Plum Health Blog
Warning: Dog Bites Can Be Painful and Costly
Dog bites can be painful and costly, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We go above and beyond for our patients to try to prevent any unnecessary emergency department visits. We can treat dog bites, cuts, asthma attacks, and several other urgent care-type concerns in our office. This goes a long way for our patients, giving them the assurance that their doctor is available to them and protects their pocket books from over charges at the hospital.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Dog Bite Laceration on lower lip before
Dog Bite Laceration on lower lip, after 3 sutures at Plum Health DPC in Detroit Michigan
This Detroit Doctor's Office is Open For Business
Plum Health DPC is Open in Detroit’s Corktown Neighborhood
We have been continually working and continually serving our patients during this time. We are proud to do this work and proud to be making health care more affordable and more accessible in Detroit and beyond. Everyday, we work diligently to deliver excellent care and service to our patient and we work diligently to lower the cost of health care in our community.
We are a family medicine practice and our staff includes myself, Dr. Paul Thomas, and my practice partner, Dr. Raquel Orlich, DO. We are both Board Certified in Family medicine and we take care of patients of all ages and stages here in Detroit and beyond. Many people ask us if you have to live in Detroit to be a member of our practice, but you should know that we see patients from all across Metro Detroit and the State of Michigan.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas MD with Plum Health DPC
Plum Health Office Vandalized, but we will continue to serve
Plum Health Office Vandalized
Saturday, our medical office was vandalized by a man with a can of spray paint.
This is an unfortunate event, but it doesn’t define who we are. We are a family medicine practice and we believe that health care should be affordable and accessible. We exist to actively lower the cost of healthcare for our neighbors in Detroit and beyond. We are successful because we’ve met an unmet need in the community and we’ve been embraced by people in the community.
In response to seeing the vandalism on Twitter, I replied in a tweet: “While we respect your right to protest, and we agree with the reasons why you’re protesting, please don’t vandalize the office where we lower the cost of healthcare for Detroit residents #PlumHealth.”
On Sunday, we’ll wash off the graffiti and on Monday we’ll continue to see our patients and continue to serve our community. Paint washes off easily, but the journey to justice in our country and the healing of racial injustices will take more intentionality and sustained effort.
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day.
-Paul Thomas, MD
P.S. Some people have reached out and asked how they can help. Here’s a few ways:
work towards making our community better, safer, and kinder. There are so many Detroit-based non-profits and groups that you can volunteer with or donate to, and many of them have been devastated by the Coronavirus. Here’s a few of my favorites:
Grace in Action - a network of youth-run collectives and worker-owned cooperatives rooted in Southwest Detroit
the Downtown Boxing Gym - providing Detroit youth with educational and physical activities (I volunteered with them as a ring-side Doctor)
the Detroit Historical Society (they did a fantastic exhibition on Detriot ‘67)
Eii (equitable Internet Initiaitve of Southwest Detroit address digital justice), a smaller initiative, is working hyper locally to address the gap in access to information
join the protests and ensure that they remain non-violent and non-destructive.
If you’ve used our service in the past, or believe in our mission of delivering affordable, accessible healthcare, you can leave us a review, here.
If you want to be a part of our service or if you want to sponsor a family member or a friend who needs this type of medical service, you can sign up, here.
Dr. Paul Thomas' Statement on George Floyd
This week has been a tumultuous week for our communities and our country. I’m proud to be an ally to those who face racial injustice and race-based discrimination and violence.
The vast majority of people were supportive of the post, but there were some negative comments. One person on Facebook said: “This was a terrible event. Likewise, Dr Thomas, there is no professional reason for you to comment on this.”
In response, I said “I respectfully disagree. I serve a diverse group of patients, some of whom have been exposed to trauma that can negatively affect their health outcomes. By communicating my understanding of these realities, I aim to help others and support those who've been affected by traumatic events like this. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29019632/”
Thanks for reading,
-Dr. Paul Thomas
Doctors Embracing Startup DPC Book on Social Media
Startup DPC Book Gets Great Feedback on Social Media
This week, we’ve been getting a lot of love for the Startup DPC Book on Social Media.
Let me preface this post by stating a few things. First, I’m a physician on a mission to delivery affordable and accessible healthcare here in Detroit and beyond. Second, I’m an educator. Not only am I a clinical assistant professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine, but I also teach in other ways. One of those ways is by teaching other doctors how to successfully start and grow their own direct primary care practices.
I truly believe that direct primary care is a better way of serving our patients - we have more time to listen to our patients, we have more tools to deliver compassionate care, and we can actively lower the cost of medical care for our patients. Therefore, I want to reach as many doctors as possible with this information.
My physician colleagues have responded and they’ve sent me some tremendous feedback via social media. Below are a few of those posts!
Direct Primary Care Doctor Inspired by Startup DPC Book
Recently, Rebecca Berens, MD of Vida Family Medicine in Houston Texas sent out very kind post on Instagram. She recently read the Startup DPC book, Startup DPC: How to Start and Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice and she posted a quote on her Instagram that I used in the book from John C Maxwell, “Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it's almost always due to personal growth.”
This is the quote that I used at the beginning of Chapter 6 on How to Prepare for Direct Primary Care While in Residency. I used the quote here because I believe that new doctors and residents have the greatest opportunity to learn a new system of care, and they have a unique opportunity to adopt the DPC model and the DPC mindset before getting enmeshed in the dysfunctional fee-for-service system as an employed physician.
Here’s what Dr. Berens had to say:
I love this quote that Dr. Paul Thomas from @plumhealthdpc added to his new book, #startupdpc Direct Primary Care is a new concept to many patients (and even doctors), but it was truly personal growth that led me to take this path. I was so tired of churning patients through the system in 10 minute increments, never having enough time to really help them in the way I knew I could. Meanwhile, I was arriving home to my family emotionally drained and physically exhausted. Becoming a mother made me realise that I needed to do better, for my patients and my family. Starting your own business is a huge risk (even without a pandemic throwing a wrench in the mix!) but in the end all of the stress and uncertainty it will be worth it.
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Does spending more time at home during pandemic have you reflecting too? How have you grown over the last few months?
