Have we lost our pandemic mojo?
The rapid rise in new cases is making our Phase 3 look like Phase 1, where the rate of spread of COVID-19 in our communities is exceeding our rocky start in this pandemic.
Significant contributors to the increased infections have been large gatherings including parties and clubs without appropriate physical distancing. These cases have been highlighted in the media.
But there is an insidious and potentially more dangerous cause.
People have been confused since businesses have reopened and we were told that we could cautiously expand our bubbles. As a community, we’ve let our guard down. Our risk for acquiring COVID-19 is higher not lower than before.
During a telehealth visit last Friday, my patient informed me that she and three other members of her family had developed symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Her son’s coworker had tested positive.
I was shocked to learn that my patient’s son had been driving side by side in a truck with a COVID-19-positive coworker - with neither wearing a face mask. This literally flies in the face of what everyone should know about staying safe.
Another of my patients tested positive last week. She was infected by her boyfriend who went for drinks with his friends.
I ran into a friend in a public place. I was masked; he wasn’t. He confessed that he had already been out to dinner with several of his friends.
At some hospitals and community pharmacies, although staff is wearing their personal protective equipment (PPE) with all patients, behind the scenes and during breaks, they are talking and eating face to face without physical distancing or masks.
We need to get the message out. This is not the time to let our guard down.
We can still protect ourselves and keep our loved one’s safe by following the three simple rules to reduce the spread of COVID-19:
1. Keep your hands clean (especially before and after touching your face).
2. Keep your distance (at least 2 metres from others).
3. Wear a face mask (when you can’t maintain this minimum physical distance).
Each of us has to take these precautions with anyone outside of our daily household contacts because we can be infected and spread it to others even before the onset of symptoms.
At work, employers must ensure that their employees are just as safe as their customers.
When gathering with family or friends, ensure ahead of time that everyone is maintaining physical distancing when not wearing masks and that hands are frequently cleaned before and after eating, touching common surfaces and using the washroom.
If you’re thinking of meeting with a friend for a drink or meal, order take out, eat outdoors and stay two meters apart. Eating and talking are high transmission activities.
We’ve done it before, and we can do it again. By helping one another to follow the three rules of hand cleaning, physical distance and face masks, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
Dr. Davidicus Wong is a family physician. He was the founding chair and lead physician of the Burnaby Division of Family Practice and continues to serve on the board. His Healthwise Column appears regularly in this paper. For more on achieving your positive potential in life, read his blog at davidicuswong.wordpress.com.
