Mayo Clinic Health Matters

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Breakthrough COVID-19 infections and booster vaccines Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group says COVID-19 mutations and the virus spread are happening because of people who don't wear masks, who don't get vaccinated and who don't adhere to safety recommendations.

"I believe that we should be radically transparent and honest," says Dr. Poland. "The more time this virus passes through one person after another, the more likely it continues to mutate. As a result of those mutations, two things are happening. Some of the mutations are making vaccines and plasma monoclonal antibodies less effective. The other thing is that the virus will likely become something that we have to live with for the rest of our lives."

Dr. Poland reminds people that vaccine protection is not 100%. Breakthrough infections can occur.

"Remember that in the clinical trials, 95% means that compared to unvaccinated people, your risk is reduced by 95% — not 100%," he says. "You might have a mild case of COVID-19,but you can still spread it to others, including those who are immune compromised, such as cancer patients. That's why we continue to wear masks until we get very widespread immunization."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland talks more about breakthrough infections and the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine pause, and he answers listeners questions.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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Mayo Clinic Laboratories delivers during COVID-19 Apr 20, 2021

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Mayo Clinic Laboratories has performed over 3 million COVID-19 tests.

"In December 2019, there was a disease, and three months later, everyone in the country — and around the globe — wanted a test to see if they had the disease," says Dr. William Morice II, president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories. "With COVID-19, we've learned the importance of laboratory testing and diagnostic medicine in health care, both in the U.S. and globally."

Dr. Morice says professionals are needed in laboratory medicine, who understand the technology and the science but also who understand the human need.

"One of the strong memories for me was being in the lab late at night, and getting an email from a Native American tribal leader saying, 'We need help,'" says Dr. Morice.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Morice speaks about the commitment, agility and resiliency of laboratory staff during COVID-19, the collaborations and partnerships with academic and private labs, and the future of testing as more COVID-19 variants emerge.

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Head and neck cancers are becoming increasingly common Apr 19, 2021

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There are many causes of head and neck cancers, and treatment is complicated. And one of the fastest growing demographic of cancers in the U.S. is human papillomavirus (HPV) in younger people, says Dr. Daniel Ma, a Mayo Clinic radiation oncologist.

"This is a treatable disease," says Dr. Ma. "It's a disease that's very responsive to radiation, chemotherapy and surgery. And it's one of those diseases, because the patients are young, that there's a good cure rate."

Dr. Ma says treatment for the numerous head and neck cancers requires medical coordination. "It's where tight collaboration between an ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon medical oncologist who gives chemotherapy, and a radiation oncologist, like myself, who gives radiation or X-ray treatments, is crucial for the success of the treatment."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Ma describes the various symptoms and getting a diagnosis, and he talks about Mayo Clinic's Oropharynx Cancer Clinic, which he says is the first such multidisciplinary clinic in the country. Dr. Ma also explains advances in treatment like newer radiation techniques, including proton therapy, and more minimally invasive surgical techniques.

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Don’t miss a beat with preventive heart care Apr 16, 2021

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For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to reassess priorities in their lives, spend more time with loved ones, and take care of some projects or personal issues that they’ve been avoiding. But some people may have been avoiding their heart health.

Dr. Christopher DeSimone, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, says he's concerned some patients may have been ignoring symptoms, waiting six or nine months, or even a year, before going to in for a medical exam.

"What's really heartbreaking is there are things we could have offered patients — medicines and interventions — things that we could have caught in an earlier time frame," says Dr. DeSimone. "We could have really impacted their quality of life and lessened their risk from dying of heart disease."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. DeSimone talks more about the concerns of delayed heart health care and describes heart disease symptoms. And he emphasizes how safe it is to go to the hospital for a heart check during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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On the verge of another COVID-19 surge Apr 14, 2021

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As spring break travelers return home and the highly transmissible U.K. COVID-19 variant is discovered in all 50 U.S. states, the country is on the verge of a fourth COVID-19 pandemic surge. That's according to a number of health experts, including Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

However, Dr. Poland says there is some good news related to the transmission of COVID-19 on surfaces.

"Wisdom resides in changing your mind and your recommendations as new data and science becomes available," says Dr. Poland. "What the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is doing is modifying those guidelines, saying that the risk of touching a contaminated surface and then getting infected is very low."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast Dr. Poland explains more about the CDC guidelines and he addresses other COVID-19 topics in the news, including recent data that says men are more vaccine-hesitant than women.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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Mayo’s bold changes, moving forward through the COVID-19 pandemic Apr 12, 2021

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In the midst of the COVID-19 global health crisis, Mayo Clinic is changing the way patient care is provided.

