So what does that tell us, if anything, about the severity of it this year?

Well, there are signs ran in that it's starting earlier, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to be a more severe season across the United States.

CDC analysis shows that flu activity remains relatively low, specifically when you look across, for example, the New York State Midwestern towns and states and counties, but across in the West Coast we're seeing a rise in the rate of transmission.

Now as a reminder in terms of.

what we're up against.

Last year we saw at least 51 million illnesses, at least 700,000 hospitalizations, and more importantly, at least 1 million emergency room visits.

And as an ER doctor who's also been a patient, I can tell you that the emergency room is expensive, it is disruptive, but more importantly, it is often preventable.

Is it a cold? Is it RSV? Is it the flu? What should we look for? And when should we go to the doctor or even the ER?

Uh, what viruses are circulating this season? Are there any concerns for any mutations or anything like that?

Well, number one, it's important to remember that the flu is one of the most common causes of serious respiratory illness in the emergency room, Rhiannon.

We're already staffing up for the winter months, not because of the holiday, but because we know people are going to come in.

Last year alone, it accounted for at least 32 million illnesses and 24,000 deaths.

Now, scientists use global surveillance data to anticipate what strains of the flu we'll likely see this winter, and right now, the vaccines are updated and designed to protect against three different strains.

Now, the most important update is the middle one that you see on the screen here, influenza A H3N2.

Last season, that spread widely, dominating at least 90% of the samples analyzed.

How is that different from traditional flu shots?

Talk to us a little bit about what it is, because as you said, it came across as fairly, something fairly harmless, but this woman wound up dying.

It is fairly harmless when you're using it appropriately.

And so lidocaine is a medication that we use to help numb patients, to help make procedures more comfortable.

And the way that it works is it, it blocks nerves and it numbs the face.

But if it, there's too much of it, because it's weight-based, meaning that if you give a patient too much, it can numb the heart and lead to dangerous arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to sudden death.

And that is how something that is benign as lidocaine, which you use for small procedures most often, for example, I'm using them to stitch up people's wounds or lacerations, and how if you're injecting it in the inappropriate place or if you're using too much of it, you can lead yourself to a medical emergency.

So while doing these procedures, not only is the procedure important to pay attention to, but the surrounding safety as well.

Um, any other thoughts about, uh, how people can protect themselves?

Uh, what viruses are circulating this season? Are there any concerns for any mutations or anything like that?

Well, number one, it's important to remember that the flu is one of the most common causes of serious respiratory illness in the emergency room, Rhiannon.

We're already staffing up for the winter months, not because of the holiday, but because we know people are going to come in.

Last year alone, it accounted for at least 32 million illnesses and 24,000 deaths.

Now, scientists use global surveillance data to anticipate what strains of the flu we'll likely see this winter, and right now, the vaccines are updated and designed to protect against three different strains.

Now, the most important update is the middle one that you see on the screen here, influenza A H3N2.

Last season, that spread widely, dominating at least 90% of the samples analyzed.

How is that different from traditional flu shots?

And tell us about this study.

Well, this is an interesting study because as you said, it seems as though vitamin D might lower your risk, but again, your genetics might determine that.

And this study followed more than 2,000 adults for about two and a half years, all of whom had prediabetes, while giving them high doses of vitamin D, 4,000 units is a significantly high dose.

And it found at the end of that period, about 70% of the participants had nearly a 20% reduced risk of developing full-blown diabetes.

That's significant, while the other 30% didn't see a difference.

And researchers found that there are specific vitamin D receptors in our body that are determined by our genetics.

And that's what likely results in these outcomes.

So what are the best ways to make sure that we're getting enough vitamin D and how do we ensure that we're doing it right?

Is it impacting your day-to-day work?

You know, it's interesting because it feels kind of like a wave, a slow wave, you know, of opinions and concerns.

But I'll be honest, when people are having an emergency, all of that goes out the window.

When as much as people want to fight data and fight science, when your chest hurts and you're concerned that you're having a heart attack, you typically, patients at least, leave all of their trust into you, even though they've been fighting you yesterday.

about whether or not the data was accurate and what they should do with this and what they should do with that.

So I don't see it typically as much, but what I do see is the result of the lack of access to healthcare.

I think one of the reasons why we find queer people in these spaces is because there's a need.

You know what I mean? What do you make of his rise in politics and in this position? And how has it impacted your life, you know, as a doctor, as a medical professional?

Oh.

He had no pulse.

Um, and he was one of the first people, the first person that I performed CPR on.

Uh, and as I was performing CPR on my uncle, I was surrounded by my family, uh, quietly hesitant.

Uh, my, my father is a criminal attorney.

My mother is a retired nurse.

Uh, and, and my family is very medically aware.

Yeah.

It's attached to a robot, and it's attached to a robot that does surgery in patients, uh, in operating rooms all over the world.

(upbeat music) The way it works is that the surgeon sits within this multimillion dollar machine where they are, uh, able to have a 3D image inside the patient's body as the patient lies on the surgical table.

Like, will patients be clear and comfortable with their remote surgeon? Will doctors have plans B, C, and D in case something goes wrong from afar? In this case, all the boxes were checked.

The surgery went well.

Uh, Dr. Patel shared that it took the same amount of time, or relatively the same amount of time, it would take him if the patient was in the room with him.

Under two hours, the patient was awake, conversative, and doing well after their prostate cancer was treated.

A- a phenomenal outcome.