Why These Doctors Say Staying Home is a Matter of Life and Death — Some are Scared if not Angry

There are two elements to this whole crisis — public health and the economy. In both cases, taking short-time actions now will help us all in the medium- to long-term. There is light at the end of the tunnel, as evidenced by a friend’s report from China:

“I’ve been on WeChat with our friends in China. They said they are back at work and in “controlled epidemic” mode. Basically things sound like they are slowly returning to normal life. In February they had 1000+ cases in their province (so not nearly as bad as it was in Wuhan, but still pretty scary).”

This is why we need to “flatten the curve” of the spread.

Right now, in the U.S., I know some physicians who are pretty fired up and upset right now that society (government, businesses, individuals) are not doing more to keep people home as much as possible to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our communities. Some of what I’m sharing here is raw — yes, doctors get emotional too — but it’s real.

Some people still seem to think it’s cool and harmless to go out to bars, beaches, and other places where others gather. If you work in a critical industry (such as healthcare, public safety, grocery stores), that’s critically important and appreciated.

But, as one physician told me this morning:

“People like grocery store cashiers have an appreciable risk of being infected. They need to get tested. They should be wearing masks. They should be using hand sanitizer before each and every transaction.”

I haven’t seen that at my local grocery store. One example of a chain is HEB, based in Texas, which is “in some stores” adding plexiglass barriers and hand sanitizer (for employee and customer use). Read more.

I’m fortunate that I can work from home. Some don’t have that privilege. But we ALL have an ability to stay home unless we need food, medicines, or supplies. It’s not just about YOUR health and safety — it’s about preventing the peak spread of Covid-19 to others. It’s about life and death — maybe not YOURS, but the deaths of others. This is not a joke. The more we can stay home NOW means that life can get back to normal more quickly.

I’ve shared some thoughts shared by Dr. Greg Jacobson, an emergency physician who I work with at KaiNexus:

Stay at Home: A Covid-19 Message from an E.R Physician, Greg Jacobson, M.D.

What You Can Do to Save People TODAY [COVID-19]

What the Heck Does Exponential Mean?

Some other advice and perspectives from physicians:

ONLY GO TO THE DOCTOR IF IT’S COMPLETELY NECESSARY

A dermatologist I spoke with says:

“Seeing a doctor about your complexion is not worth going outside for right now. Reschedule all elective doctor visits to a later date.”

Some hospitals are postponing elective surgical procedures and appointments. The U.S. Surgeon General has urged healthcare providers and organizations to do so. Read more.

DO NOT GO TO THE DOCTOR UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY STRUGGLING TO BREATHE

Another E.R. doctor says:

“If you’re curious if you have Covid-19, do NOT go to your doctor or the E.R. You need to go to a designated testing area. Do NOT go to doctor or E.R. for any mild symptoms. I would only go if you are REALLY struggling to breathe. Don’t go for body aches, runny nose, or a fever.”

DO NOT GO OUT UNLESS YOU WANT TO KILL OTHERS

Put more bluntly by a physician who is concerned a scared:

“Testing is becoming more available and widespread, but most doctors are reporting a lot of patient cancellations. Many of them are well visits or periodic med checks, many of which we are doing by telephone.

We’ve all seen cases that we suspect are Coronavirus, but, just like flu or RSV, the test won’t change management, so I have found that even if I feel like there is a reason to test, a parent might decline.

This is to say that there are many mildly ill people who are not getting tested, so the reported case numbers don’t truly reflect illness numbers.

This is fine from a medical perspective, but from a community health perspective is absolutely terrible because it’s clear there are many people who still aren’t taking this seriously.

Y’all, doctors are starting to get angry.

I found myself saying yesterday to an older male friend, “Fine! If you’re going to take that attitude, we’ll sign your DNR right now and give your ventilator to someone else!” Which I obviously didn’t mean, but y’all, that’s what we are facing, and we are scared.

We are scared that we cannot help you when you need it.

I realize that I’m probably preaching to the choir at this point, but it’s time to “name and shame” the people who are putting others at risk. Name and shame the businesses that are hosting public events. Name and shame those who attend them.

Leaving the house right now is like driving drunk through a school zone of old people. You will kill someone, but in this case you won’t even realize it.”