| story by Jessica Brewer |
LMH doctor advises residents to consider not only themselves and family members, but all community members when choosing daily practices to help prevent the coronavirus.
Masks Protect Our Community
As states begin to reopen, and life begins to shift toward a new normal, this does not mean we should toss our masks and stop taking extra measures to ensure safety. Dr. Christopher Brychel, infectious diseases physician at LMH Health, says masks are necessary throughout the foreseeable future and maybe beyond.
“Masking helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 from person to person,” he says. “One of the major problems with COVID-19 is that people seem to be most infectious the day before they have symptoms. Many people feel they do not require masks because they do not feel sick, but unfortunately, the absence of symptoms does not equate to an absence of contagiousness. Presymptomatic and asymptomatic spread is part of what has made COVID-19 a pandemic.”
One of the first things Brychel mentions is the importance of personal responsibility to not only protect yourself and your family, but to protect the community members around you. The harrowing truth is that it only takes one person for a disease to spiral out of control.
“Now more than ever, it is public accountability that we are relying on,” he continues. “The public has done an amazing job so far. We started by taking extreme safety measures to flatten the curve, and really, the community crushed the curve. It is important to remain vigilant and continue to practice great hand hygiene, social distancing, cough etiquette, staying home if you feel sick and wearing a mask while in public.”
Brychel explains that following these safety parameters is how we can continue to move forward in a positive way. He notes that not only is wearing a cloth mask in public effective at reducing disease transmission, it helps keep medical-grade masks where they are most useful.
“We truly appreciate it when the community wears their cloth masks,” Brychel says. “Not only does this help protect the community, but it allows frontline workers to have reliable access to medical-grade masks and personal protective equipment.”
As we move forward as a society, the doctor says we need to prioritize the safety of everyone. For this reason, though we may continue to relax aspects of our day-to-day lives, many precautions will likely remain in place for a while.
“Unfortunately, COVID-19 is here,” he says. “Until we have a vaccine, the disease trajectory will be in the hands of the community and will depend on each and every one of our efforts. The medical staff at LMH will always be there to care for our community, but it is imperative that the public do everything in their power to ensure the hospital can continue to run in a safe and effective capacity as we move through this pandemic.”
Brychel says to be mindful that with personal accountability comes the acceptance that we may need to put the brakes on.
“The phases recommended by federal, state and local governments, and down to individual institutions could change if we do not see the numbers we would like,” he explains. “Though plans are in place now, they could change if the community does not band together to continue suppressing this virus.”
Things may look different for now, but Brychel notes that kindness is something that does not have to look different. Being kind to your neighbor is more important now than ever.
“Being kind doesn’t have to be a grand gesture,” he says. “A small deed can make such a big difference in someone’s life and help a community successfully navigate through this challenging time.”
