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The Latest Updates on COVID-19 [Podcast]

Posted September 08, 2020 by Thomas File, MD

Listen to this episode of the Healthy Vitals Podcast.

Dr. Thomas File shares the latest updates on COVID-19.


Featured Guest: 

Dr. File is the Chair of the Infectious Disease Division and Co-Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Summa Health, Akron, Ohio and is also Professor of Medicine, Master Teacher and Chair of the Infectious Disease Section of the Northeast Ohio Medical University. 

Transcription:

Scott Webb (Host): We've learned a lot about COVID-19 over the past six months or so, but there's still a long road ahead joining me today to help give us an update on the viruses Dr. Thomas File. He's an Infectious Disease Specialist at Summa Health. This is Healthy Vitals, a podcast from Summa Health. I'm Scott Webb. So Dr. File, you're an infectious disease specialist and great to have you on, what's the latest on COVID-19. You know, what do we know about the virus today? Let's say that we didn't know a few months ago?

 

What is the latest on COVID-19?

 

Dr. File: I mean, there are several things. I think we're learning more about the transmission. I mean, we know that this Coronavirus, the SARS Kovi two is much more highly transmissible than other seasonal respiratory viruses or other Coronaviruses. For that matter. In other words, it's much more contagious. And I think we're learning more about this aspect about this virus, that many percentage of the patients are asymptomatic, but yet they still can spread the virus. And this is, I think, very unique about this particular virus. In fact, some studies suggest that up to 40% of the patients infected have no significant symptoms, but yet can be spreading. This makes it very difficult to contain the virus. I mean, if you look at other viral infections and I'm just going to take an example of the prior SARS, which was in 2003, 2004, which is mainly in China, although it did go to other parts of the world as well, fortunately, not too much here in the United States.

But if you look at SARS, transmission occurred after people were sick and he didn't tend to see this asymptomatic group of patients who then would transmit it. So in that case, it was fairly easy to stop the pandemic or at least the epidemic, in that case. Because if you quarantine people that had symptoms, then you would be able to stop transmission. And that's what happened with that. But with this, it's very difficult because now you almost have to assume that anybody is positive because they may not have symptoms. And so that's a significant, you know, issue that we've learned about this virus that makes it somewhat more difficult. Also, we're learning more about the symptoms. I mean, if you recall earlier in the pandemic, we focused on the respiratory symptoms, and specifically those that might have pneumonia. So we talked about, you know, patients who had cough fever and shortness of breath, but now we know that there's a variety of other symptoms that are associated with this infection.

I mean, and these can be nonspecific. I mean, headache, chills, sore throat, muscle legs, body aches, loss of smell, taste, even gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and a variety of different skin Rashes can all be associated with this virus because now we find that it just does not affect the lungs. It can affect other organs as well. I mean the heart, the brain, the skin, the kidney. So these are very concerning. And I think what I'm very concerned about, and we're just beginning to learn about this is the potential long-term effects of the virus. Because as we know Scott, I mean the great majority of patients who are infected with this well survived, certainly 98%. And particularly when you're take to the case that a lot of these patients are asymptomatic, but that doesn't mean that everybody who survives it completely recovers. I mean, we're becoming aware of, we've only followed this for about eight or nine months that, you know, patients who have had pneumonia can have persistent lung effects or even heart effects.

I mean, there was a recent study out of Germany looking at patients and most of these patients were outpatient. So they weren't even sick enough to come to the hospital that the majority of the patients, when they did some studies to look for the potential for heart damage, the majority had some heart damage and some of these patients were totally asymptomatic. So this is a great concern because, you know, we know that, you know, some of these athletes now, this is a concern. I mean, I know that there was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox who had, COVID-19 subsequently had one of these heart conditions called myocarditis and now is out for the whole year. As we now know, the college football season is in jeopardy because of the concern for some of these issues. And so a lot of this we're just beginning to learn about right now, and we'll learn more as we have time to go on and see about the potential for these long-term effects.

Host: Yeah. And unfortunately it does appear that we're going to have time, that vaccine is coming right, but perhaps not for six months or more, and we're going to have more time to learn more about COVID-19 aren't we?

