On 9/11, as first responders fought to save individual lives, nothing could be done to spare the Twin Towers. As a nation we watched them fall, with no way to intervene. As the coronavirus pandemic escalates, our healthcare teams are fighting to save the infected. However, in this crisis it is a mistake to assume that we are powerless. It is our collective action as citizens that can and must spare today’s twin towers: our hospitals and health care system.
We have witnessed the initial threat of COVID-19, but still struggle to grasp its destructive potential. Like the burning towers, the coronavirus has captured our attention. Each update from our leaders and medical experts is more frightening. We now know what may lie ahead. The unimaginable outcomes of this crisis have already played out in Italy. As the number of critically ill patients spikes, will we witness the collapse of our nation’s ICUs and hospitals?
If we as citizens fail to take action, this virus will continue its rapid spread through our population. Thousands and thousands of infected patients will eventually overwhelm the capacity of our nation’s hospitals and the efforts of our healthcare workers.
Today we sit in the aftermath of tragedy with yet another looming ahead. Our healthcare workers are fighting to save individuals from this virus, but their actions alone can’t prevent the collapse of our healthcare system. Unlike 9/11, we the people now have the opportunity to intervene, to change the course of this pandemic and to contain its devastating potential. The responsibility to save our hospitals and healthcare system rests upon us all.
Heed the words of our leaders. Isolation is our only lifeline, social distancing our active intervention. Collectively, we can bolster our healthcare system as it strains under the weight of this pandemic. Now is the time to hold fast. Our actions will control the impact of this virus in the weeks ahead. So much is at stake and each of us must take intentional and deliberate steps with urgency.
We, and we alone, can still save these towers.
Justin Hart, M.D., Ph.D., is a radiation oncologist in Marietta.
About the Author