TESTIMONIAL FOR STARTUP DPC BOOK AND COURSES
Post from Dr. Prisiliano Salas about the Startup DPC Book and Startup DPC Courses:
Just finished a course by Paul Thomas, M.D. from Plum Health DPC and #startupdpc. Let me just say that Paul knows his stuff. I met him in 2018 at the Family Medicine DPC Summit. He gave a lecture about his experience starting a #DirectPrimaryCare practice and using social media marketing strategies. I've been following him on/off during this time but had not fully made the jump onto social platforms the way he describes it. Now two years later his practice growth is testament to this method. He's full and added a new doc! On top of that he remains faithful to his mission, to empower the #DPC community with his knowledge and reproducible success. I'm now ready to embrace social media to share my knowledge and experience with my patients (though still working up to youtube to get more camera ready 😎 ). Take one of his courses or read one of his 2 books, he won't disappoint. Keep the momentum going!
Thank you so much for the shout out Dr. Salas! and best of luck with your direct primary care practice. I know that you’ll have every advantage on attracting new patients after taking our Sales Funnel course.
Regina Allen Hardin, MD of Modern Medicine made this post on LinkedIn:
Medical Student gives a shout out to the Startup DPC book
This week, Startup DPC got a nice shout out from Pretty Girl Practice on Instagram. If you’re a direct primary care doctor, social media applications like Facebook and Instagram can be great platforms to reach new audiences and also to improve your branding. If you don’t have a Facebook Page or an Instagram page for your direct primary care practice, consider making one to improve how people in your community perceive your brand and your business. I teach doctors how to do this, step-by-step, in the Sales Funnel course on our website, here.
Here’s what Pretty Girl Practice on Instagram had to say about direct primary care:
You pay a monthly membership fee (like Netflix) to your Doctor
You can schedule as many visits as you like with your DOCTOR and text your doctor medical questions when needed (no more Dr. Google 🤓)
Hour long visits and you receive higher quality care (currently insurance companies often have quick 20 minute visits to see more patients and therefore make more money)
great for fields like Family Medicine, Pediatrics, even some Dermatologists use this model
allows Doctors to be entrepreneurs again! and brings back the treasured physician-patient relationship. Also, decreases burnout for physicians. Plus patients are more satisfied, win-win!
I really think DPC will be the practice of the future. It’s the practice a lot of us dreamt of when we first became doctors.
The following image is a screenshot from her story about Direct Primary Care:
Startup DPC gets a nice shout out from PrettyGirlPractice on Instagram.
Sincerely thank you to all of the doctors who’ve picked up a copy of the book and who’ve used their social media platforms to share about the book. I appreciate all of you!
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Startup DPC Book Reaches Number 1 on Amazon in the Physicians Category
This is Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC here in Detroit Michigan. We believe that healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone, and we are doing our part to make that happen here in Corktown, and Detroit, and beyond.
However, several doctors have reached out to me and asked how we made Plum Health such a successful direct primary care practice. How are we attracting new patients? How are we lowering the cost of healthcare? How are we lowering the cost of medications, labs, and imaging services? How are we cutting all of the bureaucratic red tape?
I answered all those questions individually for my physician colleagues, but I also saved those answers in a word document, which eventually became this book.
This book is intended to help family physicians and internal medicine physicians start and grow their direct primary care practices. We want to see more doctors adopt this model that lowers healthcare costs and puts patients first.
The response to the book has been tremendous, and we’ve received many great reviews and a ton of great feedback about the content of the book. Thank you so much to everyone who has purchased the book, thank you for everyone who has left a review on Amazon, and thank you for making us number one on Amazon in the physicians category. We sincerely appreciate all of you!
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
PS if you're a doctor looking to start a direct primary care practice, check out Startup DPC
Startup DPC: How to Start and Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice is the number 1 new release on Amazon in the Physicians category!
Personal Protective Equipment Being Made in Detroit and Michigan
This week, I wanted to highlight some of the incredible work being done here in Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Some community members have been very generous in their donations to our clinic of masks and face shields. We also picked up some hand sanitizer from a local bus company. In this blog post, I’m going to highlight some of the companies making a difference here in Detroit and Southeast Michigan by making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
MI Face Shields
First up, I wanted to highlight MI Face Shields. Tom, a member of MIFaceShields.com, delivered protective face shields to our office to help us slow the spread of coronavirus. We shot a video (below) about the product that is available for purchase on their website.
We discuss how the product is made in a no-touch environment and how it's made right here in Michigan (thus MI Face Shields). Tom also mentioned their Facebook page, and you can navigate to that site to find more information about the product.
I think that these are a great way to add an extra layer of protection for yourself and for your patients. I could also see this being used in bars and restaurants or grocery stores by checkout clerks. Again, it's an extra layer of protection that can help to slow the spread of the virus.
Hand Sanitizer at Detroit Bus Company
Hand Sanitizer has been hard to come by, but fortunately one of our neighbors has been making hand sanitizer for a relatively low price - The Detroit Bus Company. What’s really amazing is that the Detroit Bus Company shut down their usual operations and went all in on making hand sanitizer. They ship and allow for pick up on Saturdays and Wednesdays. You can purchase a bottle or more at their website.
Hand Sanitizer at Two James
Additionally, Two James, a spirits/beverage company in Corktown has also shifted to make hand sanitizer. Here’s what they’ve relayed to me:
We are selling hand sanitizer and bottles of Two James Spirits out of our tasting room Wednesday - Saturday from 12p - 4p. For tasting room purchases, there is a limit of 2 per person for all sizes. Please come down during our open hours to purchase. We accept cash or credit card. First come, first serve, no holds.
Availability and Pricing for Hand Sanitizer for Sale In Tasting Room
$4 - 8oz
$8 - 16oz
$16 - 32oz
If you require information regarding larger orders for yourself, corporations or organizations, please send an email to me with "Hand Sanitizer" in the subject line. I will get back to you asap.
I apologize that we cannot ship any orders at this time. Orders are pick up only.
I spoke with one of their managers, Erika Rice about why the project was important, and she wrote that:
"We saw a huge need for hand sanitizer when the pandemic hit and there was no question about switching gears to start the process of creating hand sanitizer to step-up to help the community. We are proud to be able to say that we have donated to our local police, fire and EMS departments as well as those working the front lines in the surrounding metro Detroit area. Family and community are the pillars of our business and it only made sense to help.”
Face masks from Commonwealth sewing
Commonwealth Sewing Company is a Detroit-based clothing manufacturer. They’ve shifted gears from making custom shirts to making cotton face masks. These are available for purchase at their Commonwealth Sewing Co website.
Face Masks from Detroit Denim
Another Detroit-based company making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is Detroit Denim. Detroit Denim usually makes jeans and aprons, but now they’re switching gears and making masks and gowns. You can check out their products, here.
