From and ER doctor. No political objective
Friends and family, I just wanted to say thank you again for all the support. Media is a new thing for me, and I'm learning along the way. I just want to express some concerns. First, as you all have seen tonight from Trump, the NBA, NCAA, University closings, and Tom Hanks even, that things are getting more serious in America. Those of us living and breathing this pandemic 24 hours a day have foreseen these events for weeks, so we are not surprised, and it is going to get worse. Today is one of the inflection points we will look back on because this is historical time. You will remember this pandemic for the rest of your lives. Expect all sports and the Olympics to cancel or postpone. Expect graduations to be canceled. Expect businesses to close. I am preparing for those things. I am not an alarmist, and I am not a sunshine-pumper. I am an academic guided by the evidence and an oath-sworne physician. Everyone needs to take this situation very seriously.
First, on the medical side of things, a lot of older, sicker folks are going to get very ill. Many will die despite our best efforts. This is a fact. It has started, and the virus will continue to spread. Stay home if you can and do not overwhelm the healthcare system.
Second, there are serious societal effects that you all are starting to see. These will accelerate dramatically over the next week, and I think American society will be very different very soon. Temporarily. Again, the mortality rate of this virus is probably around 1-2 percent, as the oft shared Fox News interview I provided highlights (based on the Chinese data). Please be careful if you only get your news there, I think what they are doing is dangerous. I will not return to the channel again because the physicians on their staff are irresponsible, to say the least. However, in addition to writing, I will be on CNN a lot more over the coming months. Half of you will never watch it due to political beliefs. I get it. There are much better sources for medical insight and information than cable news anyway.
But if you do watch, I promise that I will never lie to you, I will avoid politics whenever possible, and I will do my best to keep you all safe. If you are not a CNN watcher, I totally understand. If you are looking for a reliable physician source, please listen to every word that comes out of Dr. Fauci's mouth. I do. But please be wary of what President Trump is telling you, the measures he is taking during this pandemic, and the untruths about antivirals and vaccines coming. They are not. Physicians know this. Shutting down European travel will not keep you safe, the virus is already spreading in your state.
Instead, prepare to hunker down for a few weeks, but do not hoard. Bring your parents home from the nursing home for a bit if you can, things are going to get very bad there. I apologize if this post gives some of you anxiety, but I don't care because you need to hear it from someone you trust. This is not the flu, there is no reason to believe it will go away soon, and a very large number of vulnerable people will probably die around the world. You need to be prepared that this will change your lifestyle. Schools will close. You will be off work. Try not to be scared for your health, be prepared and preventive. From a societal standpoint, things are going to get rocky for a while, and you need to be prepared so you are not caught off guard.
Your life is important to me and I want to educate you on how to stay safe through this. Do not minimize this event, and do not panic. Listen to physicians, not politicians and pundits.