Robert Laszewski

Feb 8, 2024 | kevinmd.com | L. Joseph Parker |Mark Tosca |Robert Laszewski |Kara Grant

Those of you who have followed the game or series The Last of Us will recognize the name Cordyceps. This is the fungus that causes a global pandemic of zombies to break out and start attacking their fellow humans. The writers, in this case, did a good job by using this infection in their story. Cordyceps is a genus of over 600 fungal species spread around the world called endoparasitoids, meaning they must live and reproduce inside other living things—in this case, insects and other arthropods.

Jan 15, 2024 | kevinmd.com | Osmund Agbo |Francisco Torres |Robert Laszewski |Irene Martinez

In a serendipitous encounter, I crossed paths with an old schoolmate of mine whimsically dubbed Fluffy Carol during our shared medical residency. Famous for her arresting charm and infectious smile, she was, in many ways, the life of the party if we ever had one. Despite her endearing qualities, one mischievous fellow in our group had bestowed upon her a less-than-ideal nickname that stuck, though it was seldom uttered in her presence. Thank goodness.

Dec 28, 2023 | kevinmd.com | M. Bennet Broner |Nicholas S. Tito |Patricia Frye |Robert Laszewski

While surfing cellphone news headlines, my attention was caught by one from the New York Post that blared: “Dutch are Euthanizing Autistic People.” The Post aims for sensationalism, and the headline implied mass slaughter, akin to the Nazi gassing of individuals with mental disabilities. As euthanasia is of academic interest to me, I felt compelled to read the story. The article’s basis was a study conducted at Kingston University, London.

Nov 23, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Martha Rosenberg |Edwin Leap |Peter Ubel |Robert Laszewski

An excerpt from Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Lies. Few fail to be shocked at the rising prices of some prescription drugs. “Drug companies have raised prices relentlessly for decades while manipulating the patent system and other laws to delay competition from lower-priced generics,” reported the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in December 2021.

Sep 16, 2023 | kevinmd.com | Amol Saxena |Robert Laszewski |Helen Kim |Jennifer Lynn

Recent op-eds have questioned medical billing and doctors’ pay, as both seemed high. Medical “greed” has become more apparent in the past two decades and has been well highlighted by two of my Dartmouth MPH Professors, Elliot Fisher, MD and Thom Walsh, PhD, DPT. Dr. Fisher has documented that higher billings compound the U.S. health care crisis, including medical debt, and that particularly affects minority patients. Walsh has shown that monopolies drive up costs.