COVID-19 Clinician and Patient Resources

NDMA is collaborating to ensure that the physician community of North Dakota is well informed and has resources to provide quality care to patients during the developing COVID-19 outbreak.

Recorded Webinar Featuring Dr. Paul Carson & Ms. Howell Shares COVID-19 Delta Variant and Vaccine Effectiveness Information for Health Care Professionals and the Public

Paul Carson, MD
ND State University
Director, Center for Immunization Research and Education

Molly Howell
ND Department of Health
Division of Disease Control Immunization Program Director

The North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) hosted a live webinar with NDMA member Dr. Paul Carson, infectious disease specialist and professor of public health at North Dakota State University, and Molly Howell, immunization director for the NDDoH, to share information about the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus.

According to Dr. Carson, there is now enough data to show that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.

“Vaccine risk, if you boil that down, he’s got about a one out of 20,000 chance if he’s in that 18 to 24-year-old age group. And again, that’s on the high side, other estimates put that more at one to 40,000, but I chose the high end: 1 out of 20,000 chance. That 2.3% translates with the virus at one out of 43 chance of having myocarditis,” Dr. Carson explained.

46% of North Dakotans 12 years and older are fully vaccinated.
The webinar is available for viewing here.

The June virtual conference that brought together national experts to examine ways to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates is now available to view online here.

Speakers and their presentation topics are summarized below:

Presenters/Topics included:

Dr. Kevin Ault –Discussed COVID-19 vaccination and women: Including how to address patient’s COVID-19 vaccine concerns about pregnancy, breast feeding, infertility and menstrual cycles.

Dr. Ault’s Background - Director of Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Univ. of Kansas, fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA), and member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

Dr. Noel Brewer – Examined the Increasing Vaccination Model and its main findings for what is effective (and ineffective) for increasing vaccine uptake.

Dr. Brewer’s Background - Professor of Health Behavior in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the Univ. of North Carolina, and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Brian Castrucci – Examined lessons learned from COVID-19 and the effective language to communicate about COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr. Castrucci’s Background - President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation - the foundation's mission is to advance policy, build partnerships, and strengthen public health to create communities where people can achieve their best possible health

Dr. Katelyn Jetelina – Walked through the lived experience of fighting misinformation during a global pandemic. Including strategies and tools on how to combat misinformation, specifically in light of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Jetelina’s Background - Dept. of Epidemiology, Univ. of Texas Health Science Center, and founder/sole author of “Your Local Epidemiologist” - a viral blog that translates scientific research and events to the public

Dr. Sara Oliver – Provided an overview of COVID-19 vaccine data from clinical trials, current vaccine policy, and clinical guidelines for the use of COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr. Oliver’s Background - Lead for the COVID-19 Vaccines ACIP Work Group, and member of the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and Medical Epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respirator Diseases (NCIRD)

Dr. Joe Smyser – Shared how he and his team have worked closely with community-based organizations, in combination with micro-influencers to increase vaccine-confidence in hard to reach populations.

Dr. Smyer’s Background - CEO of the Public Good Projects (PGP) - a nonprofit composed of experts in public health, media, and marketing

Tiffany Suragh, MPH – Discussed COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring systems and the safety data gathered on COVID-19 vaccine.

Ms. Suragh’s Background - Health Scientist, Immunization Safety Office, CDC

Dr. Joshua Williams – Reviewed empirical and historical research at the multi-level intersection of religion and vaccines, discuss implications for clinical care, community engagement, and vaccine advocacy.

Dr. Williams Background - Dept. of Pediatrics, Univ. of Colorado, founding member of the Public Health, Religion, and Spirituality Network and Co-Investigator on the Vaccine Safety Datalink

The Science on the Benefits of Masking

February 26, 2021

Submitted by:

Paul Carson, MD, FACP
Professor of Practice, Management of Infectious Diseases
Dept. of Public Health
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

At the beginning of the pandemic, we did not have very good data on the use of masking at a population level as source control. Over the last year, we have now accumulated a growing number of higher quality studies that have demonstrated their benefit.

In the interest of brevity, I would refer you to this summary of independent studies compiled by the CDC on the evidence for community masking (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.html).

Another analysis by Goldman Sachs Research shows convincing data that masks work.

MORE RESOURCES:

Association of Country-wide COVID mortality with measures such as masking
Case-Contro study of PP measures and risks for COVID in Thailand
Physical distancing, face masks and eye protection to prevent transmission
Mask mandates reduce hospitalizations
Mask wearing - cross sectional USA study
Reduction of secondary transmission from masking in households
Science of Masking Abbreviated

NDMA Direct Resources

Dr. Paul Carson shares his expertise on the COVID-19 virus and vaccine. If you have any questions regarding vaccine efficacy and safety, reviewing this presentation is a great investment. VIEW HERE, OR CLICK ON THE IMAGE.

Elective Surgery Consent Form Template Now Available

Restarting elective surgeries and procedures after suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic requires a great deal of planning and consideration of many factors.

For physician practices seeking a consent form template, NDMA has one available that was vetted by COPIC, NDMA's liability partner. Note that this is a template and should be adjusted to fit your specific needs.
See template here.

ORDER MY PPE

The North Dakota Medical Association has partnered with a new ecommerce store to deliver PPE directly to your location!

This service connects NDMA members with a vetted bulk PPE supplier. These products are available ONLY to qualified medical personnel for use in their practice.

This service is a collaborative effort with other state medical societies and in North Dakota the service is offered exclusively to NDMA members.

Order PPE here.