Face Masks From York Project
Yet another Detroit-based company making face masks is the York Project. They are selling two-ply masks on their website, here.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Paul Thomas MD Publishes Startup DPC: How to Start and Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice
Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC Publishes a New Book
I am proud and excited to announce that my new book, Startup DPC: How to Start and Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice has officially been published! And it is currently the #1 new release in Amazon’s Family Practice Medicine category!
Why This Book on Direct Primary Care Was Written?
I wrote this book for so many reasons - to begin with, starting and growing a Direct Primary Care practice has changed my life. I’ve been able to serve people in my community with a high-value family medicine service, I’ve been able to advocate for causes that I feel passionate about, and I’ve been able to be creative in my approach to solving people’s healthcare challenges. In short, I’ve been able to become the doctor I’m meant to be.
I’ve also learned a ton from my colleagues in the direct primary care movement, and I wanted to give back in a tangible way. So, I took all of my learnings, all of my knowledge and wisdom that I’ve gained over the past four years and put those lessons into this book. I’ve had a lot of victories, but I’ve also made a ton of mistakes and I’ve had my share of failures - I wanted to share about the spectrum of success and failure and give my primary care colleagues as many advantages as possible when they set out to do this kind of work.
What The Direct Primary Care Doctors Have Said About Startup DPC
"I have followed Dr. Paul Thomas' career since he started Plum Health DPC in 2016. His ability to integrate podcasts, blogs, and media appearances within his brand is incredible. Dr. Paul presents direct primary care to physicians in a digestible, seamless format that has solidified his position as a DPC influencer across the country. His branding and marketing techniques are top notch, and I can't wait to see what creative ideas he formulates in the future. Dr. Paul is truly a rising star in the DPC movement."
- Dr. James Pinckney II, CEO & Founder Diamond Physicians
"Starting your own direct primary care practice can be a stressful and confusing endeavor. Dr. Paul Thomas does an excellent job alleviating much of that stress and confusion in this detailed, engaging account of starting a successful, thriving practice. If you have ever wondered whether direct primary care might be for you, do yourself a favor and read this book before making that decision - I bet you'll find it less intimidating than you expect."
- Tiffany Leonard, MD, FAAFP, Owner and Physician of Deer View Family Medicine
"Dr. Paul Thomas does it again! An easy to understand and implement guide to making your DPC practice as successful as it can be!"
- Eleanor Host, MD, Whole Family Direct Care
"Dr. Paul's content is simultaneously engaging and thorough, filling a void in the literature up until this point. His latest book is pioneering in its ability to walk someone through the process of starting a direct primary care practice from a to z, hitting on all of the most salient points and leaving nothing to the imagination."
- Phil Hellman, MD, Paradox Health
"Dr. Thomas' experience with personal branding is extremely helpful to budding direct primary care physicians. In this book, he walks you through the important steps, from creating a logo to engaging with local media and then using social media to market your practice. You really can't find this hands-on, real-life advice anywhere else. I wish his book had been in print when I opened my direct care practice in 2018!"
- Aleea Gupta, MD, Family First Direct Primary Care
"Dr. Thomas has been a huge inspiration to me as a new DPC doctor!His first book was an excellent introduction to the model, but this book really dives deep into the nuts and bolts of how to start and market your practice.As doctors we are not educated on how to run a business, but this guide answered all my questions and makes this scary process feel manageable!"
- Rebecca Berens, MD, Vida Family Medicine PLLC
"Dr. Paul is an influential thought leader of the direct primary care movement. His efforts to advocate for the doctor-patient relationship and assist his colleagues in navigating to the direct primary care model are exemplary."
- Dan Schaefer, M.D. Family physician, Owner and founder of Whole Health Family Medicine Clinic.
Startup DPC Book Description
We all know that our current healthcare system is broken, especially for primary care doctors and their patients. Primary care physicians have to see more and more patients in less and less time in order to keep up with declining reimbursement from insurance companies. This leads to rushed office visits, missed opportunities for genuine connections between doctors and their patients, frustrated patients, and burned out doctors. But it doesn't have to be this way.
Direct primary care offers a real opportunity at a fulfilling practice of medicine. It’s a golden opportunity to restructure your time, build the practice of your dreams, and spend your best hours taking care of patients and prioritizing your family life, rather than wasting time as a data entry clerk for an insurance company. In short, direct primary care gives you the opportunity to become the doctor that you're meant to be.
But how do you get this done? How do you go from a less-than-fulfilled doctor in the dysfunctional fee-for-service system to an empowered, entrepreneurial direct primary care physician capable of starting their own successful DPC practice?
The answers you're seeking are in this book!
My name is Dr. Paul Thomas, and I'm a Board Certified Family Medicine Doctor - I launched my own direct primary care practice straight out of residency in Southwest Detroit with over $100,000 in student loan debt. In my first month of practice, I had 7 patients. A few years later, we have over 700 patients, and I've hired a medical assistant and a second family doctor to help me manage the growing demand for our services.
I was named the entrepreneur of the year in 2018 by the Detroit Vanguard Awards, I gave a TEDxDetroit talk on direct primary care, and I've been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Reason Magazine, CBS Radio, Detroit's ABC affiliate WXYZ, Detroit's NBC affiliate WDIV, and Crain's Detroit Business. I've also been a speaker multiple times at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) DPC Summit, the Direct Primary Care Nuts and Bolts Conference, and the Hint Health DPC Summit.
In this book, I'm going to teach you everything I know about direct primary care and about starting a successful direct primary care practice. Here's a smattering of the topics that we'll cover:
- How to have the right mindset to be successful in your direct primary care journey
- How to become the doctor you're meant to be
- What a typical day looks like for a direct primary care doctor
- How to finance your direct primary care startup
- How to raise money for your DPC practice
- How to overcome a lack of business training in medical school and residency
- How to construct the perfect timeline for starting your DPC practice
- How to write a business plan for your direct primary care clinic
- How to start a direct primary care practice straight out of residency
- How to convert an existing fee-for-service clinic to a direct primary care practice while remaining profitable
- What's the difference between direct primary care and concierge medicine
- How to hire a second doctor for your DPC practice
- How to find a profitable location for your DPC practice
- How to negotiate a lease deal for your medical practice
- How to build out the medical office of your dreams
- How to attract patients to your direct primary care practice
- How to brand your practice so you stand out in your marketplace
- How to build your personal brand to grow your direct primary care practice
And so much more!
