When I was 20, I charted my life on a white sheet of paper: college, medical school, public health school, a career as a consultant with an organization like the World Bank, private practice, social change projects—and marriage and family, too. Forty-three years...
On Sunday evenings, my mother baked pizza, my father spread a white bedsheet on the family room floor, and my brother turned on the TV. As a family, we never missed 60 Minutes. The stories opened my eyes to politics, science, technology, arts, and more. I learned...
What does your heart actually experience when you watch live sports? A recent article in Scientific American warns, “Watching a game can raise your blood pressure and heart rate.” But, just as there are “good and bad” cholesterol, there are different types of heart...
I believed democracy was woven into our national DNA. But so much of what I held sacred has unraveled in this one moment in history. Suddenly, no norms are sacred. The unthinkable—using power to persecute political opponents, dismissing truth as inconvenient, and...
From left: Dr. Manoj Jain; Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s Vice President and General Counsel Jennifer Sink; former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland; MLGW’s President and CEO Doug McGowen, and MLGW’s Vice President of Corporate Communications Ursula Madden work...
USAID addresses that suffering, translating American sympathy into tangible action. It is a hand extended in service, not just in charity but in solidarity with those who need it most. Cutting off health aid to developing countries will not make America great again....
Dear Mr. President: I was just 13 years old when you were elected to lead our nation. I still recall staying up until 3:30 in the morning, anticipating with bated breath until John Chancellor of NBC News announced the next President of the United States. I was elated....
For years, the Indian diaspora in America was thought to be entirely in big cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Houston. However, US census data from 2020 shows that of the 5 million Indian-Americans, nearly 40% live in rural American or smaller cities....
Imagine an Olympic-sized event celebrating cultural diversity, inclusiveness, and oneness in today’s turbulent world. I witnessed this recently at the National Mall in Washington D.C. A sea of people of all colors, diverse cultures, and varying costumes gathered...
Manoj Jain is a physician and founder of the Gandhi King Conference www.gandhiking.org in Memphis Akhil Shah is an aerospace engineer based in Boston. On Tuesday April 4, I watched on TV as President Trump was indicted on 34 felony counts. I hoped the...
Our culture at each level must be transformed from a culture of violence to a culture of nonviolence much like what Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. preached and practiced. “Protesters react to the Memphis Police Department dissolving the Scorpion...
MP Commissioner Health Secretary Got. Of MP Dr. Sudham Khade IAS with Dr. Manoj Jain and Cmd. Raman Arora in Bhopal Ms. Pallavi Govil Jain IAS, Ms. Priyanka Das MDNHM IAS and Dr. Varsha Rai MP State TB Officer and Team – with Dr. Manoj Jain and Cmd Raman Arora...
The Emory Global Health Institute (EGHI) announced the creation of the Jeffrey P. Koplan Global Health Award and named Manoj Jain, MD, MPH, as its inaugural recipient at EGHI’s event, InFocus: Emory excellence in global health, on Nov. 16, 2022. Named in honor of EGHI...
Tennessee Voices: A Conversation with Dr. Manoj Jain “Dr. Manoj Jain, adviser to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland on COVID-19, spoke with Tennessean Opinion Editor David Plazas.” Violence is in our neighborhoods, in our city and on our daily local news....
In a tuxedo with the microphone in hand, in a ballroom filled with over 400 family and friends, I spoke. “Planning a wedding is hard enough, but planning a wedding during a pandemic has been the greatest professional and personal challenge of my life.” I am an...
SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — COVID cases are continuing to decline in Shelby County, but don’t let your guard down just yet. A new subvariant of omicron, called BA.2, is starting to spread around the U.S., and experts fear this could cause a spike in cases. “We may never...
If we do not act now, the worst may be yet to come in the pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccine mandate is the right step for Tennessee and the nation. It’s 9/11 and I am standing on ground zero. No, not ground zero of 9/11/2001 but 9/11/2021. No, not in New York City, but...
JACKSON, Miss. — The new Delta variant is causing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations to spike in Mississippi. This variant is particularly dangerous for people who are immunocompromised even if they are fully vaccinated. On Friday, the Mississippi Department of...
One in three persons in Mississippi are fully vaccinated compared to two in three in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts the virus can barely find susceptible people to infect while in Mississippi the virus has a free-for-all. For 25 years I lived in Massachusetts. Then...
New medical study says COVID-19 vaccine could protect against the virus for years in some people. MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new report suggests the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines could provide years of protection from the virus. A Memphis infectious disease doctor says...
“Overall, that low case count is the fact that we have vaccinated a lot of people from the alpha variant,” said infectious disease expert Dr. Manoj Jain. MEMPHIS, Tenn — Local 24 is keeping you informed with the latest information surrounding COVID-19 and new...
