a simple message: thank you

For all of the changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to our lives the past few months, I have found myself contemplating the role each of us plays. We are hearing messages of “We are in this together” and “We stay at work for you, stay home for us.” I understand we all have a role to play, and for many of us that role is to abide by stay at home orders and social distancing guidelines—don’t worry, my “not leaving the house” game is at an All-Star level. But despite these campaigns, I’ll confess that I feel useless. And I don’t mean to discredit or neglect other things we all should be doing—volunteer, donate to charity, pick up groceries for those less able to leave the house, and most importantly stay home!

Unlike two of the other founders of this blog who are at various points in their medical training, I don’t possess the skillset or knowledge to help save lives directly. I study policy, not medicine. I spend my days thinking about how to evaluate the government response and strategically prepare for the next pandemic. So maybe it would be more in my vein to critique the response of the Trump administration, or to comment on the arguably more timely response from Governor DeWine in my home state of Ohio. But there seems to be enough of that from the pundits on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, Politico, NPR, Axios, or whatever your preferred flavor of the day “objective” news outlet might be. And while public policy is an essential variable in our country’s navigation through this trying time, we would be helpless without the true heroes: the medical community.

So, to those doctors, nurses, technicians, paramedics, caretakers, pharmacists, public health officials, researchers, and all others on the front line of the fight against COVID-19— Thank You.

From across Europe

To here in the United States

And from countless other places across the globe.

We’ve seen heartwarming clips of folks cheering from their balconies lauding healthcare guardians as they come and go from shifts in the hospital.

I know the audience of this blog is small. It mostly consists of a network of my and my co-contributors’ friends, families, and professional colleagues. Honestly, the majority of you readers might be Matt Loberg’s connections from medical school. And that’s okay. Because even if that is the majority audience, my message still holds true. And it is two simple words: Thank you.

Cover image: Rober Solsona | Europa Press News | Getty Images via CNBC

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/06/who-says-theres-a-global-shortfall-of-5point9-million-nurses-as-world-battles-coronavirus-pandemic.html