Today @realdonaldtrump said he thinks we'll never need a national lockdown to combat the spread of #COVID19. As an ER doc on the front lines against this virus, I think he's totally wrong & that we should impose a national "shelter in place" right now. This is important. (1/10)
Unfortunately, the best way to prevent COVID-19 from overwhelming hospitals is to keep people in their homes for an extended period. We cannot afford to allow it to spread unchecked. Our best bet is to keep as many people as possible physically separated from each other. (2/10)
We doctors & nurses were called to medicine to serve our fellow human. In hospital emergency departments, ORs & clinics we put ourselves in harm’s way with known pathogens. We signed up for this. The American people did not. (3/10)
As the administration drags its feet on comprehensive testing, life-saving equipment for patients, and masks & gloves for frontline healthcare workers, we are trying to care for patients who have a highly contagious virus that is 10x more lethal than the flu. (4/10)
Until we have sufficient & reliable testing data, we must assume that community spread of COVID-19 is occurring nationwide. Public health data show we need to be practicing the highest-possible level of social distancing right now to decrease the spread of this virus. (5/10)
On the current trajectory, we expect to receive large numbers of patients in a very short period. This can overwhelm, strain and even break our ability to provide care to both COVID-19 patients as well as patients who will continue to need care. (6/10)
The unchecked spread of COVID-19 also threatens to sicken doctors, nurses & other health pros. This will take us off the frontlines where we’re needed. Flattening the curve is as much about reducing impact on patients as helping doctors keep up with the influx of patients. (7/10)
Across the U.S. our system lacks capacity to treat all patients with life-threatening symptoms. Without action, there won't be time to mobilize necessary providers, facilities & equipment to confront #COVID19. Regardless of where they live, people will die unnecessarily. (8/10)
Inequities in the U.S. healthcare system will only be exacerbated if we do not implement a policy of "shelter in place" nationwide. And we can all agree that people’s ZIP code should not determine whether they are being equally protected from infection, sickness or death. (9/10)
We all have a role to play in confronting this deadly pandemic. Because we have few options left, a growing consensus among doctors is clear: the way to slow COVID-19 & buy us time to save lives is a national "shelter-in-place" order. The president should take action today. /END.
