Mar 17, 2020
Should Coronavirus Be Your Biggest Concern, or Should This Be?
We are in the age where viruses can take over society in a matter of minutes, days, and weeks. Some like the Ebola virus can be extremely deadly, but not the fastest spreading infection out there other viruses like COVID-19 is dangerous but not to the extent that everyone seems to think. Still, the problem is that the virus is exceptionally contagious. The ability of the virus to spread across a community is mind-blowing. In a matter of days, the virus can infect a community. As we see the highest risk groups, their communities can be paralyzed by the impact of the illness. Now the high-risk groups’ risk of dying is low, making probably about less than 3% of all who are infected. While the rest aren’t super concerned about dying from the virus and shouldn’t be. So what should be our priority? Well, that’s doing our part to help the health care system and give Americans adequate health care.
So why do we care about giving Americans the best health care possible, and how? Well, because health care is a driving force and how we deal with life when we are ill. If we have a sound health care system or a healthy healthcare system, then we shouldn’t be so worried, right? Yes, but still, our health care system is complex. The system in the U.S. is vast and can vary from multiple public and private providers that make up the system. It is one of the most convenient healthcare systems on the planet in terms of location availability, with more than tens of thousands of facilities in a small geographically location like most metropolitan cities in California, to name one. if you need medical assistance and it’s not emergency, go to your Primary care provider, not a hospital or ER
Hospitals and E.R.s are the main lifelines for people with severe medical problems, not people who may be infected with the coronavirus who arent part of the high-risk groups like those that 65 and other or with autoimmune diseases. The main concern is to avoid these places if possible. These places are for our high-risk groups were a simple disease that can be life-threatening. Because our system is also not equipped for the contagion of fast-spreading viruses that we haven’t yet faced like Covid-19.
So the problem is two things, good and adequate healthcare which is on the healthcare provider’s part. Second, our knowledge about viruses and illnesses. If we know that we don’t need the healthcare system for what we have, if we get sick, then that will help the healthcare system dramatically from being overwhelmed. If it’s not an immediately life-threatening condition, try not to go to the hospital Because the fewer people we have in the hospital; The more resources can be given to people with severe or life-threatening conditions, so we can minimize how many people die from this disease.
In some cases, though, not going to the hospital is not enough, but what is enough is the question, is social distancing and washing hands a maximum solution or just a minimum requirement. What do we do to help minimize the spread of this virus should we shut down schools? Should we shut down offices and work remotely? Or do we do what the San Francisco bay area has done? On Monday, March 16th, 2020,
San Franciso Mayor London Bree and five other Bay area counties enacted a shelter in place order for those living in surrounding areas, which means people must stay home and leave only for central things like food, banking, and healthcare. The shelter in place order will be from March 16th to April 7th. Now, this is a suggestive order not necessarily an enforced order, but they say it could get where people would have to go out with permission, but it’s not there yet, thank goodness. The question is, is this too much. Is this too extreme? On one side, it is a little out there for a healthy life. We don’t know how much the virus has spread, who knows possibly half of the U.S. population could have already had been infected and be fine now, or it could just be the beginning we don’t know The one thing government likes to do and is not a bad thing is the air on the side of caution. Still, there are some reasons to make the decision to shelter in place. If we are in the beginning stages of this virus, the ability not to overwhelm the healthcare system is critical. It should be our main priority to have people get infected in stages and only have specific people get infected and go to the hospital is a crucial aspect of minimizing the virus. Compared to everyone at once, who thinks the virus has infected them, go to the healthcare system asking for help. Only time will tell to see if this action by the bay area governments will be useful in stopping this virus. For now, the best thing we can do is focus on our primary concern, which is not overwhelming the U.S. health care system and to stay healthy, to remain alert and not to listen to things that will cause fear and disoriented on what to do the time of crisis.
