People Have Had It with COVID-19 Safety Guidelines; Prepare for the Surge to Continue

As you probably know from the inescapable mainstream media reports lately, the COVID-19 pandemic is in the midst of a surge that parallels or exceeds the conditions of last spring. Unfortunately, it’s about to get worse, in all likelihood. First, the weather is getting colder across the country, meaning less opportunity for outdoor, well-spaced social outlets. Secondly, college kids are descending on their hometowns and are eager to celebrate the holiday season with family and friends—possibly spreading infection in the process. At the same time, a new Gallup poll shows there’s evidence that Americans are far less likely to follow public health recommendations than they were last spring, when the virus first started to rage out of control. Back then, 67% of those surveyed said they would shelter in place if their public health officials recommended that as a way to stem the spread of COVID-19. Today, only 49% say they’re willing to take that advice to heart. Your staff is probably fatigued, too, so be on the lookout for signs that burnout could be creeping in. JUCM recently published an article on this very timely issue. You can read The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Making Burnout Worse for Physicians Already in Crisis in our archive.