2020

Will you need a clean bill of health for your next international trip? Here’s how to get a medical certificate last minute

Each country’s medical requirements differs slightly, but emergency physician Dr. Amy Faith Ho told TPG that a basic note should include the patient’s name, the date of the wellness check, and a statement verifying that the patient had no signs of detectable infection such as fever or cough, along with the doctor’s signature, name and credentials.

Read more…

Dirty money: Could ditching cash keep you healthier this season?

“The coronavirus is a respiratory disease, and transmission at this time is thought to be mostly droplet,” Dr. Amy Faith Ho told TPG.  “However, more information is constantly developing on how it is spread, so most [medical professionals] are recommending caution for contact as well.”

Read more…

2019

I got food poisoning before my long-haul flight. Here’s what happened.

“Food poisoning can happen to anyone,” said Dr. Amy Faith Ho, Associate Medical Director at John Peter Smith Hospital in Dallas, after hearing Meg’s story. “It cannot be prevented, except by avoiding contaminated or improperly cooked or stored foods, and usually just needs to ‘run its course.’”

Read more…

2018

The Polite Way to Deal With In-Flight Flatulence

The whens and wheres of eliminating gas while in a public space “is more of a social question than a medical one,” said frequent road warrior Dr. Amy Faith Ho, an emergency medicine physician based in Dallas. “The social contract of the window seat is that the aisle seat occupant knows they may be frequently interrupted to let the middle and window seat passengers out of the row.

Read more…

Flu, Common Cold Confirmed in Quarantined Emirates Travelers

So what precautions should healthy passengers take after exposure to sick travelers? “It depends on the influenza strain, but transmission is usually by droplets,” said Dr. Amy Faith Ho, an emergency medicine physician based in Dallas. “The other [passengers on Flight EK203] are certainly at risk, especially with the recirculation of the air.”

Read more…