Ok, let me explain some things

I understand more than anyone the frustration of severe Covid. I, therefore, give a wide berth to those whom I don't really know, who get my cellphone from someone or somewhere and text me about a loved one or friend.

I still, despite my previous post, answer most, if not all, of these texts.

BUT UNDERSTAND -

1. Medicine, esp. Infectious Diseases, is complicated as hell. I cannot text you a protocol to guide other doctors on how to treat your loved one in a hospital I don't go to. I can't even tell doctors at the hospital I do go to what to do. If and only if I am consulted on a patient in the hospital which I attend, can I give an opinion and treat as I and my team deem appropriate.

2. For those people with Covid, who are outpatients still, and whom I talk to over the phone, Understand this is a huge deal. When a doctor talks to a pt about his/her disease, that doctor is taking on enormous responsibility. This weekend, a friend asked me to call his friend, who had Covid and was still not better after several days. Even though I had the weekend "off", as a favor, I called this person I didn't know, spent many minutes talking to him and then explained that he needed to go to Saint Barnabas ER and tell them he is my pt. I even called the ER, so that they would be expecting him. I then knew I had committed my evening to tracking this pts' vital signs, lab results, and ordering treatment as needed. Around 6 PM, several hours after we spoke, I logged onto the computer to see what his vital signs were and see if any labs were back. I couldn't find him in the system. I waited a half-hour and checked again. Still, he wasn't there. I then texted him directly and asked where he was. He didn't respond for many minutes, but then said he had gone to another ER at another hospital, because of the wait time or something at Barnabas. My response was "Good luck". I meant that sincerely, but I also meant "well, you screwed up my Sunday and then without talking to me, went to a different ER, so lose my number". Ironically, he didn't get it. The next morning he texted my pictures of the documents the other ER sent him home with. I explained to him, "I am not looking at these. You need to discuss these results with the doctors who ordered them. I am not your doctor. You broke that arrangement when you went to another ER without consulting me."

3. People think these texts and my phone calls are trivial. Trust me, they are anything but. They take up my time and energy and take me away from my family, as happened this Sunday. I take being someone's physician very seriously. It's an honor and a huge responsibility. I don't know if I need anymore honor, but I still take being someone's physician extremely seriously. And I know as well as anyone what this dreaded disease can do. So, I answer these requests.

4. Another person contacted me about his relative who had been discharged from a ER, apparently without being treated, and he wanted his relative to get some treatment from me. It was also a Sunday night. I texted back, though I haven't seen the person who contacted me in decades, I would be happy to be involved in his relative's care, but she would have to go to the Saint Barnabas ER. He said they would wait and see. A few days later, she worsened and went to the Barnabas ER. I then remotely, after talking to the ER physician, took control. I ordered labs, waited hours for their results and ordered several treatments. I ordered an ECG and CXR and reviewed them. In all, I probably put in 2.5-3.0 hours. For that, I can bill and receive exactly $0,000.00. But like I said, I take this shit seriously. His relative responded well.

Understand - I am happy to care for you or your loved one, but only if you get the gravity of what your asking me. This is a huge responsibility. I take it extremely seriously. If I do become your physician, then you have to do what I say and what we agree to or I will stop being your physician.

And No, I can't casually suggest a protocol to treat Covid pts elsewhere. No, I can't talk to family members of a pt at Saint Barnabas who is being treated by other ID docs. No, I don't give a crap if you go back to work in 2 weeks, 2 months or 2 years. No, don't send me work release forms via text. No, I will not get involved resolving conflicts between my opinions and those our your primary care doctor or nurse practitioner or assistant to the assistant at the local county health dept. You want me to explain why someone, who has treated over 400 Covid pts, published a peer reviewed article on Covid, read hundreds and hundreds of articles on Covid, practiced ID for over 25 years, has US patents in virology, discovered a novel strain of HIV-2, and has done antigen testing, viral isolation and RT-PCR many times, is correct and they are wrong?

This weekend, my wife again demanded that I change my cellphone. I said wait, the vaccines are literally on their way. She rolled her blue eyes (again).