Question: Living in the mid-south, should we be concerned about the delta variants? Answer: Absolutely yes. Though to most people, it may seem that the pandemic is over and that we are done with the virus, this is not the case. The virus is not done with...
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Local 24 News anchor Katina Rankin talks with Infectious disease specialist Dr. Manoj Jain on mask mandates, COVID-19 vaccines for kids 12 and older, and the new health directive from the Shelby County Health Department. View Video Source:...
Vaccine is our best bet to keep our children safe and we have already seen the success of so many childhood disease like measles and chickenpox from vaccines. Questions: Should I have my 12 year old child vaccinated for COVID-19?Answer: Yes. Once the FDA gives...
If we are to get ahead of the virus, we need to respond rapidly for testing and tracing. Hundreds of COVID-19 infections per day are a public health emergency. While we may want to think that the pandemic is behind us, our recent experience tells us that this is not...
The FDA and CDC both recommend the pause of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine after six Americans had blood clots after taking the vaccine. Question: Should I be concerned about blood clots after the vaccine? Answer: You should be aware, but not...
In cities in Brazil where it originated, the P1 mutant strain has caused devastation with a huge number of COVID-19 cases as well as hospitalization. Question: What is the P1 mutant strain? Answer: The COVID-19 virus changes each time it replicates in a cell....
One case found at the university led to 29 mutant strains cases. On Feb. 20 we saw our last case of the mutant UK strain on campus. In the following weeks over a thousand tests have been negative. We are entering a new phase of our war against the COVID-19 virus in...
There are still aspects of the COVID-19 vaccine that still need to be determined but it still remains the best defense in our fight against COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know after you’re fully vaccinated. If I am vaccinated can I gather with others...
Over two millennia ago, the great Greek tragedian Sophocles said “Look and you will find it – what is unsought will go undetected.” This holds true today. In the Memphis regional area, local laboratory directors looked. We conducted COVID-19 testing with...
There are various reasons why COVID-19 cases have seen a decline. Dr. Manoj Jain breaks those reasons down and also gives additional insight to your other concerns. Question: Why are the daily COVID-19 case numbers declining so fast? Answer: I wish I knew for certain....
Question: Should I send my children to in-person school? Answer: Yes. It has been a year since many children have not attended in person school, the educational and psychological risk outweighs the risk from the coronavirus. Last March we did not know much about the...
Masks work because they reduce the transmission of virus filled aerosol droplets from infected person to an uninfected person. Question: Does double masking really help reduce the transmission of Covid infection? Answer: Absolutely yes. For nearly 6 months, I have...
Question: Do we have the new mutant variant strain in Memphis?Answer: Yes. Over the past months, our local laboratories have been randomly looking at the genetic code of the COVID-19 viruses, a process called sequencing. Over 450 COVID-19 viruses have been sequenced...
Vaccine side effects can be lumped into three major categories: Mild such as body ache and soreness in the arm, moderate such as headache and severe that may cause shortness of breath. “Memphis healthcare professionals overcome difficulties during COVID-19...
Though there are questions raised regarding the vaccines’ safety and efficiency, it still remains the best defenses in the fight against COVID-19. Vaccine expert anticipates vaccine distribution to improve, despite rough start. Dean of the School of Public...
Our battle against the virus is both an individual and collective effort: our individual immune systems and our public health system. Question: How does our immune system work to fight COVID-19? Answer: Our immune system is our greatest and best defence against the...
This week Dr. Jain tackles your questions regarding the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and how Shelby County plans to give it out. Question: Why is there so much confusion over the vaccination at the federal, state and local level? Answer: The covid...
These high numbers of cases are translating to an increasing number of deaths. I along with Dr. Fridtj of Thomas did a rough calculation of the projected deaths in Shelby County for the next two months. As of Dec. 18 over 800 people in Shelby County have died of...
Dr. Jain answers your questions regarding the recently distributed COVID-19 vaccines. Question: Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine? Answer: As the vaccine becomes available to our healthcare workers and first responders—I got my shot on Friday—many in the general...
Q: What do I need to do if I am COVID-19 Positive? Answer: One in 22 Americans have become positive for COVID-19. Each day in Shelby County, about 450 people receive news that their COVID-19 test is positive. It is important to know how you can help yourself and...
In large gatherings such as family events, holiday parties, athletic competition, or church congregations one person can spread to an average of 15 persons or more. Question: How many people can catch COVID-19 from one infected person? Answer: If there is no masking...
To fight Covid-19, the United States must be open to ideas from everywhere, including developing countries. Sometimes less-wealthy countries can offer simple, low-tech solutions that are highly effective at containing infectious diseases. In an earlier article, I...
We have taken the defensive during COVID-19 by washing hands, wearing masks and social distancing. But breakthroughs in how we test for the virus could put us in the offensive. For months we have been on the defense against COVID-19. We are masking, distancing and...