By picking up this book, you may be taking your first step in starting your direct primary care practice, or you may be taking the next big leap in growing your direct primary care practice. I know that whoever you are, and whichever stage you're at in your DPC journey, this book will inspire you and demonstrate in concrete methods how you can be even more successful.
Here's to your success in the growing DPC movement!
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Coronavirus Update For Detroit Michigan: What Happens Next?
Current Number of Coronavirus Cases and Deaths in Michigan
Covid 19 has been with us for well over 2 months now, and here’s where we stand:
45,045 Cases in Michigan
4250 Deaths in Michigan
657 new cases today
71 new deaths today
Despite the high numbers of total cases (cumulative cases) and cumulative deaths, there is a distinct downward trend in new cases each day. This is great, and it demonstrates the effectiveness of increased testing, social distancing parameters, government interventions like shutting down bars and movie theaters, as well as limiting the capacity of restaurants.
Percentage of People Testing Positive for Covid-19 in Michigan
In Michigan, about 23% of those who have been tested have tested positive for Covid-19. From April 6 to April 27th, the average percentage of positive tests has declined from almost 40% to just over 16%, which is well above the World Health Organization's 3% to 12% recommendation, but moving in the right direction.
Comparing Coronavirus in Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Some groups in the United States have demanded a re-opening of the country, and some of those have pointed to Sweden as a model country. However, Sweden has had worse outcomes with Coronavirus than its neighboring Scandinavian countries.
Finland has 5,573 cases and 252 total deaths
Norway has 7,915 cases and 215 total deaths
Sweden has 23,918 cases and 2,941 total deaths
It’s important to understand what’s working and what’s not working globally so that we can inform our own public policy at the National, State, County, and City level.
When will the Coronavirus Vaccine Be Available?
The Coronavirus vaccine will likely be ready in late 2021. There are multiple phases and stages that the vaccine has to go through, and we’re near the beginning of that process.
What is Direct Primary Care?
Some of you have asked more about Plum Health and Direct Primary Care - we provide a membership model for health care and we believe that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone. We take care of patients of all ages and stages, from across the metro region, and of varying insurance coverages (including uninsured and underinsured folks). We love saving people money on healthcare services and delivering excellent care and service for our members.
A Few Thank You Notes!
Thank you to Max and his team at Commonwealth Sewing Company for the work they’re doing around making masks in Detroit. Thank you to Tyson Gersh at the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative for delivering 100 KN95 masks to our office - we appreciate you! And thank you to the team at MI FACE SHIELDS for providing us with 60 face shields - this is just another way we can protect ourselves and our patients during this time.
Thanks for reading and watching - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Dr. Paul Thomas Interviewed on Mix 92.3 with Cheron
This week, we had a great interview with Cheron of Mix 92.3 about our direct primary care services here in Detroit Michigan.
We're at Plum Health in Detroit's Corktown Neighborhood and we operate a membership model for health care. Our members pay $10 each month for children, and it starts at $49 each month for adults. With that membership, our patients can call, text, or email us anytime.
Our members at Plum Health also have access to 50 to 90% savings on medications, lab work, and imaging services. A big thanks to Cheron for the great interview!
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Direct Primary Care Book Reaches 50 Reviews
Today is an amazing day and I’m very excited that my book Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System has reached 50 reviews on Amazon! A sincere thank you to everyone who helped me write, edit, and publish the book, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has read the book and reviewed it on Amazon.
I wrote this book because I wanted to communicate the ethos of the direct primary care movement - why do we do what we do as direct primary care doctors and how it impacts our patients, our communities, and the greater healthcare system. A year and a half after its publication, I believe the book is continually achieving those aims.
Here’s the latest review:
This was a fantastic, passionate, and very simple approach to addressing a huge problem in the American healthcare system. I learned a lot from reading Dr. Thomas’s book. I highly recommend any physician read it if anyone is considering going into direct primary care.
There’s a lot of crazy stuff happening in our world right now, but there’s a lot that I’m grateful for as well, so thank you again.
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Today, May 5th, 2020, I just received my 50th review for my book, Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System, and I couldn’t be happier!
What are the ages of patients at Plum Health DPC?
How Old are the Patients at Plum Health DPC?
We are often asked how old are your patients at your practice?
First of all, we are primary care physicians and family medicine doctors, and that means that we take care of patients of all ages and stages. All patients are welcome at our practice regardless of age.
Currently, our youngest patient is two months old and our oldest patient is 102 years old. That being said the majority of our members at Plum Health DPC are between the ages of 20 and 65 years.
I think there are a number of factors at play that cause the majority of our patients to be in that demographic.
First of all, we are a primarily urban practice, and we take care of several young urban professionals who are highly mobile and without children. Detroit and Southeast Michigan has a strong economic output, that attracts top talent to the region in various professions like law, medicine, automotive engineering, and others. Perhaps we would have more pediatric patients if we were in a suburban community where there are more children and families.
Second, the people that I know trust me and are more likely to become my patients. The people that I know are mostly my age, plus or minus a few years. That probably skews our data or the number of patients in our practice who are around the age of 33 somewhat.
Third, our country provides health insurance coverage for people under age 26 through the affordable care act. As long as a child’s parents have health insurance, that child will be covered under their parents’ health insurance plan. Also, those individuals over 65 are covered by Medicare, and because they may be on a fixed income they may be less inclined to seek out a direct primary care practice where they have to pay over and above their Medicare coverage.
Even thought we take care of patients of all ages and stages, one thing that we don’t do in our practice is deliver babies.
If you Don’t Deliver Babies, Who Do you Recommend for Obstetric Services?
We don’t deliver babies in our office and we don’t have hospital privileges to deliver babies at the hospital. However, we do take care of moms and growing babies during the first trimester of pregnancy. During that first trimester visit, we can perform a pregnancy test and also screen for conditions that may be harmful to the growing fetus, like blood sugar testing, sexually transmitted infection testing, and making sure there’s no bacteria in the urine.
During the second and third trimesters, we make sure to coordinate care with practicing Obstetricians and Gynecologists who are trusted in our community. We’ve developed a list of trusted professionals in Metro Detroit and we share it here to help our patients and the greater community find the Doctors or Midwives who can help them with a successful delivery.
