Remain Vigilant (Even Though it’s Brutally Hard)
MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH UPDATE
The daily news gushes forth like water out of a fire hydrant, yet when it comes to COVID-19 news—at least the kind that I look for—we are down to a trickle.
I read the news every day, first with an eye for anything medically actionable. I scan the scientific literature and lay press for information that will change how I think and behave that day—for myself, my family, and my patients. For example, are the local DC area COVID case rates spiking such that any patient calling with a sore throat is more likely to have COVID than the week prior? Is there new data on aerosolization to compel me to alter my PPE? Has any new drug been proven with scientific rigor to be safe and effective to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and/or prevent hospitalization?
I also regularly communicate with medical colleagues and tune in to my favorite podcast, “TWIV” (This Week in Virology—FYI it is AMAZING). And while I learn something new about COVID-19 every day, there hasn’t been any medically actionable news for many weeks.
This is not to say that COVID research isn’t galloping along. It is!!
In fact, just yesterday, interim results of an ongoing trial of newly diagnosed COVID-19 patients suggests that a single dose of monoclonal antibodies—a manufactured copy of an antibody made by a recovered COVID-19 patient—can reduce the risk of hospitalization in some patients. While this is promising, more study is warranted, and we are far from bringing this to market.
This is also not to say we haven’t learned a ton about coronavirus since March. We have!! We know a boatload more about transmission, disease course, prevention, treatment, and risk mitigation than we did a few months ago. In fact, a new study was published this week confirming what most public health and medical folks suspected: that New York’s lockdown was effective at reducing the spread of coronavirus by 70 percent. That is great news and further evidence that we know how this beast behaves, and we know what works to tame it.
So why is it that we know so much yet are struggling more than any wealthy country in the world? Because our resolve to contain the virus is weakening.
I get it. Remaining on good behavior and continuing to take personal responsibility stinks. It’s exhausting. Constant vigilance takes energy, thought, and is ONE GIANT HASSLE. I feel your pain!
If you think about it, as Americans we’re not always great at taking personal responsibility for our health. We take Lipitor to eat cheeseburgers. We guzzle coffee to counteract sleepless nights. We rely on our seatbelt when breaking the speed limit. We show up sunburned for our skin cancer screening appointments.
We want to take risks, but we don’t want full responsibility! We want PROTECTION. We want a WORK-AROUND. We want SHARED LIABILITY for everything.
We are selfish enough to do what we want but smart enough to know we can’t fully trust ourselves.
I know—I am human, too!
It’s easy to convince ourselves that six months into the pandemic we can loosen up the rules. It’s natural to decide that if we haven’t gotten COVID yet, we can further push the limits of safety. Indeed, when humans are presented repeatedly with the same threat, we can become inured to risk.
It’s also easy to believe that because stores and restaurants are open, the virus is not as dangerous as it was. It’s quite the contrary. We are liberalizing our behaviors only because of social, economic, and political pressure to resume normality.
But we've already lost too many lives and too much time. So despite our tanks running low, now more than ever we need to batten down the hatches and remain vigilant for the next few months. We need to buy more time for a vaccine, therapeutics, and rapid widespread testing. (And ALL of that is coming.)
The bottom line: we’re not done. And we need to be on our best behavior even though it stinks. For a refresher (aka MOSHPIT!):
Wear a mask.
Spend time outdoors and avoid indoor, densely populated spaces.
Socially distance.
Handwash frequently.
You are helping yourself and others stay safe! And while we patiently wait for game-changing scientific advancements, try to:
Get outside in this lovely fall weather.
Take care of your body and mind.
Be gentle with yourself and others.
Give people the benefit of the doubt.
Know that hope is alive, help is on the way, and there are better days ahead.
I will check in next week. Until then, be well.