January 19, 2022

The recent surge in COVID-19 is driving the number of cases to record highs in the course of the pandemic. The impact is being felt at area hospitals who continue to battle the pandemic. In a story published by WKRC-TV, Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine, said that the surge is putting a lot of stress on healthcare providers.

January 6, 2022

More and more people who contract COVID-19 are experiencing symptoms for an extended period of time. In a story on this produced by WVXU, Richard Becker, MD, professor and director, UC Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute and UC Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, who runs a long COVID clinic at UC Medical Center, said some patients are seeing symptoms last as long as a year and a half.

November 18, 2021

COVID-19 cases in the region are rising just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Health experts are concerned about people getting together for the holidays, especially for certain groups. Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine, was one of the experts interviewed for a story produced by WLWT-TV.

January 11, 2022

With COVID-19 cases surging thanks to the omicron variant, many people are turning to self-administered tests to see if they have the virus. Some who do their own research about the tests online, may find a wide variety of theories on the best way to administer the tests. In an article published by Cincinnati.com, Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine answers some questions about how to make the most of a home COVID-19 test.

December 15, 2021

As the holiday season approaches, a new COVID-19 variant has come knocking on the door, potentially disrupting plans for many. The omicron variant was discovered at the end of November, and researchers are still studying it to better understand its transmissibility as well as the effect of vaccines on neutralizing the virus. Experts say the omicron variant appears to spread far faster than other COVID variants. They remain unsure if it leads to less severe symptoms than other variants. Despite the rise of the new variant, experts say it’s still possible to celebrate over the holidays. But they stress that it is best to take safety measures to protect everyone’s health while enjoying holiday traditions. In a story published by Healthline, one of the experts quoted on staying safe during holiday gatherings is Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine.

January 3, 2022

Jennifer Wall Forrester, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine was interviewed by NPR for a story on the impact the latest COVID-19 surge is having on hospitalizations in Ohio.

January 4, 2022

With COVID-19 cases surging in Ohio at the close of 2021, Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine was quoted in an article in Newsweek urging people not to attend New Year's Eve parties.

February 9, 2022

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced recently that people should stop using the E25Bio rapid COVID-19 test. The agency warned that the test contains false labeling and instructions. The manufacturer says the E25Bio test uses a “novel technology” that is more accurate than a PCR test “without the need for equipment and at a fraction of the cost and time.” However, according to the FDA, this test hasn’t been “authorized, cleared, or approved” by the FDA for distribution or use in the United States and may include false labeling claiming that the test is authorized by the FDA. In a story published by Healthline, Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases was the first expert source cited, that in an emergency, manufacturers might rush a product to market and don’t have to deal with full FDA approval.

March 18, 2022

With COVID-19 cases declining, some school districts in the Cincinnati region are no longer requiring masks to be worn in class. The Ohio Department of Health announced recently that it would end daily reporting of COVID-19 cases. In a story published by Cincinnati.com, several local infectious disease experts were asked about a variety of practices as society emerges from the pandemic. One of the sources was Jennifer Forrester, MD, and another was Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, both of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine.

July 12, 2022

New variants of COVID-19 continue to emerge — and some research suggests they're more contagious than ever. Troublingly, those variants seem to be more resistant to vaccines than past versions of the virus — and they're becoming the predominant strains of COVID in the United States. WVXU interviewed Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine to learn more about the BA.4 and BA.5 COVID variants.