This list includes doctors that we have worked with personally and doctors who our patients and greater community members have had great experiences with. Here’s that list:
Essam Khraizat, MD
Michigan Women's Care
Obstetrician-gynecologist in Canton Township, Michigan
Address: 6300 N Haggerty Rd #200, Canton, MI 48187
Phone: (734) 981-8181
Paige E. Paladino DO
Address: 11012 E Thirteen Mile Rd #212, Warren, MI 48093
Phone: (586) 582-7150
https://healthcare.ascension.org/doctors/1255651170/paige-e-paladino-warren-mi?&i
Cara Speier, DO with Beaumont
Address: 27750 Middlebelt Rd #150, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Phone: (248) 476-7650
https://doctors.beaumont.org/provider/Carrie+Lynn+Speier+Schafer/225128
Dr. Soheyla Pezeshki
Metro Partners in Women’s Health out of Providence Park
Address: 26850 Providence Pkwy c500, Novi, MI 48374
Phone: (248) 662-4388
Beata Weiermiller, MD at Somerset Gynecology and Obstetrics
Address: 3290 W Big Beaver Rd Suite 444, Troy, MI 48084
Products and Services: somersetgynecologyobstetrics.com
Appointments: somersetgynecologyobstetrics.com
Phone: (248) 816-9200
https://www.somersetgynecologyobstetrics.com/md/BWeiermiller
Eastside Gynecology & Obstetrics, P.C
Address: 29751 Little Mack Ave # B, Roseville, MI 48066
Phone: (586) 415-6200
https://doctors.beaumont.org/provider/Carrie+Lynn+Speier+Schafer/225128
Women First OB/GYN Center
Medical clinic in Royal Oak, Michigan
Uses a Natural Birthing Center out of Beaumont
Address: 326 N Main St, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Phone: (248) 584-7600
List of Doctors, Nurses, and Midwives at this practice: http://women-firstobgyn.com/our-experts.html
IHA Nurse Midwives in Ann Arbor
Address: 4200 Whitehall Dr Suite 350, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone: (734) 572-9600
https://ihacares.com/locations/mi/ann-arbor/iha-nurse-midwives
Covenant Community Care
Address: 27776 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Phone: (248) 556-4900
Appointments: covenantcommunitycare.org
Able to care for Medicaid-enrolled patients
Coronavirus Update: Have we Flattened the Curve in Michigan?
Coronavirus Update for Detroit and Michigan
As of the filming of this video, there were 32,967 coronavirus cases in the State of Michigan and 2,700 confirmed deaths in the State of Michigan. The increase from April 21st to April 22nd was 967 new cases and 232 new deaths.
This death count was pushed up by deaths that occurred previously and were not attributed to Coronavirus, but are now attributed to Coronavirus. In the video, we mistakenly attributed this jump in new deaths to perhaps an accurate counting of bodies at DMC's Sinai Grace Hospital (https://www.wxyz.com/news/coronavirus/disturbing-images-show-bodies-piled-up-at-sinai-grace-hospital-in-detroit), but this was not the case.
Flattening the Curve
In Detroit and in Michigan, we seem to be flattening the curve. Our public health efforts and the greater community support of these measures seems to be working to reduce the number of new infections. On April 3rd, there were nearly 2,000 cases reported that day. As of April 22nd, there were only 967 new cases reported. This is a good sign that we're being effective in our community strategies and social distancing efforts.
How Vaccines Work and How They May Help Us Prevent Coronavirus in the Future
Vaccines work when scientists are able to take a virus, break it down, and inject only the protein capsule into the body. That's what we, as scientists, do with the flu vaccine. We remove the RNA from the virus, the part of the virus that replicates and creates more viruses, and we give our patients only the viral proteins.
This way, our bodies can create antibodies or a robust immune response to the viral proteins, and prevent a larger infection from taking hold when we're exposed to the actual virus.
What's an Example of a Successful Vaccine from the Past?
Let's use Polio as an example.
In the late 1940s, polio outbreaks in the U.S. increased in frequency and size, crippling an average of more than 35,000 people each year. Parents were frightened to let their children go outside, especially in the summer when the virus seemed to peak. Travel and commerce between affected cities were sometimes restricted. Public health officials imposed quarantines (used to separate and restrict the movement of well people who may have been exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become ill) on homes and towns where polio cases were diagnosed.(https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html)
In 1952, the number of polio cases in the U.S. peaked at 57,879, resulting in 3,145 deaths. Those who survived this highly infectious disease could end up with some form of paralysis, forcing them to use crutches, wheelchairs or to be put into an iron lung, a large tank respirator that would pull air in and out of the lungs, allowing them to breathe. (https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-deadly-polio-epidemic-and-why-it-matters-for-coronavirus)
The first polio vaccine was available in the United States in 1955, invented by Jonas Salk.
Thanks to the polio vaccine, dedicated health care professionals, and parents who vaccinate their children on schedule, polio has been eliminated in this country for more than 30 years. This means that there is no year-round transmission of poliovirus in the United States.
Since 1979, no cases of polio have originated in the U.S.
However, the virus has been brought into the country by travelers with polio. The last time this happened was in 1993.
Hopefully, we can achieve the same results with a future Coronavirus Vaccine.
What is Herd Immunity?
Herd Immunity means that enough people in the population are immune to the Coronavirus, which will greatly limit its spread.
This Herd Immunity can be achieved in a few different ways. First, once a number of Americans get the Coronavirus, they will fight off the infection and become immune, limiting the spread of the virus once they recover.
Second, once a vaccine is developed, many more people will become immune through vaccination. Just like being vaccinated for the influenza virus, or for Polio, or for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, once you’ve been vaccinated for these viruses, your body creates immunoglobulins or antibodies to help protect you from infection from these viruses.
Unfortunately, the Coronavirus or COVID-19 vaccine will take 18 months to 2 years to develop, so this option will take a long time to achieve.
Thanks for reading and watching,
- Dr. Paul Thomas and Dr. Raquel Orlich with Plum Health DPC
Paul Thomas MD Interviewed on Model D Media
On April 7th, 2020, Dr. Paul Thomas was interviewed by Dorothy Hernandez during Model D Media’s Facebook Live stream. The topic was Coronavirus and how we are managing this pandemic in the Detroit community.
Here’s what Model D Media wrote about this:
Editor’s note: This guest column by Dr. Paul Thomas, a family medicine doctor and founder of Plum Health Direct Primary Care, has been adapted from this blog post on the health center's website. Click here for the full post published on April 4.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an overload of information — and there's a lot of misinformation out there. Do you have a question for Dr. Thomas about coronavirus? Join us on our Facebook page for a Facebook Live Q&A at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, with Dr. Thomas.
