Page 26 - WCMS4Q21

WCMS Letter to MSMS
Statement of the WCMS Executve Council regarding COVID-19 Response.
Re: Pandemic Response and the Resistance to Life-Saving Medical Recommendations
The public health threat posed by the Covid-19 pandemic continues and will soon enter its third year as the delta variant takes over as the most contagious form of this infection yet. And almost a year after safe, highly effective vaccines became available to prevent or mitigate the disease, there are still large numbers of unvaccinated persons in the state of Michigan and all 83 of its counties, including Washtenaw, that place them at high risk for contracting and spreading Covid-19. Thus, the epidemic continues.
Members of the WCMS are disturbed by the failure of so many of our patients and fellow citizens to follow medical recommendations for combating Covid-19. As physicians in Washtenaw County, it is our responsibility to encourage those in our county to take full advantage of up-to-date treatment and preventive measures against Covid-19. This would free up hospital beds to treat our patients who need medical, surgical, and other treatments for chronic and acute illnesses.
It would also prevent another crisis as occurred in March and April 2020 when new cases threatened to overwhelm the health care system. This is now happening in other areas of our country, where health care providers are being forced to triage the sickest patients. Some doctors in Idaho are actually providing home care for patients with Covid-19 that would normally receive more effective in-patient care because of a lack of beds.
As physicians, we support the most current and rigorous recommendations to address Covid-19 for the protection of our patients, our neighbors, and ourselves. The vaccines available from three pharmaceutical companies (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) are all effective against the delta variant. Everyone who meets criteria for getting a vaccination should be vaccinated
Moreover, children and adults should adhere to masking mandates as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and medical organizations, such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Local and municipal guidelines and mandates are consistent with these national recommendations.
The reasons for vaccines and masks are straight forward: they will protect individuals from the SARS-CoV-2 delta virus and prevent infected individuals from passing the virus on to others. Wearing masks also protects us from other respiratory infections agents such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Finally, verbal and physical threats directed at health officials, teachers, and others who support safe work and living spaces should not be tolerated. The Washtenaw County Medical Society condemns this type of aggressive behavior and supports following the public health recommendations from a medical perspective. Information from “trusted and informed” sources of information is important as we guide our patients down this perilous path to universal recovery from the present Covid-19 pandemic. Remember, no one gets a pass.
Sincerely,
Terry Joiner on behalf of the Executive Council of WCMS
26 Washtenaw County Medical Society BULLETIN WINTER 2021