The opening of private and county schools is essential to the opening of the workplace and our economy. Few have recognized the critical importance of opening our county and private schools in the strategy to open our workforce and the economy. With children at home,...
In the new normal there will be three types of people: COVID infected, COVID immune and COVID susceptible, and two types of tests used to classify us all. Based on our COVID status a person may be in isolation, able to do certain front-line jobs or be wearing a mask...
After implementing social distancing through a lockdown, but before deploying a vaccine, the single best tool we have to contain the COVID-19 pandemic is contact tracing. Countries that have been successful outliers in halting the virus’s spread, like...
For any city or community to even begin a conversation about reopening, it will first need to achieve some basic milestones. Reopening America will be difficult, much like the entry of a space shuttle in the atmosphere or the experiencing of bends by a diver...
Dr. Manoj Jain answers questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic Infectious disease specialist Dr. Manoj Jain answers questions about coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Monday, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland issues a “safer at home” executive order. Here is that...
How long will this last? That is the question people ask most frequently about the COVID-19 pandemic. To answer this question, we need to understand the major factor which is fueling the pandemic. It is people. People connecting to people allows the virus...
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The City of Memphis’s Infectious Disease Doctor and Epidemiologist Dr. Manoj Jain said Mayor Jim Strickland’s decision to stop all non-essential business by Tuesday evening was the right call. Dr. Jain said it is what is needed right now to stop...
How much for how long will this last? That is the question people ask most frequently about the COVID-19 pandemic. To answer this question we need to understand the major factor that is fueling the pandemic: It is people. People connecting to people allows the...
Wow, who could have imagined that a 120-nanometer particle would jolt financial markets by trillions of dollars, or bring a country and the world to a shutdown, or even humble the most powerful of political leaders to declare a national emergency. No longer are...
With the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, spreading across the globe, we must stand on fact instead of panic. Often I wonder if we — and the stock markets — are overreacting to the Coronavirus, COVID-19, epidemic (not declared as a pandemic). Other...
The coronavirus recently named COVID-19 has exited China and created local outbreaks in South Korea, Israel, Iran and Italy. Many experts believe that it will soon cross the ocean and establish in a city in America if it has not already done so. I agree. Manoj...
The newly named and identified coronavirus, COVID-19, worries me. If the virus enters the general population in cities across the globe as it has done in Wuhan, China, then day-to-day lives in the affected cities will be greatly disrupted. As an infectious disease...
You have a fever and a cough. How do you know if this is the flu or the new coronavirus that is sweeping across continents and upheaving travel and daily plans of millions if not billions of individuals? The answer is simple. If you live in the United States as of...
On the third day of the new year, I was standing in a dimly lit lecture hall in front of 150 first- year medical students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center talking about “wellness.” At that moment I thought, a decade from now, these young minds,...
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – – Oddly enough, these dangerous conditions actually have a silver lining. It turns out, this cold weather is helping fight the flu. Dr. Manoj Jain, an infectious disease consultant, says kids packed together in a classroom can be...
A friend recently asked me, “Where do we go from here?” The friend was referring to our impasse with healthcare in America. The Democrats have failed to repair the Affordable Care Act, and the Republicans have failed to repeal or replace it. With the status quo, I can...
Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma were canaries in the coal mine of what is happening to our changing climate. Let anyone who denies climate change and the human contribution to it be forewarned. No one can prove a direct cause-effect relationship between 3-to-7...
Next month when our youngest child leaves for college, the biggest change may not be in his life but in ours. We are done with dropping them off at school, or giving them driving lessons, or helping them with difficult homework assignments: We will officially become...
A few years ago when my oldest child was graduating from high school, I was asked to give the baccalaureate talk for the graduating class. I thought hard. What words of advice do I want to share with these young adults as they begin their journeys into adulthood?...
For two decades, I have waved goodbye and dropped off my children at school, and said these simple words to them, “Be good, be kind, save the world.” Last week I uttered these words and waved goodbye for the final time as the last of our three children prepared to...
Last week a new mother of twins in Columbus, Ohio, sent a text message to her doctor: “Adam and I would like to introduce you to Ava Jain Cullum and Piper Jain Cullum. Their middle name was a no-brainer since we are so thankful for the huge role you had in getting...
A few months ago, I wrote about walking 10,000 steps per day to remain fit and healthy. Just a few weeks later, a new study was published which suggested we needed to up our goal to 15,000 steps. The study published in The International Journal of Obesity looked at...
With war in the Middle East and missile testing in the Far East, the world is not a peaceful and compassionate place. But our day-to-day lives need not be that way. Here in Memphis, we have many opportunities to cultivate compassion. Last month, Dan Harris, a...
In just the past few months, we have seen the greatest upset, the greatest comeback, and the greatest flub in modern history on the grandest of stages of politics, sports and entertainment. You know what I am talking about: Hillary Clinton’s unexpected defeat in the...
