August 26, 2021
Tom’s Blog: Prevention Is the Best Course
Prevention Is the Best Course
When I really felt in the zone as a pediatrician, it was always because of the combination of feeling deeply connected to my patients and their parents. We were always partners in making a decision about their child’s health. My part was to blend the science and my medical training to help guide their decision-making.
It’s interesting to me that in our purpose statement — to listen then serve, to guide and heal — we don’t talk a lot about the guiding part.
It’s interesting to me that in our purpose statement — to listen then serve, to guide and heal — we don’t talk a lot about the guiding part. We focus on listening, as we should. We talk about serving others, of course. And we pay attention to our role as healers in the lives of so many. But guiding shows up in many ways and is especially important in this moment.
Right now, many of our colleagues are at the bedside of COVID patients doing all that they can. But once someone is really, really sick, what can be done is increasingly limited. We can keep some folks alive, but the best treatment is prevention. And that is all about guidance.
The Pandemic Has Changed
With the Delta variant, the pandemic has changed. The virus is dramatically more contagious than the original strain. It is as contagious as chicken pox and that means there are going to be many more people who get sick. What we’re seeing now is the beginning of the next stage of the pandemic and it seems increasingly apparent that there will be no middle ground for people who remain unvaccinated. Many epidemiologists believe there will ultimately be two groups of Americans: those who are vaccinated, and those who have had or will have COVID. One of CentraCare’s most trusted voices on this topic, infectious disease specialist Dr. Tom Math, offers this advice to all of us, “The virus is always worse than the vaccine.”
Misinformation Is a Disservice
During an already dizzying time in all our lives, misinformation is doing real harm. One common example of misinformation is that the vaccines have ‘failed’ because of breakthrough infections. That idea is misleading and dangerous. Let’s break this down because part of our job is to guide our patients and community to accurate information despite its complexity. As I understand it from the virologists, breakthrough infections are related to the site of replication of the virus. COVID replicates in the respiratory mucosa—nasal passages, for instance—rather than the bloodstream as other viruses such as measles do.
Why is that important or relevant to the vaccine?
Viruses like the measles make copies of themselves in the bloodstream. The antibodies we have from the MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) vaccine remember that virus and can overwhelm it in the bloodstream. But it is difficult for our immune system to get at a virus like COVID that replicates on the surface of the body — like nasal passages. That’s the hand we’re dealt with this virus. So the focus of the vaccine was to prevent serious disability, hospitalization and death. Even though there are breakthrough cases, the vaccine is doing its job. It is keeping vaccinated people from becoming seriously ill and out of the hospital. The number of unvaccinated people currently overwhelming hospitals throughout the country is proof of this.
The reality is that 92% of Americans who are currently dying from COVID are unvaccinated and are therefore preventable tragedies.
Prevention
It is not safe to be unprotected against this virus. The best course for all of us—including our colleagues, families, patients and communities—is prevention. Our best tools in that fight are the vaccine and public health measures like masks.
We have a responsibility to guide our community to the best health choices. Our common cause is to beat this pandemic and end the suffering that has come with it. It will take all of us to be successful.
Let’s keep talking.
Tom
Tom Schrup, MD, is the Chief Physician Officer for CentraCare.
Thank you Dr. Schrup for your support and guidance through these challenging times. We appreciate YOU!
Thank you for this excellent commentary. It saddens me that so many CentraCare colleagues are resistant to the science and benefits to this vaccine. Keep trying, Dr Schrup!
Thanks for the article Dr. Schrup. I like how you mention that there is no middle ground when it comes to the vaccine. As someone who often tries to find the middle ground I find it so hard accepting that, but I do understand that there are sometimes situations where there is no middle ground and we need to do what we need to do to help other. All us healthcare workers, not just physicians, have a hippocratic oath to protect the ones we serve. This is why we are all heroes who when face danger head on to help our patients and residents. We put on our PPE with pride and bravely step into “hot zone” taking a risk everyday because we know it is our sworn duty. Does any of us really enjoy wearing PPE? If you do, kudos to you! Vaccines are just another layer of PPE that we wear and while no one enjoys it, it is the best line of defense that we have. I am so thankful to live in a time where we have such advanced technology where we have such effective tools to fight these diseases. People of the past did not have this luxury. Things like vaccines, antibiotics, and other medical wonders are the reasons why we live longer today. I cannot speak for others as I don’t know there reasons for not getting the vaccine and I fully respect that decision, but my reasons are to serve that hippocratic oath to help others.
Tom, thank you so much for this heartfelt and very powerful message.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to have partnered with you over the years to care for my children and now to work alongside you in this journey at CentraCare.
You are an amazing leader, keep spreading the message!