Everyone has a role to play in saving Miami from the COVID-19 pandemic | Opinion
As young physicians, we are devastated watching COVID-19 ravage our community. Throughout this pandemic, the federal government’s lack of leadership has had deadly consequences, leading the United States to far outpace any other country in the number of total cases and deaths. To this day, this administration has no national strategy and has left state and local governments to handle the response, and individual citizens to act. Unfortunately, SARS-CoV-2 spreads regardless of borders and ideology. Consequently Miami is the world’s new epicenter.
A national strategy for testing and contact tracing has never been implemented. Privatized PPE supply chains that were in short supply have exacerbated the financial strain on hospitals. Even wearing masks, an easy policy change that has proven to be effective in preventing viral transmission, has been politicized instead of mandated. This administration has discredited experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, pulled out of the WHO and sidelined the CDC, setting the stage to potentially censor and conceal hospital data by bypassing the organization altogether.
Florida has mirrored the federal government’s negligence and residents in states like ours that lack the needed state and local leadership, are vulnerable to worse outcomes. There has been deficient funding for effective contact tracing and support for transparency of data for public health analysis. Failure to follow CDC guidelines for easing restrictions and reopening has resulted in exponential transmission. Without state guidance, Miami did not mandate public mask wearing until long after community transmission had skyrocketed.
While tragic for business owners and employees, the decision to reclose indoor dining bars and gyms to stem the exponential spread may be a necessary evil. By neglecting its unemployment system and slashing dollars for distance learning, the state is set to force workers and children back to school prematurely, which will result in further morbidity and mortality. Guidelines created by the various school districts are aspirational and not fully funded, leaving schools potentially unprepared to keep teachers and students safe should they open in less than a month.
Under financial stress, hospitals are having to make tough decisions, such as whether to continue elective non-urgent procedures and keeping clinics open, which in turn could endanger both patients and healthcare workers, versus closing down and risking salary reductions, furloughs, layoffs and bankruptcy.
In the midst of a pandemic, our hospital systems should have the full support from all levels of government to ensure that our communities are cared for, period.
In the midst of hurricane season, with the possibility of natural disaster, failure to anticipate and plan for evacuations to communal shelters could result in the gravest consequences we have seen to date.
As a society, we must hold ourselves and each other accountable. It is disheartening to see the mistrust in scientific consensus, considering the extensive training, research and personal sacrifices required by scientists and healthcare professionals in order to care for our society. This disdain for healthcare expertise must end. Everyone, especially millennials and Generation Z, needs to be less cavalier — the massive crowds at bars, restaurants, and house parties have resulted in transmission among attendees, and subsequently to those most vulnerable. This selfishness has led parents, grandparents, immuno-compromised friends — and we as healthcare workers — to pay the price.
Finally, as healthcare providers, we must lead by example and remember that all of our actions have consequences. Some of us have focused too much on the bottom line by conducting non-urgent clinic visits and surgeries, and thus have exposed our patients, ancillary staff and ourselves to avoidable transmission. Both as front-line workers and as doctors with societal influence, we cannot be complacent or apolitical. Instead need to use our collective power to push our families, friends, coworkers — and especially politicians — for accountability.
As new COVID-19 cases in Florida break records, the federal government must formulate a national evidence-based public-health strategy that prevents the unnecessary loss of life that continues to happen. Our state and local governments must work together, mandate and enforce the wearing of masks, close businesses that put customers and workers in danger, provide adequate unemployment resources so workers can stay home and still provide for their families, safeguard and prepare for schools to reopen and as hurricane season intensifies, and have a plan to ensure that hospitals stay solvent so they can keep their doors open during and after this pandemic.
As a society we need to care about each other, wear our masks, and socially distance until further notice. We must vote for candidates who want to end, instead of ignore, this pandemic. And as healthcare providers, we need to lead by example, educate instead of condescend, place the care of our patients over our finances and use our voices to organize.
We will do our part to care for you, but implore you to join your voices with us to push our elected officials to commit the resources we all need to combat this virus.
Daniel Furlong M.D., MBA is a urology chief resident physician. Lily Ostrer M.D. and Tobenna Ubu M.D. are internal medicine-pediatrics resident physicians. All practice in Miami.
