When Should We Open the Economy after Coronavirus?

In the weeks ahead, there will be growing tension between forces wanting to open up the economy and those who demand that we hold the line. And no one can tell us now when it will be okay to pull the trigger. It is so much easier to endure a challenge if there is a firm end date to focus on. In this case, not only is there no clear trigger-date, but there will never be agreement on when it will be acceptable to pull back. I’m no expert, but here’s a brief list outlining the complexities of this conundrum.

Public health experts will disagree on the economic relaxation date.
Corporate leaders will likely favor a sooner and broader opening of the economy.
Governors will have diverging views from national leaders about what actions their state should take.
Businesses who are not permitted to open may howl and protest as competitors are given a pass.
Can schools, for example, be reopened while we are still urged to maintain social distancing?
Will the nation accept being told that we are opening up the country when in reality only scattered pockets are being permitted a gradual loosening of restrictions?
What happens when COVID-19 rates rise as the economy is revived? Will we have the tools and the will to do what is necessary?
As difficult as it has been to shut down the economy, it will be a much harder and longer process to bring it back to life.
Will we be told, and will we accept, that we will not be able to return to the status quo ante?

The decision of when and how to open the economy will always involve risk. Doctors and medical professionals understand this reality. We may advise a patient that there is a choice of surgery or continued medical treatment, and both options have risks. If we open up the country too soon, we risk a resurgence of the virus and a squandering of what we have accomplished. If we wait too long until the last remnant of the virus has been vanquished, then we may have no economy left to resurrect.

A Cure for Termites?

If a house has termites, we can cure the infestation by burning the house to the ground, but would the homeowner celebrate this victory?

We will have to balance serious risks in an evolving situation with endless moving parts with no playbook to refer to and disagreements on how to proceed among experts. Would you like to be making the decision?

Comments

When Should Doctors Retire?

I am asked with some regularity whether I am aiming to retire in the near term. Years ago, I never received such inquiries. Why now? Might it be because my coiffure and goatee – although finely-manicured – has long entered the gray area? Could it be because many other even younger physicians have given up their stethoscopes for lives of leisure? (Hopefully, my inquiring patients are not suspecting me of professional performance lapses!) Interestingly, a nurse in my office recently approached me and asked me sotto voce that she heard I was retiring. “Interesting,” I remarked. Since I was unaware of this retirement news, I asked her when would be my last day at work. I have no idea where this erroneous rumor originated from. I requested that my nurse-friend contact her flawed intel source and set him or her straight. Retirement might seem tempting to me as I have so many other interests. Indeed, reading and studying, two longstanding personal pleasures, could be ext

Should Doctors Wear White Coats?

Many professions can be easily identified by their uniforms or state of dress. Consider how easy it is for us to identify a policeman, a judge, a baseball player, a housekeeper, a chef, or a soldier. There must be a reason why so many professions require a uniform. Presumably, it is to create team spirit among colleagues and to communicate a message to the clientele. It certainly doesn’t enhance professional performance. For instance, do we think if a judge ditches the robe and is wearing jeans and a T-shirt, that he or she cannot issue sage rulings? If members of a baseball team showed up dressed in comfortable street clothes, would they commit more errors or achieve fewer hits? The medical profession for most of its existence has had its own uniform. Male doctors donned a shirt and tie and all doctors wore the iconic white coat. The stated reason was that this created an aura of professionalism that inspired confidence in patients and their families. Indeed, even today

The VIP Syndrome Threatens Doctors' Health

Over the years, I have treated various medical professionals from physicians to nurses to veterinarians to optometrists and to occasional medical residents in training. Are these folks different from other patients? Are there specific challenges treating folks who have a deep knowledge of the medical profession? Are their unique risks to be wary of when the patient is a medical professional? First, it’s still a running joke in the profession that if a medical student develops an ordinary symptom, then he worries that he has a horrible disease. This is because the student’s experience in the hospital and the required reading are predominantly devoted to serious illnesses. So, if the student develops some constipation, for example, he may fear that he has a bowel blockage, similar to one of his patients on the ward.. More experienced medical professionals may also bring above average anxiety to the office visit. Physicians, after all, are members of the human species. A pulmon

MD Whistleblower

Search This Blog