As we wait in DC to finalize our Coronavirus package, I've been talking with public health officials throughout #IL06. Thread here based on what we're hearing, and what you can do to stay healthy & safe:
1/ First, please recognize that our public health officials - hospitals, EMTs, community health centers, county health departments, etc. are on the frontlines. They are good people and are overworked. Thank them, and be patient with them.
2/ People are nervous, want to be tested, are frustrated that tests don't exist, want answers... our public health officials get it. Their success depends on how many people they can quickly treat; be respectful of their time & stress level.
3/ Related: there is no "right" answer to whether your school should stay open. Trust that your school officials are making the right choices that balance the needs in your district, but that may be different from other districts.
4/ Given the demographics of COVID-19, eldercare facilities are a greater concern than schools. And if children stay home, that can be disruptive and create other public health problems, especially if parents have to change their schedule.
5/ Local health and economic issues vary, so the right solution will vary. As with public health officials, assume your school boards and principals are making the right decision for your school.
6/ Moving to testing: COVID-19 is spreading faster than our ability to test is ramping up. That's the result of a lot of botched decisions several months ago, but at this point it is what it is. PH officials have no choice but to prioritize mitigation over testing.
7/ What this means for you: if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms that you would normally manage at home, just stay home as you normally would. If conditions get serious, by all means get to a hospital, but don't pre-emptively overload our ERs
8/ We're already seeing emergency rooms getting overloaded, so it's on all of us to make sure that we don't put any unnecessary burden on them, especially from the "worried-well".
