03/04/2022    Robert Spalding, DPM

Effects of COVID on Two Podiatrists

Did anyone read about the passing of Dr. Dennis
Bizzoco who practiced in Chattanooga, Tennessee?
Apparently Dr. Bizzoco died from the results of
COVID (but not fully confirmed) in October of 2021.
I must have missed the local obituary and was only
notified about his passing from one of his local
long standing patients who I knew well in my youth
who sought me out to replace Dr. Bizzoco for foot
care.

Dennis was 68 and only 3 years older than me. Dr.
Bizzocco had been involved in Podiatry long before
I opened my practice. Dr. Bizzoco with the
Tennessee Podiatry board approved my entry into
practicing podiatry in my state in 1998. He was
very outspoken about abortion and his obituary
shared life information I was not familiar with
about his journey to America. It is always sad when
we lose another long practicing podiatrist who has
been a good example of what we all strive for in a
podiatric career. He will be missed by his family,
friends and patients who he served well.

Dennis's death was a double shock to me as my
office had managed to avoid COVID for two years.
However, suddenly 6 weeks ago everyone in my office
and my family tested positive for COVID.
Collectively, we only had the mildest of symptoms
for 2-3 days and three of us with no symptoms at
all as everyone had been vaccinated or boosted. I
closed my office for a week to avoid any patient's
exposure to COVID but I am still amazed how one
person in relatively good health ends up in ICU on
a ventilator or worse and others with diabetes
exhibit virtually no symptoms at all.

My physician who treated me is a diabetologist and
has been a COVID researcher testing monoclonal
antibody therapies for years and told me you can
test positive for COVID 3 months after exposure. (I
don't share it as an absolute fact but there have
been so many daily announcements on COVID that I am
adding one more) My physician has had to close his
office twice in the last two years due to both his
staff and himself contracting each version of
COVID.

I wanted to share this story about Dr. Bizzoco's
passing to honor him as one more podiatric medical
professional with a long great career trying to
serve the public when this threat of COVID is still
a daily lethal potential reminder behind the scenes
for every podiatrist to be ever vigilant with PPEs,
disinfection and patient contact.

His obituary can be read at
https://www.chattanoogan.com/2021/10/20/437021/Bizz
oco-Dennis-Luke.aspx

Robert Spalding, DPM, Signal Mountain, TN

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