 

Will we have more information about COVID-19 by the time the vaccine comes out?

 

Dr. File: Well, that is true. As I said, we're learning daily and there's still lots of unknowns about what's going to happen with this virus. I mean, now that we're going to be going into the fall shortly, the concern is, as we see with other seasonal respiratory viruses, will there be increased surge? Will there be a uptick which we always see with influenza that could affect the manifestation of COVID-19 as well? So as we go through, we're going to learn more. We're going to see how, as we try daily, some schools try to reopen, you know, how that's going to affect transmission and the potential for surges in the fall.

Host: Yeah. And I think that that's, what's most concerning for a lot of people is because the symptoms of COVID-19 or the effects of COVID-19 mirror so many other things like the flu, cold, seasonal allergies, things like that, now that we're heading into season, people are wondering, should they, you know, at least vaccinate themselves against the flu and anything else they can. And I'm guessing the answer is yes?

 

Should you vaccinate yourself against the flu and anything else you can?

 


Dr. File: Definitely. I mean, this is going to be extremely important as we go into the Fall of this year is to have a high percentage of the population be immunized for influenza, because there's a great concern that co-infection of influenza and the SARS Kovi two virus that causes COVID-19 can be associated with a more severe disease than just an infection was one of these. But we just don't know that. I mean, and that's something that we're going to have to see as we go on, but to prevent that obviously, if, if we can have the great majority of the population immune to influenza, then of course, the best way to do that is to receive the vaccine then hopefully that will reduce that possibility.

Host: Yeah, absolutely. So let's zoom in here a little bit and talk about how things are going at Summa health specifically. And do you have any COVID-19 patients currently?

 

Does Summa Health have any COVID-19 patients currently?

 

Dr. File: Yes. We've had COVID-19 patients ever since about the second week of March. I mean, we experienced like many others in the country end of March and April, relatively high numbers of cases. And then as the number of cases started to drop, at least in our area, we saw through the end of April and the early part of may a significant drop. But unfortunately as these communities opened up and we started to see increasing cases now we're seeing sort of an uptake a little bit not nearly where we were in March, but we're seeing what I'll call a low level of persistent activity, but it's not causing a burden right now. It's not overwhelming our hospital system. And we certainly hope that with appropriate community mitigation procedures or policies or good health measures that we won't see that, but we're concerned what's going to happen in the Fall.

Host: Yeah. And I'm assuming you have a separate COVID-19 ICU, right?

 

Does Summa Health have a separate COVID-19 ICU?

 

Dr. File: That is true. We have a separate ICU for our COVID patients and we have a separate general floor for COVID patients as well.

Host: How are you doing screening? Testing? Is drive through testing available? What's the turnaround time on test results?

 

How is Summa Health testing for COVID-19?

 

Dr. File: Well, Scott, that's a very important question because we know from the standpoint of how we're going to try to control this this pandemic, that testing is really important. So we can identify patients early and potentially contact trace, and reduce the spread. So we've been testing in house for several months. We certainly test all the patients who are symptomatic who are coming in into our hospital. With our in house testing right now, the present turnaround time for our accurate tests is about six to eight hours. We're looking to add other tests for which we would be able to shorten that turn around time. We have made arrangements for drive through testing, particularly for our patients who are going to be undergoing surgical procedures or at risk aerosolization type of procedures. We want to know that those patients, even if they're asymptomatic, could potentially be harboring the virus, because we know if they're going to have surgery and they're at the presently asymptomatic or presymptomatic, which means they haven't developed their symptoms yet. It's important for us to know, because we may want to delay their surgery because studies have suggested that these patients may not do as well post surgical procedures. So we are doing testing and we will continue to do testing because it's extremely important to try to counteract the effect of this virus and to reduce the spread.

Host: You know, I wanted to ask you about the incubation time and we're talking about so many people with COVID-19 being asymptomatic. Do you have any sense of, do we know, you know, if you've been exposed and you've gotten COVID-19 how long before, you know, the test results would be positive?

 

How long does it take for a COVID-19 test to come back positive after you receive it?

