Page 26 - BusinessWest October 26, 2020

He worries, how- “ tant as we move forward,”
ever, that not everyone will recognize the value in continuing COVID protocols.
“It’s clear to me that folks are all tired of all the precautions,” he said. “Until a vaccine is proven effective against COVID, we can’t let
My suspicion is it might be a light influenza season. But we are still actively vaccinating patients and making sure patients have information about the flu vaccine, so they’re ready for the season. It might be less severe than last season, but there won’t be zero cases.
Garcia said. “One challenge,
as we move indoors, will be social distancing at restaurants — these are places we want
to continue to stay open, but let’s make sure we’re on top
of it and people don’t let their guard down. We need to hold on for the next probably four to six months.”
Roose agreed that pandem- ic fatigue is a real phenom-
our guard down. That’s
how we have clusters
and multiple people getting infected. If we want to get kids back to school and open up businesses again, we’ve got to get through the next wave of late
fall and winter and into spring, when, hopefully, there may be some availabil- ity of a vaccine.”
The colder weather will pose a chal- lenge, he added, driving people into
enclosed spaces for longer periods. “The fatigue factor is real, but we’ve
got to double our efforts to protect ourselves, so masks, hand hygiene, and social distancing are all super impor-
enon and tough to combat, especially heading into a time of the year usually packed with holiday gatherings. Where people must gather, he said, they need to remember what’s been working in Massachusetts so far.
“We can appeal to people’s sense of generosity and responsibility, their care and love for others — this is something we can do that ultimately can help pro- tect the safety and health of others,”
he said. “When you can connect it to something personal or to somebody’s values, that can be a much more effec- tive way to understand the why behind what we’re doing.”
Taking the Long View
These protocols contributed to Massachusetts seeing a relaxation of its infection numbers throughout the summer, but Ahtaridis noted that the positive test rate rose from 2% to 4% recently. “It’s not a huge number, but it’s a doubling of cases, and that prob- ably does reflect changes in behavior and risk tolerance.”
The solution? Do your part.
“Until we have a vaccine, I suspect we’re going to continue with some level of precautions and attention to safety,” he said — and perhaps some of those precautions will never go completely away. He suggested people will look
at photos of crowds years from now and be able to tell, by the presence or absence of masks, whether a picture was taken before 2020 or not.
“Even if COVID goes away, even with a vaccine and the advent of better treatments for COVID, I think the pub- lic has become more aware of personal space, shared air, and hygiene,” he added. “We’ll probably see some long- term changes.”
With infection numbers still low when compared to some other states, it’s a good time to get vaccinated against the flu, Garcia said — or to get that procedure that was put off in the spring.
“During the spring, people were putting off needed care,” he said, due to both their own concerns and hospi- tals and other medical facilities shut- ting down certain treatments to make room for COVID patients. “We’re doing our best to get the message out, make sure people know it’s safe to get care. You shouldn’t put off your care. You don’t want to shut everything down
Second Wave
Continued on page 47
DR. SIMON AHTARIDIS
”
The Center for Breast Health
and Gynecologic Oncology
At the Mercy Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology, we strive to provide each patient with compassionate, individu- alized breast and gynecologic cancer care backed by a broad-based multi-disciplinary team of cancer specialists and complementary support staff. Our focus is on prompt diagnosis, coordinated state-of-the-art cancer therapies, and patient education.
We are enthusiastic about supporting you on your journey. We strive to be a full partner in your cancer care, and look forward to your transition to survivorship and life beyond cancer.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 413-452-6600.
The multi-disciplinary team at the Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology specializes in the care of women’s cancers including malignancies of the:
Center for Breast Health and Gynecologic Oncology
271 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104 • 413-452-6600 TrinityHealthOfNE.org
• Breast
• Endometrium/
uterus • Ovaries • Vulva
• Cervix
• Fallopian
tube
• Vagina
TrinityHealthOfNE.org
Clinical excellence with
A HUMAN TOUCH.
26 OCTOBER 26, 2020
COVID-19
BusinessWest