Q: Which counties nationwide have been impacted the most by coronavirus?
A: From the perspective of the number of cases and the number of deaths, the following counties/areas have been impacted the most by the coronavirus:
New York City (Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island)
Wayne County, Michigan
King County, Washington
Orleans County, Louisiana
Cook County, Illinois
Oakland County, Michigan
Bergen County, New Jersey
This comes from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and it's notable that Michigan has two neighboring counties in the top six hardest-hit counties: Wayne County and Oakland County.
Q: Why has Michigan and Southeast Michigan been hit so hard by the coronavirus?
A: Bridge Magazine wrote an excellent article on this and I agree with their assessment with one addition that we haven't been talking about.
In the article, Bridge Magazine talks about the following factors causing Michigan to be more susceptible to the virus:
Automotive trade with suppliers in Wuhan China
Detroit Metro Airport with Direct Flights to Wuhan, China
Michigan’s March 10th Presidential Primary
Ties between Detroit and Italy via Fiat Chrysler (FCA)
In addition to these factors, I would want to add a few others, including higher rates of overweight and obesity in Detroit and Michigan - rate of overweight is 47.5% in Detroit (34% in NYC) and rate of obesity is 34.6% in Detroit (22% in NYC).
All of these factors have led to a higher case fatality rate here in Detroit and Michigan than the national case fatality rate:
National case fatality rate is 2.47%
Michigan case fatality rate is 3.75%
Detroit case fatality rate is 3.29%
Q: What are the comorbid conditions increasing the risk of mortality in COVID-19 positive patients?
A: [Last] week, I spoke with a physician colleague at one of the nearby regional hospital systems and we discussed the conditions that lead to a higher mortality rate. These comorbid conditions are as follows:
Cardiovascular disease (High blood pressure)
Diabetes
Pulmonary Disease
Obesity
Cancer
These factors that we discussed were similar to those studied in Wuhan, China.
While it’s still too early to state exactly why this is the case, I have a few theories. First, African American folks have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity than their white counterparts here in Detroit and in Michigan. As we stated above, these are risk factors for higher mortality from the coronavirus. Next, African American people may be more likely to depend on low and minimum wage jobs that put them at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Q: Should I wear a mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?
A: Yes, the CDC now recommends that all Americans wear a mask when in a place where they have a higher chance of contracting the Coronavirus, like grocery stores. This can be a cloth or fabric mask. Please wash these each day if you wear them. Please do not hoard surgical or N95 masks as these are needed at hospitals at this time.
Q: What can you do to slow down the coronavirus?
A:
Stay at home
Donate extra supplies to hospitals or your primary care doctor’s office
Unused N95 masks
Unused nitrile gloves
Donate blood
DO NOT congregate in large groups
DO NOT visit elderly or vulnerable relatives, even if you feel fine
Act as though you have the virus
Detroit Family Medicine Office Open During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Detroit Family Medicine Office Open During the Coronavirus Pandemic
We’ve received a lot of questions about whether or not we’re open during this Coronavirus Pandemic. Yes, we are open during the pandemic and we plan on remaining open for as long as it’s safe to treat patients. We are taking several precautions to keep our patients safe during this time.
We are open and we are continuing to offer telemedicine appointments for all of our existing patients and new members. We are also offering in-person appointments to our patients when necessary. For example, we recently sutured a dog bite for one of our patients to prevent an emergency room visit.
Where we can, we will treat patients in the office to save them money and decrease their risk of Coronavirus at hospital and urgent care settings. We are also open for medication pick ups and lab draws for patients who need medication refills or their necessary lab work completed, like hemoglobin a1c testing for our diabetic patients. We are coordinating testing for COVID-19 and we will soon have antibody testing in our office.
How Has COVID-19 Changed Our Business?
We have always been able to text and email our patients, and conduct some visits by phone and video chat. We never thought that we'd have to completely rely on digital communication to take care of our patients, but COVID-19 changed all of that.
We’re used to seeing patients in our office face-to-face and developing genuine relationships with the people we take care of during that process, but due to COVID-19 we've been limiting our face-to-face visits as much as possible to limit the potential spread of the Coronavirus. The health and safety of our patients is paramount and by limiting our contact with patients in the office, we're doing our part to limit the spread of the virus.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Dr. Paul Thomas on My Dream Big Club Podcast
Last week, I had a great conversation with Seun Phillips of the My Dream Big Club Podcast.
Episode 6 Link:
Show notes:
Dr. Paul Thomas sits down to discuss:
-Health care issues head on by spreading his innovative Direct Primary Care model, which provides affordable and accessible health care services
-How insurance plans directly correlate to doctors starting their practices in affluent areas
-Done is BETTER than perfect. Spend your time being decisive in your decision making process to keep the momentum going. Make the decision and deal with the consequences later
-Visualizing your dreams and creating a system to help you focus on your goal, revisiting your system when you're down and continuously progressing forward
Dr. Paul Thomas on Leading Questions
This week, I was interviewed on Leading Questions with Calvin Moore, Kent Straith, and Steve Phelps. Also on the show was Dr. Abdul El-Sayed a political pundit on CNN and author of the new book Healing Politics. We discussed the coronavirus and the flaws in our current healthcare system and political system that have allowed this virus to spread more widely and infect and kill more people.
Here’s the general topics we discussed:
Question: Tell us a little about yourself as a medical professional. How long have you been doing it and do you have a specialized area of focus?
Answer: For me, I’m a family medicine doctor. I started our direct primary care service, Plum Health DPC, to make healthcare more affordable and accessible here in Detroit. My practice started in 2016, and we’ve grown into a larger location in Corktown, Detroit on Michigan avenue. I work with a second doctor and we care for a diverse group of patients in terms of age, race, gender, abilities, orientation, socioeconomic status, and other factors. We’re proud to serve at the community level and to advocate for better health for our patients.
Question: Healthcare is an issue that is on everyone’s mind. What are some the glaring issues surrounding healthcare as you understand it?
Answer: Currently, the for-profit practice of medicine and the insurance based system of care has devalued primary care services that would help us prevent the spread of viruses. in our current system, elective surgeries like knee replacement surgeries and other procedural work receives the largest reimbursement from private health insurance companies and Medicare. So, our corporate hospital systems have maximized their ability to perform these procedures at the expense of a robust and well-functioning primary care delivery system. This disorientation has caused us to be vulnerable to pandemics like this.