"I think, as an organization, we've made close to a decade of progress over the course of one year," says Mayo Clinic President and CEO Dr. Gianrico Farrugia. "The COVID-19 pandemic pushed us faster and further than we could have imagined. We're now tangibly stronger than we were pre-COVID — in our practice, in education, in research and in operation and business agility."

One example, says Dr. Farrugia, has been with virtual and digital care. "We all want to see our patients in person," explains Dr. Farrugia. "But the other side of the coin is that it's important to meet patients where they are, to make health care easier for their daily lives. What we're seeing now is that we can do both physical and virtual care really well and do it seamlessly."

"The pandemic served to reinforce our 2030 'Bold.Forward.' strategy, which is to cure more patients, to connect people and data, to create new scalable knowledge, and to transform health care through our unique Mayo Clinic platform," says Farrugia.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Farrugia says, "Amidst all the grief and the loss that we all experienced, there's a lot we have gained and now it's incumbent on us to make sure we use it to transform health care." Listen as Dr. Farrugia describes how that transformation is happening at Mayo Clinic.

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The importance of physical activity for kids of all abilities Apr 09, 2021

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When it comes to children, physical activity is important for development. Physical activity helps build strong bones and muscles and reduces the risk of developing heart disease, cancer, obesity and Type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular physical activity also reduces stress and anxiety, and kids who are physically active tend to perform better in school, including getting better grades.

The benefits of activity are universal, including for children with disabilities or different abilities. Participation in sports and activities can promote overall wellness and help kids with disabilities maintain a healthy weight, which is a common problem. Participation, especially in team sports, can also promote a sense of belonging.

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Ask the Mayo Mom host Dr. Angela Mattke is joined by Dr. Amy Rabatin, a pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center, to discuss why physical activity is important for children of all abilities.

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Vacation travel, vaccines for teens and more COVID-19 news Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

If you're fully vaccinated for COVID-19 you can travel domestically and where travel is allowed internationally, according to new interim travel guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even with those recommendations the CDC continues to recommend not traveling unless it is essential. Regardless, the CDC strongly recommends people continue to wear a face mask, practice social distancing and sanitize their hands.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 vaccine research is continuing in teenagers. "The early data show equal safety in young people age 12 to 16," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "I think this is going to imply that, somewhere between this fall and Christmas, we're going to be able to offer the (COVID-19) vaccine to every age group."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland answers a number of listener questions, including how long the COVID-19 vaccines are predicted to last and if the current transmission research still supports wiping down household items. Dr. Poland also explains why someone who has had COVID-19 should still get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

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Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers Apr 05, 2021

Show notes

Esophageal cancer occurs in the esophagus — a long, hollow tube that runs from the throat to the stomach — and can occur anywhere along the esophagus. Men are more likely to develop esophageal cancer than women. While treatable, esophageal cancer is rarely curable.

"It's an uncommon cancer," says Dr. Shanda Blackmon, a Mayo Clinic general thoracic surgeon. "But it's one of the deadliest cancers we know."

Dr. Blackmon says survival rates are improving, but many people don't realize they have esophageal cancer until it's in the advanced stages.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Blackmon discusses the risks, causes, symptoms and advances in treatments for esophageal cancer. She also explains what patients can expect with a diagnostic endoscopy and describes a new technique at Mayo Clinic that involves dropping a sponge down the patient's esophagus.

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What’s the latest on COVID-19 vaccines for children? Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

Across much of the U.S., people age 16 and over are now eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19. But what about younger children?

Children under 16 are not yet eligible to receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved for emergency use in adults, and public health experts explain that children will need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to reach herd immunity and stop the spread of the virus.

Clinical trials in adolescents and young children are underway on Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. This week, Pfizer reported promising early results. Johnson & Johnson also is exploring conducting clinical trials with children. This all begs the question: When will those under 16 be able to be vaccinated for COVID-19?

This edition of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast features an #AskMayoMom episode hosted by Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Children's Center. Joining Dr. Mattke to discuss COVID-19, vaccines and children are Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician, and Dr. Emily Levy, a pediatric critical care and infectious diseases expert — both from Mayo Clinic.

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