3/ As w/ most parts of the response, it’s not a lack of ideas but lack of actually doing them consistently, effectively, for long enough, with enough understanding of local public health & norms that determine the uptake of interventions. This isn’t new. It’s basic public health.
4/ The arguments against getting #BetterMasks to the American public are frankly weak
They are based largely on absence of evidence being used as the evidence of absence (same as was done before for saying “no masks”)
2/ I have treated people who have suffered from #covid19 but said that actually losing their job, relapsing to substance abuse, being afflicted by depression/suicidality was even worse.
For some, it was not even a life worth living at all.
3/ I have also seen a ton of shaming around social activities on Twitter.
“Can’t believe this person did that” etc
We don’t know what other people are going through.
That doesn’t mean condoning all social activities- but it also doesn’t mean stigmatizing all of them either.
1// “In seven clusters (A, B, C, D, E, F, and I), transmission among educators and students might have occurred during small group instruction sessions in which educators worked in close proximity to students” #covid19 @CDCgov
2// “However, information obtained during interviews indicated that specific instances involving lack of or inadequate mask use by students likely contributed to spread in five clusters (A, C, E, G, I). Students ate lunch in their classrooms, which might have facilitated spread”
3// “Although plastic dividers were placed on desks between students, students sat <3 ft apart. Physical distancing of >6 ft was not possible because of the high number of in-person students and classroom layouts.” #covid19
1/ As the senior-on-call @BrighamWomens (also known as “the Phys”) we are responsible for, among other things, going to all the code blues to help as “code whisperers” for the juniors & seniors running the code to help think through what’s going on + management.
2/ I’ve been in this role the past two weeks. As such, I’ve had the great privilege to be there to support some of my colleagues run their first ever codes. For all doctors, we know the feeling invoked by the alarm overhead (at BWH it sounds like a loud monotonous & ominous ping)
3/ They say to check your own pulse before you go to check the patient’s. It truly is an effort of multiple teams- nurses, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, docs, chaplains etc
It’s humbling both to show what we can accomplish as a team; and what the limits of modern medicine are
Thanks @drsanjaygupta for the shoutout! Absolutely agree- high grade masks like N95s in all high risk settings can urgently curtail superspreading/ drastically slow spread- critical while we vaccinate. Hopeful @JoeBiden admin will operationalize #BetterMasks for #covid19 control
2/ @RanuDhillon@sri_srikrishna & I have a piece coming out shortly on this topic this week with more specific thoughts that raise the bar above double-masking, which is a backstop for the time being. #covid19#BetterMasks
3/ not even clear that *supply* is the issue! Need to actually move existing supplies into healthcare and other high risk settings, & also continue to manufacture thereafter— but more than anything, need an organized strategy. #covid19
It’s been a long year, & I can sense hesitancy from the public health community about being too vocal on what is “safe”— but once you are fully vaccinated, you have excellent protection from severe disease!
When around those who aren’t yet vaccinated, wear a mask ⬇️