Keep On Keeping On
MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH UPDATE
OK team, it’s time for a reality check.
COVID cases are surging. The U.S. logged over 140,000 yesterday. Deaths are approximately 1000 per day. The phones at my office this week are ringing 50% more than they were two weeks ago. Mariam (pictured here) continues to be my rock.
As of last night, restaurants in Maryland are only allowed to fill at 50% capacity. Cities like New York are restricting indoor gatherings and restaurant hours.
And get this: Charmin ultra-soft toilet paper was sold out at my local Target last night.
A new study published this week in the journal Nature demonstrated that indoor venues like restaurants, gyms, and other crowded, poorly-ventilated spaces account for 80% of new coronavirus cases. But like flies on a rib roast, people are gathering indoors and spreading the virus like wildfire.
Being outdoors is twenty times safer than being indoors. But even outside, the virus can hop between people as we gather closer than six feet and remove our masks to eat, drink, and chit-chat.
We naturally let our guard down when we’re relaxed, engaged in conversation, and imbibing alcohol. We also tend to underestimate the risk of transmitting the virus between people we love, know, and trust.
It’s all so hard. Socializing is essential for our mental health, for crying out loud! We’re desperate to canoodle with other people after eight-plus months of this insanity!!
But sadly coronavirus doesn’t care one IOTA about birthdays, holidays, or your grandmother. It thrives in intimate, close-talking, celebratory events where people are talking and laughing and having a good time.
Coronavirus is the grinch who stole 2020.
If you’re anything like me, watching the news triggers a touch of PTSD.
Memories from the spring come rushing in. I can feel it physically. Last night I clutched my off-brand toilet paper while listening to NPR.
But even though we’re staring down the barrel of a long winter, we are in MUCH better shape than we were back in the spring.
We know a whole lot more about the virus: its kinetics, how it spreads, and its effects on our organ systems. We know how to treat our sickest patients and, as a result, the likelihood of dying from COVID has come down.
Testing, while still not adequate, is more widely available. Turnaround times are much improved. I’m able to get a gold-standard PCR test result back on my patients within 24 hours.
We also know how to prevent COVID-19, first with masks. This week the CDC issued new guidance based on mounting evidence that masks reduce the risk of transmitting or catching the virus by more than 70% in various instances. We know that distancing, avoiding crowded indoor spaces, and hand-washing WORK—and that when we layer these elements we are very well protected against infection.
Also in the good news department, Pfizer’s vaccine is showing great promise. We’ll know more about Moderna’s vaccine in a week or so. A new COVID task force full of smart people is hard at work. And most of us have enough masks to coordinate our outfits with our face.
We’ve also learned a lot about resilience. We’ve survived 100% of these hard days. And by growing our arsenal of coping tools—from baking to walking to needlepointing—we are shoring up energy for the winter.
I’m already picturing the beach I’ll lounge on come summer. The sundress, the tropical drink, the slice of pineapple and umbrella placed just so. Where will you go? What will you do when the shackles come off? It helps to dream.
But in the meantime, let’s recommit to keeping ourselves and others safe by sticking with strict risk mitigation measures, battening down the hatches, and knowing that help is on the way.
Let’s also reinvest in our mental health by exercising even when we don’t want to, getting outside even when it’s rainy and cold, staying in touch with friends even when we want to isolate. We need to eat regular meals. We need sleep, brain rest, and time away from Twitter.
And last, for some real-time advice on getting through the winter, join me and Dr. Clay Ackerly on Monday November 16 at 8 pm on Facebook live. Bring your questions!!
I will see you then. Until then, be well.