By Dr. Stuart Weiss, FACEP, FAAP, CBCP

Today's topics: An Apology, Now I understand

An Apology

Let me start today with an apology. Today, I completely missed the Friday call. I can't even blame any technology or a family emergency. It was just me. I was deep into thought researching and writing a policy for a client and lost track of time. When I looked up, much to my horror, it was 12:25PM. I know some of you were looking forward to the Friday call and I already received some questions asking if I was okay and some soft complaints about missing the call. Again, I'm so sorry. This is the first time I have done this since CoViD-19 started and it will be the last. We will have a call next Friday.

Now I Understand

As many of you know, I traveled down to Nashville, Tennessee this evening. Its a state that has had rising new case numbers for the past month. Tennessee is certainly not alone. 30 States are now showing increasing new case numbers. Florida and Texas had to shut bars down in those states today. Vice President Pence spoke at the first Corona Virus Task Force briefing in two months today and said that 40% of new cases are in young people under 35. The percentage of positive cases out of all people tested in Texas rose to 11.8% which is very high and certainly much too high for the level of openness in that state. So, as I have been writing, we are not doing well in big parts of our country.

I can finally understand why. Let me tell you about my trip to Tennessee this evening. I arrived at Laguardia Airport in New York City this evening and was met with signs and announcements telling me that face coverings were mandatory and social distancing was required. All airport workers had on face coverings as did everyone in the airport except for people sitting in the food court and people in the Delta Lounge (which I wouldn't go in to because of that). At the gate, the Delta gate agent was working to rearrange passengers on the plane to maximize distancing. He was calling people up to the podium and talking to them about moving seats. The plane boarded from the back and when I got on, I was handed a Purell wipe to clean my hands and the seat. While I was waiting to board, the gate agent announced that our plane had been sanitized and that announcement was repeated by the flight attendant onboard. All the flight attendants and cockpit crew wore face coverings. (American Airline today announced that they would fly full planes beginning next week. I would NOT fly on American if that is what they plan to do, it is not safe and it is really short sighted).

Then we landed in Nashville and it was like I was on another planet where CoViD-19 didn't exist. We were met by a ramp agent who had no face covering. Almost everyone in the airport including passengers, TSA workers and gate agents had no face covering and didn't seem to understand about social distancing. They were laughing and happily chatting in tight knit groups. I was very happy that I was wearing an N-95 mask to protect me from them.

I got to the Avis garage to pick up my car and at the exit gate, the woman attendant who was not wearing a face covering actually got annoyed with me when I politely asked her to step back from the open drivers window because she was trying to stand a foot away from the car. I rolled up my window and held my license up to the unopened window.

I get to my hotel in Nashville and there are people walking in groups on the street unmasked having a great time. The concierge is sitting at his desk in the lobby with no face covering on sniffling and sneezing regularly. Again I was glad I had on an N-95 mask.

Its like the word hasn't gotten out down here that there is a dangerous communicable disease outbreak with increasing numbers in this state. People across the US are becoming more frightened about catching CoViD-19, according to a recent survey (76% of Americans vs. 65% a few weeks ago). Fewer people are willing to fly (36% down from 44%, or go to church (57% a few weeks ago down to 49% now). But that change in attitude has not translated into change in behavior by some people (or maybe most people here in Nashville).

If we continue down this path, then the terrible projections I have been looking at for the fall will clearly come to pass. How do we wake the folks in the South and South West up?? Anyone got any ideas?

Be well and practice good social distancing. Also, take care of yourself. The number of out of hospital cardiac arrests is way up. You can still have heart disease and diabetes and asthma during a pandemic. Don't skip regular checkups.

--Dr. Stu

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