My perspective on The State of Things

I’ve found myself awkwardly straddling two spheres in this pandemic:

On the one hand, my medical education & the #medtwitter discourse. On the other, the business sphere, as I’m currently working with my stepdad (an entrepreneur)..

So while of course I read the (sometimes questionable) literature and hear the (often horrifying) tales from NYC daily, I am also going over unemployment numbers & economic outlook.

Unemployment is staggering at >22 million claims in the last 4 weeks..

Small businesses are in a world of hurt, most having been forced to close, and the PPP having been exhausted.

This is compounded by credit line reductions - just today we discovered that our company card (normally a $30k line of credit), was sliced to a mere $600..

Thankfully it’s not a line of credit we’re reliant on, but stepdad believes this is part of a sweeping trend by banks / creditors to tighten lines of credit & reduce risk.

This (if continued) will smother cash-strapped businesses trying to bounce back in the third quarter..

The health sector isn’t immune either, as hospitals are currently operating at massive deficits & furloughing / reducing pay for many providers.

Ex: my best friend today found out her PGY-1 pay will be reduced (before even starting!), which is a concerning sign..

.. both for her program and for GME at-large.

The recovery for hospitals may also stall as it will be difficult to convince the public that it is safe to come to the hospital for those making elective procedures.

All the while, Herculean efforts by all involved have flattened the curve and (in some areas) sent it on a downward trajectory.

While testing certainly lags, the threat of covid (once again, in some areas), does not appear as imminent as before..

Which brings us to the present question: continue shutdown or open for business?

One must understand that wanting to maintain mitigation strategies and allowing businesses to open are NOT mutually exclusive ideas.

However, here public discourse has taken a problematic turn..

The public (from my perspective) has been presented with a false dilemma: Full Open or Full Close? Political allegiances (& news outlets) tend to align in certain camps, and the voices are loud and coming from all directions. There are witty tweets and compelling news features

However, the present false dilemma is analogous to being given the choice to perfuse either the heart or the brain.

To choose either without regard for the other borders on absurdity. Neither choice is compatible with life. & Germ theory certainly knows no partisanship.

What we must do is walk a tightrope. The air is foggy, the rope is slippery, and the consequences of failure are harsh. But put too much weight on one end of our balance pole and we will surely fall.

Importantly, we must walk it together, with grace towards one another.

If you’ve made it to the end of this thread, congrats (& thank you!), but I have a request:

When participating in public discourse, put the shoe on the other foot: consider the business owner unable to do business the past month, the HCW with aging parents..

.. the nursing home shut-ins, the laid-off employees, and those at the neglected fringes of society.

You might find a little grace in your heart along the way. I know I’m trying to.