Question: In 2019, “telehealth” was considered part of the future of medical care; however, the current pandemic has accelerated the progress and use of telehealth services. Do you see a time in the near future where telehealth successfully replaces some or most in-person office visits for routine services?
Answer: in our practice at Plum Health DPC, our patients can call, text, or email us anytime. We can also use video chats and we can text photos to help us better understand the conditions affecting our patients. We’re able to do this because WE DO NOT BILL OR USE INSURANCE. You see, your doctor cannot and will not text you after hours or even as a replacement for a typical visit because your doctor can only get paid by the insurance company for face-to-face visits. In our model, because our patients pay us directly, we change the way we deliver primary care to maximize the efficacy of our time and resources, and to give our patients an amazing customer experience.
Question: In an effort to curb the rising costs of health care and limit instances where patients have to pay out-of-pocket for services denied by their insurance companies, more and more medical procedures require prior authorization. Do you believe any changes are necessary to the prior authorization process that will allow you to better serve your patients, while at the same time reduce the rising costs of providing health care?
Answer: again, because we don’t bill or use insurance at Plum Health DPC, we don’t often go through the prior authorization system. In our model, we are extremely effective at lowering the cost of care, so it’s often times cheaper to buy the medication or get the lab test by paying cash for the service than by using the insurance policy to pay for an over-inflated cost of a lab test or medication. For example, if you got a complete blood count at the local hospital, they might charge you $125. That same complete blood count only costs $4 in our office.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Coronavirus Update: What's Up With Antibody Testing?
Coronavirus Update for Detroit Michigan
As of April 16th, 2020 at 3 pm, there have been 673,215 cases of Coronavirus in the United States and 34,384 deaths from the Coronavirus in the US. This is a case fatality rate of 5.1%.
There have also been 29,263 Total COVID-19 cases in Michigan and 2,093 deaths in Michigan, for a case fatality rate of 7.15%. Further, Detroit has seen 7,383 Coronavirus cases and 546 Coronavirus deaths, for a case fatality rate of 7.3%.
Racial Disparities in Health Outcomes for the Coronavirus
There have been and there continue to be racial disparities in health outcomes related to the Coronavirus. Here in Michigan, African Americans make up only 14% of our state population, but account for 41% of the deaths due to Coronavirus statewide.
Here in Michigan, African Americans make up only 14% of our state population, but account for 41% of the deaths due to Coronavirus statewide.
In other regions, the disparities are even more evident. In Chicago, where African Americans make up only 30% of the population, they account for 52.1% of the COVID-19 cases, and 68.6% of the COVID-19 Deaths. You can read more about Chicago specifically, here.
In Louisiana, the disparity is similar. Louisiana’s population is 33% African American, according to 2019 U.S. Census data. According to the Governor of Louisiana, 70% of Louisiana’s coronavirus deaths are African Americans.
In Chicago, where African Americans make up only 30.1% of the population, they account for 52.1% of the COVID-19 cases, and 68.6% of the COVID-19 Deaths. You can read more about Chicago specifically, here.
When these stats are brought up, some people point to disparities in underlying health conditions as the reasons for these disparities in death rates among African American communities. And yes, that is the point - there are huge underlying health disparities between African American people, Caucasians, and other minority populations, and if we as a society want to stop pandemics from disproportionately affecting minority communities in the future, we will have to work tirelessly to address these health disparities.
Comparing Coronavirus and Influenza
Both Coronavirus and the Flu are spread by droplets, but Coronavirus may also be airborne, making transmission that much easier for Coronavirus. The incubation period for Coronavirus can be 1 to 14 days. This makes transmission of the Coronavirus much easier because during that incubation, the person who is infected may not have any symptoms, but they may be infecting others by shedding virus. This paired with the Transmission rate or R0, leads to a greater rate of spread and infection. This is why our stay-in-place orders statewide here in Michigan are so critical - we’re saving lives by staying at home and preventing the virus transmission.
Unlike the Flu, there are no available antiviral treatments and there are no vaccines for the Coronavirus. For the Flu, we have Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and the Flu Shot to help us treat and prevent the Flu from spreading, but we don’t have these options for Coronavirus.
The hospitalization rate is much higher for Coronavirus, at 12 to 20%, whereas the hospitalization rate is only 0.6% to 1% for the Flu. Death rates are also very high for the Coronavirus. As discussed above, the case fatality rate for the US is 5.1% and the case fatality rate for Michigan is 7.15%. This makes the Coronavirus 50 to 70 times more deadly than the Flu.
How Much Does Coronavirus Care Cost?
The President has worked with health insurance companies to make Coronavirus testing free, but there are other costs that patients incur when seeking care for the Coronavirus. If you’re uninsured, you can be charged $149 for a 15 minute visit with your doctor, $86 for flu A and flu B testing, and $94 for some basic lab work.
Compare that with the cost of care in a direct primary care practice, where you pay a monthly membership of $49 to $99 monthly and all of your visits - in person and telemedicine - are included in the membership package. The membership also allows you to get steeply discounted labs, medications, and imaging services.
Comparison of Coronavirus care costs between those who are uninsured, those who have insurance, and those who are members of a direct primary care practice.
What is antibody testing for Coronavirus?
Antibody testing will become increasingly important as we as a Nation confront and manage the Coronavirus pandemic.
Currently, we as a medical community are offering RNA testing, which involves a nasal swab or a posterior pharyngeal swab. This test helps us identify those who actively have the virus and are shedding RNA. This is a good test and it tells us who is actively infected with the Coronavirus. The downside to this test is that there is a relatively short window of time when this test will detect the Coronavirus.
Soon, more and more private labs and hospitals will roll out Coronavirus antibody testing. The procedure looks like taking a prick of blood from the finger and testing that blood for antibodies, or proteins that your immune system makes to fight off this virus. First, your body makes IgM, and then your body makes IgG. IgG gives you long-term immunity to the Coronavirus, and immunologists anticipate that we will carry this immunity for 1 to 3 years.
So, if you test positive for IgM, only, you likely have only recently recovered from Coronavirus. If you test positive for IgM and IgG, you may have had Coronavirus approximately 14 days ago.
The only downside to these antibody tests is that we’re relying on the test manufacturers to produce an accurate test. That being said, this is the best tool that we have right now to find out who has had Coronavirus and who has built a robust immune response to Coronavirus.
What Can you do to Prevent the spread of Coronavirus?
