I totally agree Yogadatti
Gransnet forums
Health
Coronovirus - an informed view from a medic
(54 Posts)This came up on my Facebook feed. It was such a relief to hear a voice of reason who seemed to know what he was talking about.
His name is Abdu Sharkawy, this is his post:
I'm a doctor and an Infectious Diseases Specialist. I've been at this for more than 20 years seeing sick patients on a daily basis. I have worked in inner city hospitals and in the poorest slums of Africa. HIV-AIDS, Hepatitis,TB, SARS, Measles, Shingles, Whooping cough, Diphtheria...there is little I haven't been exposed to in my profession. And with notable exception of SARS, very little has left me feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed or downright scared.
I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.
What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world. I am scared of the N95 masks that are stolen from hospitals and urgent care clinics where they are actually needed for front line healthcare providers and instead are being donned in airports, malls, and coffee lounges, perpetuating even more fear and suspicion of others. I am scared that our hospitals will be overwhelmed with anyone who thinks they " probably don't have it but may as well get checked out no matter what because you just never know..." and those with heart failure, emphysema, pneumonia and strokes will pay the price for overfilled ER waiting rooms with only so many doctors and nurses to assess.
I am scared that travel restrictions will become so far reaching that weddings will be canceled, graduations missed and family reunions will not materialize. And well, even that big party called the Olympic Games...that could be kyboshed too. Can you even
imagine?
I'm scared those same epidemic fears will limit trade, harm partnerships in multiple sectors, business and otherwise and ultimately culminate in a global recession.
But mostly, I'm scared about what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested.
Covid-19 is nowhere near over. It will be coming to a city, a hospital, a friend, even a family member near you at some point. Expect it. Stop waiting to be surprised further. The fact is the virus itself will not likely do much harm when it arrives. But our own behaviors and "fight for yourself above all else" attitude could prove disastrous.
I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let's meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing.
Facts not fear. Clean hands. Open hearts.
Our children will thank us for it.
I can understand your fear Yogadatti, because many of us are in the same boat. It is true that fewer young people will die from Covid 19, and some may not take it very seriously or consider the implications for their older relatives, but we can't lock people up.
Neither would it have been practical, or desirable to close the borders two weeks ago. Doing things to the extreme as you put it, would not be evidence based as far as I can see, or would make a huge difference in the long run.
On a positive note the majority of us will survive this virus, despite our vulnerability, and we can only try to act as responsibly and sensibly as possible.
This thread is starting to read like a CJD website would have back in the 1980s. had they existed.
We are doomed all doomed. 100, 000s will die fo CJD. In fact 200 did.
No, I am not dismissive of corona virus, anything but, but all these alarmist posts actually make the cahnces of an epidemic worse. Do what Italy has done and you end up as they have in that by the time they have given exemptions to all key workers - without tests, because there3 were so many of them and everyone who can get out from acute areas to less affected areas, legally or not has done a runner or attempted to do one, your national ban is a s leaky as a sieve.
By concentrating on thorough and targetted testing and clear limited definition of which groups must self exclude, and are therefore much easier to monitor and fewer people will duck and weave.
As for young people not obeying the rules, you must know some very selfish and unpleasant young people. Thankfully your experience is not general.
Join the conversation
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »