Columns & Opinions

Elizabeth Ko, M.D.

The difference between a cold and the flu

Friday, January 16, 2026

Dear Doctors: My wife started getting sick a few days before Halloween. We were worried that it was going to turn into a bad respiratory illness, but it stayed in her nose and throat. That’s a common cold, right? Why is having a cold so different from when you get the flu?

Venezuela episode mirrors disregard

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Has Donald Trump just ripped the mattress tag from international relations? The legend on mattress tags warns that the labels should not be removed “under penalty of law.” That warning has an exception: the consumer. The United Nations Charter affirms the sovereignty of countries around the globe.

Elizabeth Ko, M.D.

Using a semaglutide off-label to treat PAD

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Dear Doctors: I am a 74-year-old female and was diagnosed with popliteal artery stenosis in my left calf. When walking briskly, it is bothersome to painful. I stop, stretch and can continue, up to 4 miles most days. My internist has suggested I start taking Wegovy. Is this a known treatment?

Husband makes life decisions without wife

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

DEAR HARRIETTE: When my husband and I first got married, we started off in Georgia. He wanted to go to medical school and was accepted to a school in Virginia.

Is this what the people voted for?

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

President Donald Trump insists “the voters that voted for me are thrilled’, they said, ‘This is what we voted for.’” But is that true? Above all, Trump supporters voted for lower grocery prices, more jobs and a brighter economic future.Not a single U.S.

Judy keeps the door open for meditation

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Last summer, Judy approached me one day when I was walking by an old church.“I see you walking by here every day!” she said.“Oh, yes. I need to walk!” I told her. Judy is an associate pastor at this Episcopal church.

Friend misremembers giving away pants

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

DEAR HARRIETTE: A couple of years ago, a friend of mine lent me a pair of pants. Soon after the occasion, I stopped by to visit her and totally forgot to bring her pants with me. I admitted my mistake, and then she told me I could keep them because they don’t fit her well.

Why legislators are leaving Congress

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Axios calls Congress “The worst good-paying job in America.” The Atlantic headlines, “House Republicans Aren’t Having Any Fun.” And USA Today reports: “Why quitting is all the rage in DC.”Departures from Congress are running at a record pace.

It takes 66 days to form a new habit

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Marilyn wrote to me saying, “I miss our conversations!”I don’t know Marilyn well, but I like her very much. “You want to get a coffee sometime after Christmas?” I asked.Life starts to pick up and get moving again in early January.

Teenage daughter lacks self-confidence

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 19-year-old daughter is insecure about how she looks. She cries all the time and blames me for her appearance. I have no clue how to help her because every time I say that she is beautiful, she says I’m only saying that because I’m her mother.