Well…here we are again. Another day, another blog about COVID. We had really hoped that 8 full months into this process, we would have reached a point where we have a better handle on this virus. According to the CDC, there was 143,408 NEW cases of COVID19 in the US yesterday alone…
Remember in June, when Dr. Fauci said cases could swell to over 100,000/day by Fall? We did it (and then some). It doesn’t seem so crazy now does it?
We are better than this. We all can do much better than this. We have the knowledge, guidance, and ability to curb the spread of this virus, but we seem to be refusing to follow those simple but necessary steps.
Public health is about improving health outcomes of a population as a whole (COVID and other pandemics included).
Public health is not about helping specific groups of people, even those that are more vulnerable in given situations. The idea is to improve the health of the entire population as a single unit.
We need to approach this illness with the idea of improving the health outcomes of all Americans. Instead of being an example for other nations facing outbreak on what to do, we instead have become the poster nation for what not to do. The best way to improve outcomes is by following the proper guidelines on how to limit your spread. We have written about it before, and the CDC has guidance on just about any work situation that you could possibly have to attend to still be able to take home your paycheck.
Wash your hands. Avoid crowded spaces. Wear the damn mask. We don’t know what those around us might be dealing with, or what preexisting condition they may have.
Consider this a full call to action for all of those who are frequenters of the DisasterDoc blog, or if this is the first time you have stumbled upon our site.
Take some time refresh on the proper protocols. Consider others vulnerability when you go to public places, and move your mask off your face those times you just “couldn’t handle the mask anymore”. Take the time to understand that you potentially could infect those that are around you. Coworkers. Loved ones. Passersby that cannot afford to take time off their 9-5 job after just being allowed to return to work. Those same passersby may also be healthcare workers that have been hard at work over the last 8 months.
We all are struggling, whether we like to admit it or not. We all strive for the return to “normal”. Now, it is the time to work together to help at minimum, slow the spread of the virus. We cannot afford to lose 1000+ Americans every single day to an illness that with a few simple precautionary steps, we could protect so many. Do your part, and we promise to do ours.
