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Covid vaccines for front-line health works are "providing us with the first glimmer of hope," Dr. Sara Hegab of Henry Ford Health System writes in a commentary published Monday.
Dr. Sara Hegab and teammates "discussed the unspeakable." (Photo: Henry Ford Health System)
That optimism is offset by some people's attutude toward public health safety, the lung specialist adds. "As hospitals across the country are nearing a breaking point, many people don’t seem to understand or care," she writes at USA Today.
So many of us in the medical field [are] feeling frustrated and betrayed by the politicization of this pandemic. Intentionally disregarding necessary precautions like wearing a mask or social distancing feels like a personal assault.
Not only are people putting themselves at risk, but they’re putting vulnerable people at risk — the elderly, those with chronic conditions and our own families. ... Masks and social distancing are not a cure, but they mitigate the spread of infection until we have widely available vaccines, better therapies or both. ...
We need you to wear a mask, social distance, avoid indoor gatherings and forgo holiday celebrations this year. Please.
Dr. Hegab, 36, specializes in pulmonary disease and critical care. She's also an assistant professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Her opinion essay describes a haunting hospital conversation last March, when "we knew even less about Covid-19 than we know now."
My colleagues and I sat in an office and discussed the unspeakable: What if coronavirus made one of us critically ill?
"Here’s my brother's phone number," I told my team. "He's my emergency contact and will know how to reach my family. He's out of state, though, so I will need someone to take care of my [7-year-old] son until he gets here."
