Medicine is full of stories. From the dramatic, to the funny, to the action scenes, and even horror stories, a lot of narratives can be derived from the classrooms and clinics. The patients we see also have their own vivid stories to tell, and it is important for doctors to elicit these stories in order to get a clear diagnosis.
One of the most utilized anti-viral medications during this pandemic is an intravenous drug called Remdesivir. Since the early days of SARS-CoV 2 in the country, it has been approved for compassionate or off-label usage – meaning that inspite of the absence of convincing studies regarding its efficacy, it can be prescribed because there are only a few alternative drugs that can be given, none of which is proven effective.
This month, new batches of junior and senior interns are going to start their medical training. It’s both an exciting and uncertain time. One looks forward to new experiences, but the uncertainty brought about by the ongoing pandemic hoists a cloud over the horizon. Such is the culmination of years of preparing for a life-long career.
In 1918, the Spanish Flu pandemic came around and wiped out nearly a third of the earth’s population (according to archived files from the Center for Disease Control). In 1820, a Cholera pandemic swept throughout most Southeast Asian countries. And in 1720, the Bubonic Plague brought Europe to its knees. Can we expect another one in the next 100 years?