Stay at home
When you go outside of your home, wear a mask and keep 6 feet between yourself and other people. Only go to the grocery store once each week to minimize unnecessary contamination and spread of the virus.
Donate extra supplies to hospitals or your primary care doctor’s office - we currently are running low on masks, so if you have them, we would appreciate a donation to keep our staff, patients, and community safe.
Unused N95 Masks
Unused Nitrile Gloves
Donate Blood
Donate Plasma if you’ve had Coronavirus and recovered - your plasma could be used to save a life.
DO NOT congregate in large groups
DO NOT visit elderly or vulnerable relatives, even if you feel fine
Act as though you have the virus
Thanks for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Social Entrepreneurs Speak with Challenge Detroit Fellows at TechTown
On Friday February 7th, 2020, I was invited to be a panelist at TechTown Detroit to discuss social entrepreneurship. It was formally called “The Leadership Panel on Social Entrepreneurship” and we were invited to speak to a group of young professionals who are also known as the Challenge Detroit Fellows. From their website:
Challenge Detroit cultivates diverse, innovative, community-minded leaders from the city and across the country, fostering their talents to support local initiatives that move Detroit forward.
It was very nice to be thought of as someone who could make an impression on these Challenge Detroit Fellows and help them grow into more community-minded leaders.
I was invited by Shelley Danner, the Program Director for Challenge Detroit, and she also invited some influential leaders to the program. They include David Merritt of Merit Goodness and Pastor of the Straight Gate International church, Katrina Turnbow of KanopiSocial, and a mother-daughter entrepreneur team behind Black Girl MATHgic, Brittany A. (Sanders) Rhodes and Veneda Sanders.
We tried to share insights with the Challenge Detroit Fellows that would be meaningful for their work in Detroit and for their professional development.
I’ve been meaning to write about this experience for some time now, and I had a few moments to put together this blog post. But the bottom line is that I miss doing this sort of work, meeting with community leaders and meeting with emerging young professionals, and helping them to take the next step on their career path while learning from them and my peers.
It’s impossible to count how many events like this that the Coronavirus Pandemic has prevented us from engaging in, but I’m looking forward to doubling down on future events when the Covid-19 virus passes us by, after we flatten the curve and get back to normal life. I miss the handshakes, hugs, fist bumps, and pats on the back, the encouragement for the journey that you can only get in person.
Stay safe out there,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Speakers for The Leadership Panel on Social Entrepreneurship for Challenge Detroit, from left to right, David Merritt, Veneda Sanders, Brittany A. (Sanders) Rhodes, Paul Thomas, MD, Shelley Danner, and Katrina Turnbow.
Speakers for The Leadership Panel on Social Entrepreneurship for Challenge Detroit, from left to right, Katrina Turnbow, Paul Thomas, MD, Brittany A. (Sanders) Rhodes, Veneda Sanders, and David Merritt. Not pictured and moderating the panel is Shelley Danner, the Program Director of Challenge Detroit.
Dr. Raquel Orlich Featured on WDET's Detroit Today
This week, Dr. Raquel Orlich was featured on WDET’s Detroit Today radio program. Dr. Orlich answered many insightful questions from both the host Stephen Henderson and callers. To listen to the show, follow this link.
Raquel Orlich, DO is a board certified family physician. She has been with Plum Health since July 2019 and everyday she works to deliver affordable and accessible health care in Detroit. She is passionate about quality patient-centered care and establishing strong doctor-patient relationships. Her clinical interests include osteopathic manipulative medicine for chronic musculoskeletal issues, women’s health, and preventative health. She is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital.
Dr. Paul Thomas and Dr. Raquel Orlich are family medicine doctors with Plum Health DPC in Detroit Michigan. Recently, Dr. Raquel Orlich was featured on WDET to discuss Coronavirus.
Here’s the abbreviated transcript from WDET:
Guests
Dr. Anne Messman, emergency room doctor at a Detroit Hospital
Dr. Raquel Orlich, family doctor at Plum Health Direct Primary Care in Corktown, Detroit
I live alone and have been sheltering in place. Is it OK for me to visit other people who have also been sheltering in place by themselves?
No. The social distancing guideline still stands not to visit people. Until we know how to identify asymptomatic carriers, we must stay apart, unfortunately.
Do asymptomatic people ever show symptoms, or do they stay asymptomatic?
“Asymptomatic carriers, by definition, never get sick or show symptoms, but they can still pass on the virus,” says Dr. Messman.
Can COVID-19 survivors get infected by coronavirus after they have recovered?
We don’t know, yet. We do know the coronavirus has mutated several times, so, at this time, we believe it is possible that a survivor could get the virus again.
How long does it take for someone to shed the virus?
It varies greatly. Some people stopped shedding the virus soon after recovery, and for others, it took up to a month. We also don’t know yet if you can infect someone while you’re shedding the virus.
I was exposed to someone who later tested positive for coronavirus. I have had symptoms including a cough and low energy, and I passed out recently. What should I do?
Since there is still no treatment for COVID-19, if you are experiencing mild symptoms, it is best to stay home and recover. Do not take NSAID medications like ibuprofen or Motrin. It is okay to take Tylenol if you want to treat a fever. If your symptoms are severe and you need medical attention, you should go to the hospital.
I had a cold last month and some of those symptoms are still lingering. Is that a symptom of coronavirus?
If you’ve had a cold, or have had seasonal allergies in the past, don’t worry. A tickle in the throat can last weeks after having a cold. However, if you have symptoms that are unusual for you, pay attention for symptoms of COVID-19 and take extra care. If you experience sever symptoms, go to a hospital.
Does using Tylenol to treat a fever negatively impact my immune response? Should I just leave the fever untreated?
Healthcare providers have differing opinions on this question, but if you have a fever and want to treat it, Tylenol is OK. A very high fever can be very dangerous and should not go untreated.
Does wearing a mask protect me, or other people?
Wearing a mask protects both you and other people. The main function of the mask is to catch droplets from someone coughing or sneezing before they get in the air. It is best to wear a mask if you need to go out.
I had a stomach virus recently. Is that a symptom of COVID-19?
Some patients who tested positive have experienced symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting. There are other reasons you might experience gastrointestinal issues including influenza or food poisoning.
I may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, but I’m showing no symptoms. Can I get an antibody test to find out if am an asymptomatic carrier?
We do not have an antibody test, yet.
This week, Dr. Raquel Orlich was featured on Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson. She was able to answer many listener’s questions about Coronavirus and Covid-19