Lockdown might have worked in the beginning. However, now, It’s narrowly focussed and short sighted. The return is devastating long term outcomes. Chasing case numbers as the primary outcome measure, is not effective anymore and will only lead to the dog chasing its tail. Numbers will always fluctuate. This model also neglects other equally important outcomes.
What’s killing the young are suicide and overdoses, not covid. I posted a link to the overdose data. If I could, I would send them posts of families who are dying from isolation; Murder suicide, and covid lockdown depression. Just yesterday in Mississauga alone, three young men jumped off the 7th floor.
The number one risk factor for suicide… social isolation! Isolation is not the number one risk factor for predicting covid death. Age and Comorbidity are.
Our ER departments are not newly overwhelmed. Yes, COVID-19 is adding some stress but it’s not just infection, it’s the fallout and increasing mental health, opioid overdose, and domestic violence presentations as well. Hallway medicine is not new, if you’ve visited an ER in the past two decades you know this. Being overwhelmed is not a COVID-19 problem, it’s a poorly managed system problem that’s existed for decades; 2008,2011,2013, headlines in the papers “capacity reached, long waits”.
We are all exhausted. I truly believe physicians mean well, trying to help minimize stress, but at what cost to the general public? When do we stop? When there are no deaths and no more cases? Impossible!
The revolving door of lockdowns? It’s going to be too late before change comes.
Keeping children home from school? The kids help hotline received over 4 million calls in 2020. The year before 1.8 million.
WE NEED A BALANCED SOLUTION.
What we should be doing is following the WHO recommendations for now:
-Physically distance
-Wear a mask when needed
-Wash your hands
-Improve ventilation
-Avoid large crowds: (close Walmart and Costco before smaller businesses)
-Improve vaccination rollout
and I will add:
-exercise and nutrition to avoid illness!
-more stakeholders at the table,
-inclusive representative communities making decisions
Always open to intelligent discussion…