked Mike to describe where we are now in the pandemic, and where he thinks we’re headed. See his advice below.

But first, this personal note: Had the previous president told the truth about COVID, beginning more than a year ago, we would not count 500,000 dead Americans this week. I grieve over his lies, his insensitivity (“It is what it is”) and our lack of ability to hold him accountable….more on Medium