HIV and ID Observations

January 27th, 2026

Florida Moves to Cut AIDS Drug Assistance Program — and Drops the Most Prescribed HIV Regimen in the Country

We prescribers of HIV medications — and our patients — have for the most part lived in a very privileged space in this country. Newer drugs with advantages in efficacy, safety, or convenience have generally been covered, either by private insurance or by government drug-assistance programs. Drug coverage was historically so good that it even […]

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January 21st, 2026

Rabies Is Terrifying — and the Challenge of Managing a Low Risk of a Dreadful Disease

Three case reports of human rabies recently appeared in the MMWR. Reading each one served as a reminder of just how horrifying this infection is when it strikes — which very fortunately is quite rare in our country. Two cases were domestic and followed recognized direct bat exposures with no post-exposure preventive measures taken. Here are […]

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January 14th, 2026

Influenza — So Familiar, Still So Mysterious

In what feels like the fastest-peaking influenza season in quite some time, I find myself returning to a familiar answer when asked questions about this miserable virus: “We just don’t know.” At least I hope it’s peaking — take a look at this encouraging recent trend: Decline notwithstanding, there’s still tons of influenza activity out […]

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January 6th, 2026

How the Z-Pak Took Over Outpatient Medicine, Part 2: The Reckoning

Part 1 of this azithromycin series explained how the drug became ubiquitous. In Part 2, we’ll explore why many of us infectious diseases physicians now groan when they hear the words, “They already started a Z-Pak.” Because what began as a genuine pharmacologic advance became, through sheer volume of use, an antibiotic that doesn’t work […]

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