At this time in history it may serve us well to reflect on the tortuous past, the harrowing present and the unpredictable future of health care in America. First and foremost we must recognize we do not have “a health care system” — rather our health care is delivered...
When my wife asked me to take the bucket of clean laundry upstairs to the bedroom, I did it with zest. Why? Because it was no longer a chore; rather, now it was a path towards reaching 10,000. Ten thousand what, you ask? Ten thousand steps. After the holidays, when I...
Last week, we said goodbye to President Barack Obama, and soon we will say goodbye to Obamacare. Eight years ago, when the tumultuous health care reform journey began, we could not have imagined the roller coaster ride it would take. The Affordable Care Act (aka...
Have you ever dreamed of being a force for good, so that you can impact the lives of future generations? The good may come from whatever work you do as a teacher, a factory worker, or an engineer. I believe we all can be such a force for good. I know many who are...
Obamacare died on election night, and Trumpcare was born. With a majority of his party in the House and Senate, President-elect Donald Trump has a free hand, much like Barack Obama did eight years earlier, to craft the healthcare roadmap for the nation for decades to...
The pain is silent, subtle and gnawing, like that of being overlooked for a promotion, or being rejected by your dream college. Over 60 million Americans who voted for Hillary Clinton may be groping for a way to overcome such a pain after the stunning loss of their...
If you are like us, you are exasperated with the roller-coaster ride and the vitriol of the presidential race. Many of us feel the opposing candidate is so deeply flawed that he or she represents a real danger to the country. And being generally caring and...
It’s that time of year. No, I am not talking about elections, the flu, or holiday shopping — but rather weight gain. The myth is that Americans gain 5 to 10 pounds during the holiday season. And while it’s entirely possible, it is perhaps not that bad. The weight gain...
As a doctor, I am often encountered with the dilemma of trying to tease out normal behavior from the abnormal — or “pathologic” as we call in medical lingo. For example, depression after the death of a loved one is normal, but if it leads to suicide or years-long...
For me, the saddest part of the 2016 presidential election is not that we have two of the most disliked presidential candidates in history but that so little attention is being paid to health care. You may have noticed that health care rarely comes up in campaign...
When you are 70 years old, you are bound to have some medical problems, so I am not sure why the media and the public are making a hoopla about the medical histories of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. For an elderly patient, my usual medical dictation reads...
Last week, thousands of my physician colleagues and I received a letter from the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. He asked us to change our behavior in prescribing pain medicines. Around the same time, I was seeing a middle-aged man who had been admitted to the...
For this week’s column, I had been writing about the health care reform plans of the presidential nominees until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared a “travel advisory” to the Miami Beach area due to Zika virus....
Over the past two weeks, I, like millions of Americans, watched the Republican and Democratic national conventions. As politicians, celebrities and ordinary people made compelling arguments to vote for their candidate, I felt like a ping-pong ball bouncing from right...
A recent Time magazine article suggesting that we should treat “gun violence as a disease” rather than just as a crime got me thinking. I vividly recall the debate several decades ago when alcoholism was suggested to be a disease and not just a behavior...
I began one of the longest days of the year with a sun salutation — a mountain pose, the lunge, the downward dog, the plank pose, baby cobra, child’s pose, powerful pose (essentially a squat) and back -to-the-mountain pose. June 21, the day close to the summer...
Manoj Jain MD MPH and Mark Muesse Ph.D If you are like us, you are exasperated with the rollercoaster ride and the vitriol of the presidential race. Many of us feel the opposing candidate is so deeply flawed that he or she represents a real danger to the country. And...
Last week, when I stubbed my toe on our family room coffee table, a throbbing pain ensued. Over the next two to three days, as the bruise turned pink and then purple, the pain persisted. During the same time, I had a case of the blues. I am overstressed at work with...
Mississippi ranks 50th in the nation in infant mortality, 50th in physical activity, 50th in heart disease deaths and 49th in overall health. We in Tennessee rank only slightly better, prompting one of my public health colleagues to remark, “Thank God for...
When I first saw Lashondia Palmer, 41, in Baptist Memorial Hospital’s intensive care unit, she looked as if she were in a torture chamber. On a special bed rotated at 180 degrees, she was facing the floor, with a dozen black belts and blue pads strapped to hold...
Last week, Stephanie Morris, a nurse in the intensive care unit, stopped me. In the hospital, Stephanie cares for the sickest of sick patients, but at home she cares for her two children, ages 8 months and 2 years. And with the outbreak of measles, she is concerned...
Amid an unprecedented outbreak of six measles cases in Shelby County, parents are asking questions about potential exposure to the infection. Dr. Manoj Jain, an infectious disease doctor who also writes a column for The CA, answers common questions about measles....