 

Dr. File: Yeah. Well, that's a good point. I mean after exposure, I mean, we know that the meantime or median time, I should say for a patient to develop symptoms is about five days, but it can go anywhere from about two to 14 days. But as you mentioned that a lot of these patients are asymptomatic, so should we test them or should we not test them? If we are going to test them, it appears that the best time to test a patient who does not have symptoms, and they have an established time when they were exposed to somebody, and they were at risk exposure, which means that they were in close contact, maybe, you know, within six feet, weren't wearing masks. And they were with them for about 15 to 30 minutes, we would consider that an at risk exposure. And so we would probably wait about five to seven days after that, if you are going to do testing to see if they could potentially have asymptomatic infection from that exposure

Host: In terms of treating COVID-19 patients, are you using Remdesivir, convalescent plasma for the more severe cases?

 

How is Remdesivir, convalescent plasma used for treating COVID-19 patients?

 

Dr. File: Well, we are. And again, this is an area where we're learning a lot. I mean, mainly because we have randomized clinical trials that are beginning to tell us which interventions are going to be beneficial to patients. I mean, we now know, Remdesivir is given to patients who are at least sick enough to come into the hospital and have certain criteria, mostly requiring supplemental oxygen, it doesn't necessarily mean they have to be intubated or on the ventilator, but if they have lower levels of oxygen and require supplemental oxygen, like on the nasal cannula, we know that giving Remdesivir benefits those patients. And so we are using Remdesivir quite frequently in our patients who require admission to the hospital. We have not used a lot of convalescent plasma, but we also know that patients who have developed more severe complications and require intubation in other words, are getting worse from their standpoint of the respiratory status or other considerations, and are in the ICU and on the ventilator that giving those patients steroids is beneficial. In the randomized clinical trial showed that indeed it actually reduced mortality. So as we get the results of this information, and the clinical results of these studies, it tells us how best to use these interventions to reduce the impact, and indeed reduce the mortality in our patients. And that's good.

Host: So, our masks, distancing, hand-washing the keys to protecting ourselves? And is there anything else as an infectious disease specialist that you recommend?

 

Is there anything else as an infectious disease specialist you recommend?

 

Dr. File: Well, Scott, those health measures that you just mentioned are critical, and until we have the vaccine, this is the best defense we have against this pandemic against this virus. And most specifically masks, I mean, I can't emphasize strong enough to our listeners, the need to wear mask. I mean, we're getting more and more compelling information. There was just another study out of Duke that was published yesterday suggesting the importance of masks, and how they reduce transmission. As you know even cloth masks can reduce the amount of air droplets that go from a patient who may be asymptomatic to perhaps a spread it to another person. So masks are extremely important. I think it really helps reduce the transmission. Obviously distancing is really important. Hand hygiene is really important, but I think really important as well, because I think what we've seen that has been the probably the source of much of the cases over the Summer has been congregating, or in gatherings or in bars. And so if you're in close proximity to others, particularly if you're not wearing a mask then there's going to be an ease of transmission. So we really have to reduce that these health measures are extremely important. It's the best that we have right now until we have a vaccine. And it's extremely important. We all have our responsibility to try to reduce the spread of this virus, to our loved ones, to our colleagues. And so the data is clear that they work. And so it's important for us to do this.

Host: As we wrap up here today, doctor and so great to talk to you, what else can we tell listeners about the virus and especially a timetable for a vaccine.

 

More information about the COVID-19 vaccine

 


Dr. File:
We hope that the vaccine is going to be effective. We have to wait for these a phase three clinical results. And as I said, I think we're significantly concerned about the potential for long-term effects. Is it going to have effect potentially on even those who have asymptomatic on the lungs, on the heart? And what's going to happen in the fall as we go through here? So again, the message is that we need to practice these health measures that have been shown to be effective in reducing the spread such as masks, distancing, and not congregating in gatherings for which there may be transmission.

Host: Well, and, you know one of the advantages of this job that I have is that I get to talk to experts like yourself. And when I hear it from you, it just, it really hits home for me. You know, these are the things that we can do that we should do, and it's our best defense against something that none of us, including an infectious disease specialist have ever lived through in the United States. So Dr. File, thank you so much for your expertise and your time today. And of course stay well. For more information or to book an appointment visit Summahealth.org. And if you found this podcast helpful and informative, please share it on your social channels and check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is Healthy Vitals, a podcast from Summa Health I'm Scott Webb, stay well. And we'll talk again next time.

 

About the Author

Thomas File, MD

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Dr. Dmitri Kolychev, a neurologist at Summa Health, discusses the influx of Multiple Sclerosis diagnoses in the United States. Learn about MS symptoms, treatment options, and more in this episode of Healthy Vitals.

Nurses Week: Celebrating Nurses and Their Commitment to Our Community [Podcast]

Tiffany Collins discusses her journey and passion for nursing.

Viral hepatitis: What you need to know

The liver is one of the largest and busiest organs in the body. Your liver spends its days processing nutrients, filtering blood and fighting infection, among other important jobs.

That’s why the hepatitis virus, which infects the liver, can be a major threat to this vital organ. When your liver is inflamed or damaged, it cannot function correctly.

The most common hepatitis viruses in the United States are hepatitis A, B and C. These viruses cause liver infections and…

Getting Help for Long-Term Post-COVID Symptoms [Podcast]

While most people with COVID-19 recover and return to normal health within a few weeks, others have symptoms that linger for months after recovery. Even people who have had mild versions of the virus can experience persistent or late symptoms. These people are often referred to as "long haulers" and the condition has been termed post-COVID syndrome or "long COVID-19."

Getting Help for Long-Term Post-COVID Symptoms [Podcast]

While most people with COVID-19 recover and return to normal health within a few weeks, others have symptoms that linger for months after recovery. Even people who have had mild versions of the virus can experience persistent or late symptoms. These people are often referred to as "long haulers" and the condition has been termed post-COVID syndrome or "long COVID-19."

Maternal Health in the Black Community [Podcast]

Dr. Cheryl Johnson leads a discussion focusing on empowerment in the African American community, especially maternal health.

Testicular Cancer: An Overview from Prevention to Treatment [Podcast]

Dr. Dankoff provides an overview of testicular cancer. Learn about symptoms, prevention, and treatment options.

What Makes a Great Doctor - Personal Insights, Advice, and Why they Chose Medicine [Podcast]

Dr. Shanu Agarwal and resident Kortnie Broschinsky discuss their journey into healthcare.

Occupational Therapy: What Is It, How Does It Help, Who Should See An OT [Podcast]

Craig Wood leads a discussion focusing on occupational therapy, its benefits, and why he got into the field.

Our Commitment to Creating a Healthier Community [Podcast]

Iriel Hopkins and Marlo Schmidt discuss ways in which Summa Health System contributes to a healthier community.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – What You Need to Know [Podcast]

Karen Frantz DeSeptis and Ericka Malone lead a discussion on SIDS, and important information you need to know.

An Overview of Osteoporosis: Prevention to Treatment [Podcast]

Natalie Hiltbrand, an Osteoporosis Specialist at Summa Health, leads a discussion on osteoporosis treatment, as well as prevention.

What You Know About Sepsis Could Save Your Life

Whether it is a urinary tract infection, sinus infection, or an infected wound, most people consider these things to be a part of life. While many infections clear up on their own or with antibiotic medications, some infections progress to a life-threatening condition called sepsis.

According to the Sepsis Alliance, 1.7 million Americans are diagnosed with sepsis every year. What’s more, sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, accounting for 35% of all…

Addressing Common Pelvic Health Issues [Podcast]

Dr. Megan Cesta and senior physical therapist Amy Senn discuss common pelvic health issues women may experience.

Why is it so important to get your flu shot this year?

Last winter, the community took several precautions to help stop the spread of COVID-19. From masks and social distancing to virtual work and school to cancelled events, an unforeseen positive side effect was a less intense flu season.  

Flu cases documented during last year’s flu season were historically low by a wide margin. Medical professionals haven’t seen anything like it.  

