Santa Barbara Doctors ExtraCare – JUNE 2021 Newsletter
June 2021 ExtraCare
Newsletter
One of the prettiest times of year in Santa Barbara is when the Jacaranda trees bloom. With foggy mornings giving way to balmy afternoons and the stone fruit trees exploding with fresh, ripe fruit it marks the unofficial start to summer.
This month we focus on the emerging illness previously known as “Long COVID” and highlight one of those abundant stone fruits, the delicious and nutritious apricot.
Safe travels to all who are beginning to venture out of their bubbles!
Long COVID
As of June 15, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 145 million Americans were fully vaccinated, corresponding to about 44% of the total population. Infection rates and COVID-19–related hospitalizations and deaths are dropping in the United States and life is beginning to regain some semblance of prepandemic normalcy for most of us. While this is all exciting news, it is important to remember that this is not the case in other parts of the world and that life may never return to normal for those who lost loved ones to COVID-19 or for those who recovered from acute SARS-CoV-2 infection but now have persistently poor health.
It is this latter group that is increasingly growing in numbers, an estimated 17 million people globally, and now requires our attention. To better understand how to manage this population, I attended an American College of Physicians webinar last week on this emerging illness now officially named Post Acute Sequela of COVID (PASC), formerly known as “Long COVID”.
Here are some of my take home points:
Clinicians are learning of this disease firsthand from patients who experience lingering symptoms
Symptoms of PASC vary across organ systems and severity with the main symptoms being:
-Fatigue
-Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
-Difficulty breathing (with and without abnormal imaging and pulmonary function testing)
-Cough
-Painful joints or muscles
-Chest pain
-Depression or anxiety
-Headache
-Fever
-Palpitations
-Loss of smell or taste
-Dizziness on standing
-Post-exertional malaise (PEM), a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental activities, has been reported in patient-led surveys.
There is no blood test or imaging study that identifies PASC.
There does seem to be some correlation with the development of PASC and severity of the initial COVID infection, meaning people admitted to the hospital or ICU with COVID are more likely to develop lingering PASC than asymptomatic individuals, but this isn’t always the case.
Very early data suggests that patients with PASC may improve with COVID-19 vaccination.
Treatment of PASC requires a multi disciplinary team including doctors, therapists, social workers.
PASC is not the first time we’ve seen lingering effects from a viral infection. Researchers are turning to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) communities for answers. Both of these conditions are believed to be triggered by viral infections.
More research is desperately needed to identify the causes of, and to find treatments for the symptoms of PASC.
The CDC is working on providing clinical guidelines to help clinicians manage patients with PASC.
The NIH is beginning large scale clinical trials to study PASC further.
It is fact that today your biggest risk factor for hospitalization from COVID-19 is not being vaccinated.
For those of you who are still on the fence, I urge you to read this article from my medical residency alma mater:
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.uab.edu/news/youcanuse/item/12059-covid-19-mrna-vaccines-how-could-anything-developed-this-quickly-be-safe__;!!DxUUcJeb!fQG-M5QzYPU3aJcd4-n7un6DUNmNbv55Qj0WDrC5j6FzA-J_0CqQzITCjN34t1U$
Apricots
Our apricot tree is overflowing with fresh, yummy fruit this month. And because this fruit happens to be one of my favorites, I thought I would write about them.
Not only are apricots delicious but they are actually very good for you.
One whole fresh apricot contains only 17 calories and 3 gm of sugar. It’s also packed with fiber, anti oxidants, vitamins A, C, E and potassium.
You know the saying, “when life gives you apricots….”
I’m always looking for healthy ways to serve our garden fresh fruits and vegetables and when it comes to fruits, I tend to gravitate towards crisps that incorporate heart healthy oats and limit the butter, sugar and flour. I came across this recipe online recently that I thought was worth sharing. Even though it’s technically a desert, I cut down on the added sugar in the recipe, nix the ice cream and sprinkle some bee pollen on top to enjoy for breakfast instead.
Fresh Apricot Crisp
INGREDIENTS
For the filling:
6 cups fresh apricots (pitted and sliced (no need to peel)
zest of one small lemon (about ½ teaspoon)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
For the topping:
1 cup gluten free oats
¾ cup gluten free all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the filling:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss together the apricots, lemon zest, cornstarch, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir gently until apricots are evenly coated with the spices. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Make the topping:
In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter cubes and use your fingers to work the butter into the oat mixture until it begins to clump together and the butter pieces are small. Sprinkle topping over apricots.
Bake in the preheated oven until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown, 30-32 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.
NOTES
Adjust the amount of sweetener in the filling depending on the sweetness of your apricots. I tend to err on the side of less sweet, especially if eating it for breakfast.
You can substitute another stone fruit, such as peaches or nectarines, or even fresh berries for the apricots. The ginger complements the flavor of the apricots wonderfully, but you may want to omit it if it doesn’t complement the fruits you are using.
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