Dr. Gary Overturf, MD

There should be no problem in having a flu shot after COVID-19, but it would be best to await until 2-3 weeks after recovery or diagnosis of COVID-19 before you get the flu shot. Also, you should try to get the flu shot before the end of October at the latest.

First, always wear a mask and keep at least 6-12 feet away. It would be best, if weather permits, to meet outside and still wear a mask and keep at least 6 feet distant. If you choose to meet inside, any entrance should be okay. It's what you do that is risky, like not hugging, kissing, shaking hands, and distancing and mask wearing when visiting them.

Unfortunately, we cannot say with any certainty what level of antibodies will be protective...it's likely you will be immune for awhile, but we also have no idea of how long you will be immune to another attack.

Herpes simplex is the cause of fever blisters. Herpes is a nearly universal infection, although most people are asymptomatic but will shed the virus periodically from their mouth, but be unaware of it. So, it is likely that someone in your family had contact with you daughter when they were shedding the virus... it could have come from a symptomatic or asymptomatic person.

Cholera is still in the world, although most of South America is not highly infected. It is transmitted by drinking or exposure to infected water sources or by exposure to another infected persons stools. I would be very careful if you are in primitive settings and would drink only boiled water and avoid contact with persons who have diarrhea or stomach discomfort.

Malaria is transmitted only from female mosquitoes who are caring the virus. In most states, malaria is reportable to the health department. Since many states have mosquitoes which could transmit infection, your colleague should take precautions from getting bitten by mosquitoes, but he is not a risk to other persons.

I cannot make a complete answer to your question. Inflammation is a normal response to any infection and is most concentrated at the major point of the infection..in your case the bronchial tubes. Generalized inflammation occurs with auto immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or generalized viral or bacterial infections. This would take more evaluation by your physician.

Children are often asymptomatic, but can have fever, cough, headache and fatigue and sometimes diarrhea. Fever and headache are the most common symptoms. Children can also have post - C0VID 19 symptoms and severe multiple organ involvement with heart, lung and kidney symptoms as well as rash, fever etc.

Chronic, long lasting symptoms are thought to be common in about 30% of patients who have been infected. Headache and chronic fatigue and symptoms of shortness of breath are very common...these symptoms may persist for weeks or months. Many patients even months later after COVID - 19 just do not feel right. Treatment is only symptomatic which your doctor would need to provide.

Limited testing for antibodies is available, but the testing is still not widely available and the interpretation of the test is controversial, since many of the tests are plagued by false positives and false negatives...which means, that neither a positive or negative test will mark you are immune or not immune. It general, these tests cannot be used to determine if you protected.

Your age alone puts you at risk. The allergy shots would probably not put you at greater risk. In general, we do not allow patient over 60 to 65 to be in direct contact with known or suspected COVID 19 carriers...so unless there is very good personal protective equipment, we would not recommend that patients your age do swabbing for COVID 19 on outpatients.

Viruses are primarily large complex collections of a few molecules; they are destroyed by chemical degradation, so they breakdown would be gradual. Outside of a living body on in a dead body, survival of the virus might be a week or two, similar to what how they survive on metal, plastic, cardboard etc.

I assume that the question is specifically for Herpes simplex infection which is the cause of fever blisters and occasionally other skin infections. Many Herpes simplex infections are recurrent due to the fact that the virus is latent and remains in nerve tissue for the life of a person who is infected and will periodically recur to an active infection. There are drugs which are helpful in invasive infections such as acyclovir, but these drugs have a minimal role in localized recurrent skin infections and are generally not recommended unless symptoms are severe. They may slightly shorten the duration of the infections, but only minimally. There are medications available for over the counter medicines which can be applied to the blisters directly, and these also may minimize the duration of the sores and make the infection more tolerable; these can be obtained at pharmacies and can up the blister like lessions and will shorten the course of herpes.


Dr. Gary Overturf