McLaren Oakland

CDC guidelines have been updated to suggest masking vaccinated people in certain areas. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced an update to its pandemic masking guidelines. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the CDC had recommended that everyone wear a mask when leaving their home. With the success of the vaccine rollout and the nationwide drop in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, the CDC updated its guidelines in May — unvaccinated Ame...

Breakthrough cases are rare but expected with mass vaccination programs. As of mid-July, more than 159 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Among the vaccinated, there are more than 10,000 reported “breakthrough” cases, which is defined as testing positive for COVID-19 once fully vaccinated (two or more weeks after receiving the second vaccine dose). Medical professionals and public health experts expect these cases with mass vaccination programs. No vaccine is 100 ...

At what point should a doctor evaluate headaches? Everyone gets headaches. They can range, perhaps starting as a dull pain before escalating to the squeezing, dizzying feeling, and start from a number of causes: a lack of/poor quality sleep, certain foods, alcohol consumption, stress, eye straining, dehydration/lack of food, among others. In many cases, a drugstore pain reliever or headache medicine will resolve the symptoms relatively quickly. There does reach a point, though, that consistent headaches...

Expertise and compassion are paramount with McLaren Oakland cardiologists. Trust is a trait and responsibility he takes very seriously. McLaren Oakland cardiologist Dr. Quen Dickey understands the importance his role has in his patients’ lives, and the impact that it can have. “I think it would be impossible to overstate just how comforting it is to have a reliable and healthy heart,” Dr. Dickey said. “Some people may be blessed with good genetics and great health, but there are countless others who are...

The therapy has played a signification role in the fight against COVID-19. As the pandemic progressed, the term monoclonal antibodies began to be heard more and more. It was touted as a treatment for COVID-19 patients who were experiencing symptoms. But what is it? And what should you know about monoclonal antibodies? What are monoclonal antibodies? Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that are designed to act like the body’s immune system, in that they fight off invading, harmful viruses ...

Questions can arise for where to get common, non-life-threatening conditions treated. If anyone should see the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke in themselves or someone around them, the first move should be to call 911 and request an ambulance. The same should be done if there’s been an accident, and bones are broken and wounds are significantly bleeding. For these potentially life-threatening conditions or severe injuries, immediate treatment should be sought at the nearest ER and trauma center. Bu...

“To hear that was a godsend.” It was a familiar face that delivered the news to Lori. It was Nov. 29, and Lori was sitting in the McLaren Oakland emergency department in Pontiac. For the past 10 days, she had been feeling an odd sensation that resulted in her dry-heaving multiple times every day. She was afflicted with something, and when it didn’t get any better, she decided it was time to get it checked out. A retired emergency department nurse, Lori admits to having a “burden of knowledge,” and she k...

Research shows virus affects vaccinated people differently. Since the COVID-19 vaccines began getting administered there have been reports of fully vaccinated people testing positive for the coronavirus. Researchers and public health experts anticipated these ‘breakthrough cases,’ which occur when a fully vaccinated person (who received their second vaccine dose more than two weeks ago) tests positive for the virus. Breakthrough cases are expected with mass vaccination programs. With more research avail...

With potentially devastating results, cardiologists urge everyone to not wait to call 911. The line between being overly cautious and not wanting to cause a commotion can be potentially dangerous. For people experiencing chest pain or any minor discomfort, the sensation may be a passing annoyance and gone in a few minutes. But it could also be a sign of something serious to come. The question then becomes: When do you call 911 for chest pain? Dr. Timothy Logan, a McLaren interventional cardiologist, say...

Experts say this variant will soon become the dominant strain in the United States. Although the coronavirus has been mutating into different variants since it was first discovered, it wasn’t until recently that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began referring to these variants with Greek alphabet designations. For example, one variant that was once referred to as COVID-19 B.1.1.7 is now call the Alpha variant. This is how the latest variant — and the most concerning to date — became kn...