I used to work in the Emerg (as a Unit Coordinator) where my brother is now a physician, and I’ve seen it overcrowded and over capacity without a pandemic going on. Although this was 20 years ago, and things have improved there, plus they’ve also gone into full preparedness mode (starting about a week ago), if an Italy-like scenario comes our way, last resort efforts are definitely going to be required. No one in their right minds wants to do this. But given a choice of guaranteed death or doing crazy adaptations like this, I know my brother, and he’s going to go MacGyver on those respirators, and give people choices.
He doesn’t use social media, and he’s barely online, but yesterday I got the following mass email from him, he told me he sent it out of frustration with peoples’ behaviours, people who have shown up at his Emerg with full blown COVID-19 symptoms who have been tested and aren’t yet accounted for in the “positive” stats:
Hello All,
If you are receiving this email, it is because at some point in our lives, we have crossed paths or we have at least communicated via email. It is entirely possible that we haven’t spoken in decades, or perhaps you don’t even remember who I am. That doesn’t matter. I need your help. In fact, I am begging you for your help, and it is going to take a huge effort on your part.
I currently work as an Emergency Physician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Coronavirus, and the illness that it causes, COVID-19 is real, and we are seeing it all over North America. Your local healthcare providers are out there doing the best that they possibly can, but they can’t do it alone. They are all literally risking their lives to take care of people, but they need your help.
The number of infected patients is expected to increase over the next few weeks and months. We don’t know how long this will last and for how long our lives will be disrupted. This crisis is surreal, but it is not hopeless. There is something that each and every one of you can do to help save a life. You have probably heard the health authorities saying that we need to “flatten the curve” but I realize those few words might not mean that much to some of you. Let me explain what it means.
If numbers of infected Coronavirus cases spikes all at once, the healthcare system will get overwhelmed and won’t be able to take care of you or your loved ones. There is a finite number of nurses and doctors who can take care of patients, and there is also a finite number of hospital beds/medical equipment available. At some point, demand will exceed supply (available resources), and if that happens, people will die.
If, on the other hand, the curve of new cases is “flattened” and fewer new cases occur at the same time, we in the healthcare system can better care for you. If you need to be hospitalized, or even an ICU admission/ventilator support, there is a much better chance that will be available for you less people fall sick at the same time.
So, in short. If we aren’t overwhelmed, we can save your life. If we end up like Italy, many more people will die needlessly. This can have a direct effect on you or a loved one. This is not a random, abstract concept with no applicability to you.
How can you help?
Please follow the recommendations of your local government/health authority and practice social distancing. Your life, or that of a loved one may depend on it.
We are facing the largest crisis of our generation. COVID-19 has the potential to sicken MILLIONS of people in Canada and the United States. One of the ways that you can help stop that from happening is to separate yourselves completely from others. This will help slow the spread of this virus. If you are not out interacting with others, your chance of contracting this virus is slim.
Other important habits that must be remembered include regular hand washing and the need to avoid touching your face. Remember, the virus can remain on infected surfaces, which, if you touch and then touch your face, can result in infection.
I know a lot of people think that this virus is akin to getting a “bad cold”. While that is true for the majority of patients (approximately 82%), that still leaves a lot (18%) of people who could suffer moderate to severe illness. In practical terms, this is not a tiny number. 18 of 100 people can get pretty sick!!
Another misconception is that only the elderly and those already sick with other illness are at risk of a bad outcome. We also know this to be untrue. There are still a surprising number of young people (under 60 years old) requiring hospitalization with some of these young and otherwise healthy people even requiring ventilatory support in the ICU.
Please stay home. Don’t go out unless you absolutely need to. Feel free to go outside and take a walk; just keep a safe distance of 2 meters (6 feet) from other people.
I am attaching a really great audio clip from CNN. It is an interview Dr. Sanjay Gupta conducted with 2 doctors from Emory University. It demonstrates the sacrifice that people on the “front lines” are making for the greater good.
Think of them when you consider going out unnecessarily. Think of your elderly family members or those in society who are most vulnerable.
https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hZGtuaXQuY29tL2FwcC1zZWFyY2gvY25uL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWZhY3QtdnMtZmljdGlvbi9hbGwvNzIwLzIwMC8&episode=YjBhNGIzYTY4ZDI4ZTYwZDhiYTNkMzBiY2E2MWNmNzYubXAz&hl=en-CA&ved=2ahUKEwj4zr-gr6noAhXhmOAKHVEwAaQQieUEegQIARAE&ep=6
We all really need you to do this so that we can avert an even greater disaster.
Wishing you all good health and hoping that we all get through this together quickly.
Please forward this to your entire email contact list. The message must get out.
Stay safe.
One of the weirder and scarier things he told me is that the Emerg was super quiet a couple of days ago (when I was speaking to him). He said he wasn’t seeing his usual caseload of real emergency cases like the heart attacks and strokes. I wondered where they were, and he said he had no clue, and that it didn’t make any sense. I really worry that people are staying home from the emergency past the point of reason, even with true emergencies, and the death toll from that will never be accounted for.