So with many precautions still in place amidst an ongoing pandemic, you may be…

How to tell the difference between COVID-19 and seasonal allergies

At the first sign of a scratchy throat or cough, people can’t help but wonder whether they’ve contracted COVID-19 — and rightfully so.

But just because you have a sore throat and cough, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve contracted COVID-19. Pollen counts are high, affecting you or someone you know with seasonal allergies.

COVID-19and seasonal allergies both affect the respiratory system and share similar symptoms, so it can be difficult to…

Coughing etiquette 101

When you are suffering from a respiratory infection, you risk spreading the infection through your cough. In fact, each cough expels thousands of tiny, infectious droplets that travel up to six feet away.

Those droplets can be inhaled by others or land on their face. Droplets also can fall on and contaminate nearby surfaces, where they can be easily transferred to another’s hands.

Coughing etiquette, combined with facial coverings and social distancing, is the best way to…

5 unusual COVID-19 symptoms you need to know about

Fever, dry cough and shortness of breath are the telltale signs of a COVID-19 infection. But, those aren’t the only symptoms that have been linked to the virus. Other symptoms include chills, muscle or body aches, sore throat, fatigue and congestion.

As we learn more about this dangerous virus and its full range of symptoms, doctors are uncovering yet another set that are unusual and uncommon. From lesions to vomiting to deadly blood clots, doctors are discovering COVID-19 is…

All About Sleep Apnea [Podcast]

Dr. James Bavis & Dr. Ketan Deoras explain sleep apnea as well as signs, symptoms, and what to expect.

Breast Cancer: The Importance of Knowing Your Risk [Podcast]

Dr. Keristen Brantley & Dr. Victoria Van Fossen discuss Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment.

Alzheimer’s Awareness: Symptoms, Stages, and Support [Podcast]

Amanda Harvan sheds light on the symptoms, stages and support of Alzheimer's.

Importance of flu shots—even in a pandemic

With an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and influenza (flu) season now upon us, getting the flu vaccine should be at the top of your family’s to-do list this fall.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe both the flu virus and COVID-19 could be running rampant this season. That’s why many medical experts agree this year the flu shot is more important than ever before.

Influenza activity often begins to increase in October and peaks between December and…

Men’s Well-Being: All About Prostate Health [Podcast]

Dr. Kevin Spear discusses men's health and different risk factors and how to ensure optimal well-being.

Summa Health's infectious disease specialist Dr. Thomas File offers the latest updates on COVID-19

We’ve learned a lot about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past six to eight months since the virus infiltrated our lives and bodies. We now know much more about how it’s spread, symptoms to watch for and how to treat some of them, as well as successful ways to protect ourselves from transmission. 

But, there’s still a long road ahead. There are many unknowns about the virus, including immunity and long-term effects. Summa Health sits down with…

Can Obesity be Considered a Disease [Podcast]

Dr. Adrian Dan discusses obesity as a metabolic disease.

Breaking the Stigma of Mental Illness [Podcast]

Emily Hionides-Horner discusses 7 ways to overcome mental health stigma.

The Modern Guide to Heart Health [Podcast]

Dr. Peter Bittenbender shares his insight on the modern guide to heart health.

Tips on Maintaining Fitness and Physical Health During the Pandemic [Podcast]

Dr. Cipriani discusses tips on maintaining physician health during the pandemic.

Tips for Managing Anxiety [Podcast]

Dr. Leslie Zaynor discusses tips for managing anxiety.

Are outdoor activities safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?

As weeks pass by under Ohio’s stay-at-home order, cabin fever is starting to set in for many of us. With nowhere to go and calendars cleared, families are jumping at the chance to get outdoors. Taking your activity outside is a great way to boost your health and wellbeing however, we must take extra precautions to slow the spread of Covid-19.

With summer around the corner there are many things we all look forward to doing outdoors. From cleaning up and planting our…

Myth vs. Fact: What you need to know to protect yourself from COVID-19

New headlines and reports about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are infiltrating the Internet, TV, and social media channels daily, if not hourly. Much of this information is vital for our safety and protection against the virus. However, amidst this global pandemic, there are many myths being passed around that could potentially do more harm than good.

