Many of you know that I’m a veterinarian. My husband Alistair is a family physician working on the front lines at a walk-in/urgent care clinic in downtown Bismarck, North Dakota. He has been one of five doctors doing the majority of COVID testing there since this pandemic took hold and sees 50-80 patients a day.
We are also both from Canada and our connections there are going through a nightmare right now. With my epidemiology and Alistair’s microbiology backgrounds we hope to put some facts into perspective regarding the upcoming holiday season.
Some facts:
One of Alistair’s partners and best friends, who is 67, tested positive 10 days ago. Like most people, he felt well until yesterday when he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He is 67 and diabetic and we are concerned. He might get hospitalized today.
Canadians celebrated their Thanksgiving about a month ago. Canada has had tighter restrictions and mask mandates all along and nationally they have fared a lot better than the US as far as positivity rates and, subsequently, deaths. With Thanksgiving, though, people hung out together in small groups with people they “trusted” and who weren’t feeling ill or had symptoms of COVID-19. Ten-14 days after, cases started going up and now there is a crisis in Canada.
Alberta and Manitoba hospitals are overwhelmed and they are locking things down big time again. Not being together for the Holidays sucks but it is better than spreading the virus when you probably don’t even know you have it.
Which brings me to my point… our own Thanksgiving is coming up and people will travel and congregate. Even if you have a negative COVID test that doesn’t mean you’re not carrying and spreading this virus. This thing is insidious and it is NOT “just like Influenza” You can catch coronavirus one day and test negative for a day or two all while spreading it around. What we are going to see in the US is cases going up even higher than they are right now around the middle of December and then, just in time for Christmas, hospitalizations will increase. Granted, our medical professionals are better at treating this than in the beginning but deaths will continue to increase.
We also have to remember it isn’t just COVID people needing the hospital. I’m concerned for anyone in need of medical help because those systems are going to be overwhelmed by COVID patients.
Most of us will get COVID or we’ll get the vaccine but we can’t all get sick from this all at once.
Please consider your travel and group plans this holiday season. I’m as tired of virtual relationships and Zoom chats as the next person but I also want my friends getting chemo or my friend’s grandparents to still be kicking next year. If only one family changes their plans this Thanksgiving then this letter did its job.
We wish you and your families health, wellness and happiness. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stay within your bubble. This comes from a place of love (and science), not fear mongering.
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