Dr. Topher Fox

Reconnecting with old friends during COVID-19

As I write this, one of my college housemates, a cardiologist in Miami, has been sick with COVID-19 and on a ventilator for almost a month. He is showing signs of improvement but it's been really slow, nail-biting progress.

While this is of course a terrible a circumstance, one of the blessings that has come out of it has been the opportunity to reconnect with my 6 other housemates, several of whom I've not seen for more than 10 years. We had a great Zoom call this last weekend, with prayers and worry broken up by laughter and fun memories.

While maintaining relationships has never been something I've been good at, right now I'm encouraged to be on the lookout for other opportunities to re-establish old friendships or family bonds. 

Immune function and social connections

Perhaps because of this, an older study caught my eye this week. Published in 1997, researchers actively placed cold virus in the noses of 276 healthy...

I beat myself up pretty well last week.

During this time of coronavirus and social distancing I had grand plans to take advantage of fewer commitments and increased downtime to accomplish so much. I wanted to develop a number of new educational training programs at work, clean out the garage, and organize my files and photos, among other things. Yet, I had days last week where it seemed like getting dressed was about the highlight of my accomplishments.

Just like many of you, I'm learning how to make my way in this time of social distancing. And I suspect like many of you I'm experiencing challenges that make it hard to show up each day in the way that I desire. 

Has anything like this happened to you?

If so, here are a few things that I believe contribute to the problem. Our routines are different. We don't receive the same daily reinforcements and encouragements that let us know we are making a difference in someone's life. And there is great uncertainty about how long social...