 

Summa Health is getting to the bottom of the most pertinent questions it is hearing to separate the myths from facts.…

Fighting Coronavirus: When and how to self-quarantine

Handwashing and social distancing help prevent the spread of COVID-19, but certain situations may require more. If you have been in an office or gathering with someone who developed a confirmed case of COVID-19, you may be concerned that you have become infected as well whether you are exhibiting symptoms or not.

Should you quarantine yourself? If so, how and for how long? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend self-quarantine only if you have a medium…

How COVID-19 Affects People With Chronic Diseases

What is COVID-19? 

COVID-19 stands for “COronaVIrus Disease 2019.  COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-CoV2 which is a type of coronavirus.  It is characterized by fever, cough, and shortness of breath, but it is only one of many viruses that can cause similar symptoms. In the context of the current outbreak, COVID-19, SARS-CoV2, and coronavirus are often used interchangeably.

Novel Coronavirus: How Summa Health is preparing for any scenario to help keep their staff and patients safe

Everywhere you turn, there are new headlines reporting on the increasing number of cases and unfortunate deaths due to the novel coronavirus. It’s a respiratory infection that was first identified in Wuhan, China, late last year.

At the time of this post, the outbreak has been detected in more than 35 countries, including those in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019…

5 Things You Need to Know About HPV to Protect Yourself

Reviewed January 2025

By now, you’ve probably heard about human papillomavirus (HPV). Maybe you heard about it in a TV commercial, read about it in a magazine, or maybe you or your child’s doctor recommended the HPV vaccine. But, why is everyone talking about it? Should you be concerned?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States and nearly 80 million people in this…

Novel Coronavirus: Here’s what you need to know

Everywhere you turn, there are new headlines reporting on the increasing number of cases and unfortunate deaths due to the novel coronavirus. It’s a respiratory infection that was first identified in Wuhan, China, late last year.

At the time of this post, there have been more than 9800 confirmed cases in China and a dozen other countries, including the United States, and 213 deaths due to the coronavirus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the…

Hepatitis: What you need to know

Did you know the liver is the second largest organ of the entire body, after the skin? It’s also incredibly important: essential for food digestion, stores a large amount of your body’s energy and is a cleaning machine, eliminating toxins in the body. Hepatitis, usually caused by a type of virus, is an inflammation of the liver.

There are 5 types of Hepatitis, but Hepatitis A, B and C are the most common. Each type has different symptoms and treatment options.…

Should my teen get the HPV vaccination?

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 150 related viruses. Each HPV virus is identified by a number, known as its “type or strain.” Some of these viruses do nothing at all, some strains lead to genital warts while others can lead to serious types of cancer.

HPV is very common. In fact, at least 14 million people become infected each year. Some estimate at least 40 percent of Americans have at least one strain. The virus is transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the virus, during vaginal, anal or oral sex. HPV is so common that nearly all men and women come in contact with an HPV virus at some point in their lives.

Why Adult Immunizations Are Important Too

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. While we mostly think of trips to our child’s primary care physician for shots, it’s very important to maintain our immunization record as we age. Even if you received all of the recommended vaccines as a child, the protection on certain immunizations can decrease over time. You could also be at a higher risk for certain diseases due to travel, job, age, lifestyle or other health conditions.

Ticks and Lyme Disease: Why are rates so high?

Warmer weather is in full force now, and for many of us this season means outdoor activities including camping and exploring, plus the insects that call these spots home.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are more than 36,000 cases of Lyme disease reported each year and hundreds to thousands of cases go unreported. Since the CDC began tracking this disease, the number of annual cases has increased dramatically. Between 2004 and 2016, researchers found cases almost doubled from 19,804 to 36,429.

Before we get into possible causes of this increase, let’s explore what Lyme disease is and how to tell if you may have been infected.

PrEP An important tool in HIV prevention

In the United States, about one million people are living with HIV infection, but it’s estimated that 1 in 7 of those infected is not aware that that he or she is HIV positive. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, is where HIV-negative people take a medication to reduce their risk of getting HIV. Currently the only FDA-approved medication for PrEP is Truvada, which is taken once daily for prevention.


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