A note from Alan & Shawn on COVID-19

To our beloved PPP community: we want you to know that our thoughts are with you and your families as you deal with what are likely very large changes in your day-to-day lives due to the continuing spread of COVID-19.

At this time, we do not anticipate any interruption to the show as a result of the virus, or due to the containment and mitigation efforts in our areas, but we want you to know that may change. Events like school closures might cause delays in pre- and post-production, but we will do our very best to continue releasing our episodes each and every week!

For now, we will be unable to attend any moots in the near future — and if the current travel restrictions remain in place, it might be awhile. But rest assured we want to be out there with you when we can, and we will see you all again when it’s safe to travel!

In the meantime, thanks to all of you who are doing your part to protect the vulnerable in our communities. By sacrificing a little comfort and convenience now, you are saving lives in the near future. And we are more than happy to keep you company while you stay home and practice social distancing — this is one Common Room that can still hold large crowds!

Join the discussion

3 comments
  • Please take good care of yourselves! Especially you Alan, I feel so worried when I listened to your newest episode that you were experiencing the bad cold. I hope you are totally fine now!

  • Just now saw this as I listen on Spotify. I want you to know that the last 4 years have been difficult. I’m a pediatrician. We never locked down. We saw patients the whole time. Because what else would we fo? Babies still need their shots or worse viruses could make a comeback. Kids still get sick. Where would they go? The ER for strep? Good neither for the kid or the ER. Babies are still born and need to be seen in the hospital. So we made our own PPE, trained our staff on how to protect themselves and soldiered on while keeping our families at home and changing clothes in the garage before walking in the house for a surgical style scrub. That continued for us long after it did for you. And after a bit we started to have to deal with parents who asked if they should give their kids bleach to drink (?!!?) Or horse meds. And eventually parents accusing us of trying to inject their kids with poison when we discussed covid vaccines.

    Anyway, I’m sure you are well aware of all this. But I found your podcast while sewing masks for everyone I know and isolation gowns for the office and it was a huge comfort/escape. I thank you so very much. I find myself now in the difficult position of being 3 or 4 episodes away from catching up. Not sure what I will do then.

    I thank you so much for helping me keep whatever sanity I have left over the last few years. Please keep on as long as you can.

    Thanks so much. Love you and God bless you.

    Please fwd to Alan and Shawn and the regular visitors if you can.

    Ann in KY

    • Hi, Ann –

      Thank you for this encouraging comment – and for a poignant reminder of the challenges we all face, especially during those first months of the pandemic. I can safely speak for Shawn when I say that we are both incredibly grateful to you and the other medical professionals who not only kept working during a time when many of us couldn’t, but who did so at great risk to themselves. With four young kids between our two families, pediatricians are especially appreciated in our homes! 🙂

      I’m glad to know that our little show could be both an escape and a consolation during those hard times. I’m not sure if I should apologize for you nearly catching up, but I do know it’s hard to have to wait for the next episodes! Of course, you also have the postscripts and specials on Patreon, and the TTT as well. Not to mention at least 5 more years of the PPP.

      Thanks,
      Alan

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