In this week’s column, doctors Megan Berman and Richard Rupp talk about the important role a person’s liver plays in keeping them healthy. They also discuss the causes of hepatitis, the term for inflammation of the liver, and the vaccines that can prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

A local report on the increasing demand for COVID testing in Galveston County as the number of diagnosed cases continue to rise. UTMB’s Juan David Garcia explains that more people are interested in testing because they are more aware of the coronavirus and its prevalence in the community.

IBM Watson Health recently ranked UTMB Galveston in the Top 15 nationwide among major teaching hospitals. “We are proud to be the only teaching hospital in the region to achieve this recognition,” said UTMB’s Tim Harlin.

Since the COVID-19 emerged, people are learning a lot about zoonotic diseases, those that jump from animals to humans, which is not uncommon, says the CDC. According to UTMB’s Vineet Menachery it is a risk of people getting close to strange wildlife. “A virus like this may never have made it out of a small village before,” Menachery said. “This is a reality of the modern world.”

This week, Victor Sierpina examines different techniques that can be used as pain control measures for children.

Along with the concerning rise in COVID-19 cases in the Houston area, there is a major spike in cases within the Hispanic Community. UTMB’s Shannon Guillot-Wright address that spoke with Houston’s Fox affiliate.