Health Matters Presented by SSM Health this week takes a look at some of the top medical stories impacting our lives today. SLU Care General Internist Dr. Fred Buckhold at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital addresses some common misconceptions about COVID-19. Dr. Guy Venezia -- the medical director of obstetrics at SSM Health St. Clare Hospital -- has the latest research on COVID infections in pregnant women and how long till expectant moms can get a COVID vaccine. SLU Care thoracic oncologist Dr. Bilal Khalid at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital updates us on new lung cancer numbers. And gastroenterologist Dr. Lawrence Tierney with SSM Health in St. Charles County tells us about changes in screening guidelines for colon cancer.
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Here is a complete rundown of this week's show:
1. Dr. FRED BUCKHOLD, SLU Care general internist at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. STL City health officials send out a release trying to dispel some common misconceptions about COVID-19. One is that a negative test gives you a green light to do what you want but that is not the case. Dr Buckhold agrees. He says a lot of the tests aren't really good at determining negative results, either you have too little virus in your body or symptoms haven't developed yet. Another concern is a negative test is only good up until the moment you are tested. You could still get infected right after that. Another misconception is that a face covering means you don't have to practice social distancing. Dr. Buckhold says that's not true either. You need to do both at the same time to reduce the spread of the virus. What are the key symptoms that should send you to the hospital IF you think you have COVID-19? Dr. Buckhold says trouble breathing is the main one. Another is possible dehydration. Also if you have underlying conditions and are really feeling bad, come in. Don't come in for simple upper respiratory symptoms like a runny nose or a cough or sore throat. Dr. Buckhold goes over the latest results for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine and why the FDA approved Regeneron for use in COVID patients. He says the AstraZeneca vaccine will be cheaper and easier to distribute.
2. Dr. GUY VENEZIA, medical director of obstetrics at SSM Health St. Clare Hospital. New CDC data on COVID-19 and pregnant women. From January to October, the CDC found there is some risk for severe outcomes, but overall for this age group in pregnancy this is a very low incident rate. But if you are pregnant there is some increased risk for ICU admission, ventilation and a slight increase risk in death rate. Co-morbidities -- like overweight and diabetes -- also increase risk for serious outcomes. As well as being Hispanic or African American. Dr. Venezia says the risk of death is still substantially lower than it was for pregnant women with H1N1 Swine Flu. Dr. Venezia says the risk of vertical transmission to the newborn is very low, although there have been a few cases. He also says so far studies seem to show that breastfeeding is safe when the mom is COVID positive. In fact, he says the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh the risk of spreading the virus to the baby. Dr. Venezia says the jury is still out on pregnant women getting the COVID vaccine. It has not been tested yet in pregnant women. But he says pregnant women should still get all their other vaccines but they are waiting on the latest advice and direction on getting a COVID shot when one becomes available. Current SSM Health policy now allows one visitor per patient in the maternity ward. Says they have seen no spike in cases among pregnant women and most do fine because they are young and health between the ages of 15 and 45.
3. Dr. BILAL KHALID, SLU Care thoracic oncologist with SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. The American Lung Association has released its annual State of Lung Cancer Report which indicates Missouri has some of the highest lung cancer rates in the nation, along with some of the lowest survival rates. Missouri also ranks poorly in that the African American community is least likely to receive surgical treatment for lung cancer. Dr. Khalid says not enough people are getting screened. About 250,000 cases in U.S., half male, half female and leading cause of cancer death. He says survival rates are tied to early detection -- but he says symptoms present late in the disease which leads to poor outcomes. Survival rates are worse for people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds. Screenings include a CT Scan for smokers -- depending on how long or how much you smoked. Treatments include surgical resection, radiation, or chemo and immuno-therapy at the latest stages. Smoking cessation programs are out there but not enough people are taking advantage of them. Dr. Khalid says they are trying to build community outreach programs to let people know about smoking cessation programs. Vaping also contributes to lung cancer and hurts the lungs. Coronavirus has greatly impacted what he does -- his patients are already at a higher risk -- and are at greater risk for really bad outcomes. Chemo decreases the body's ability to fight coronavirus. Lots to consider.
4. Dr. LAWRENCE TIERNEY, gastroenterologist with SSM Health in St. Charles County and a past board member of the American Cancer Society. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends colorectal cancer screening start even earlier at age 45 -- due to higher rates of colon and rectal cancer seen in generations born since 1950. Dr. Tierney says we need to get screened at age 45 -- don't put it off. Can be screened earlier if you have a family history of the disease, or are African American or have certain bowel diseases. He says colonoscopies are a true success story -- but there is a 2.1 percent increase in incidents. He says no need to feel uncomfortable about getting a colonoscopy -- you are sedated and feel no pain. He says this is an excellent test and catches the cancers really early. The FIT test is another option -- but it has to be done yearly and does not remove the precancerous growth like is done in a colonoscopy. Life style changes include high fiber, low fat diets, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising -- that's good for all cancers and heart concerns. No one should be found with colon cancer anymore. It can be caught before it is a deadly. Dr. Tierney says we need to do more screening.