Utah is currently in the midst of a COVID-19 surge as we enter the influenza and holiday seasons. Our hospitals are seeing record numbers of patients sick with COVID-19 while at the same time struggling to maintain staffing. Our health care systems are being stretched thin. If we do not change course now, soon we will not be able to provide care for all in the community who need it.
We saw this happen in New York City and Italy, and it is now beginning to happen here in Utah. As of this writing, University Hospital and one Intermountain hospital have already exceeded their ICU capacity and had to open special units. This is despite many innovative efforts over the last six months throughout our health systems to increase the adaptability and capabilities of our hospitals to respond.
The unfortunate reality is that we have arrived at this precarious moment despite two important lessons learned since the early days of the pandemic:
- This highly infectious virus is spread through respiratory droplets and aerosols. Transmission is effectively prevented with appropriately worn masks and physical distancing.
- This virus impacts people differently. Some become critically ill while others remain without symptoms. The vast majority recover fully but many, including healthy young people, may have long term debilitating symptoms.
We urgently need to unite to adopt behaviors that will protect each other. We all must avoid infection to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. The simplest actions that we can take immediately to stop the spread are to wear masks in public and at all social gatherings, maintain physical distance from others, follow strict isolation measures if infected and avoid crowds, especially in poorly ventilated, closed spaces.
Requiring everyone to wear a mask is not asking one to give up freedom any more than requiring that we not drive while intoxicated. “Freedom isn’t free” is an oft-used phrase that is applicable to the monumental challenge that we face now.
With freedom comes sacrifice and responsibility. Adopting behaviors to prevent spread of this virus is the most basic responsibility we all share in the face of this public health crisis. This is a temporary responsibility we must accept to protect each other and to keep our health care systems from becoming overwhelmed.
Our battle is with SARS-CoV-2, not with each other, a piece of cloth or our public health officials. If we do not act now but wait until enough people learn the hard way, we will overwhelm our health systems and many more people will suffer and die needlessly.
We make this plea as fathers and mothers trying to ensure our children stay safe while having as normal a school experience as possible; as husbands and wives who do not want our spouses to become ill; as sons and daughters who refuse to let our parents visit because a visit could prove fatal; as people who cannot miss work and who do not want to become infected and risk the prolonged health consequences; and as citizens who wish the same things for our neighbors that we do for our families.
Our caregivers on the front lines and public health officials are stressed yet continue to make great personal sacrifices for all of us. They are always present, always caring when you are sick or in pain, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We ask that everyone show their commitment to help protect one another and to further support our caregivers and public health officials by adopting simple behaviors known to prevent spread: wearing face covering and physically distancing at social gatherings and in public. This is so very important as we gather to celebrate the holidays.
We need to develop a unity of purpose now because if we don’t, our health systems and healthcare professionals will not be there for you when you need them most.
Bert K. Lopansri, M.D., is chief of the Intermountain Healthcare Division of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, associate medical director of the Intermountain Infectious Diseases Program, medical director of the Intermountain Healthcare Central Microbiology Laboratory, chief of the Intermountain Division of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, and associate professor of medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine.