We know many that non-Covid patients are foregoing care, risking harm & creating a huge financial hit to hospitals. My wife @katiehafner's must-read @nytimes piece https://nyti.ms/3ekQOky  explores sources of dread: both fear of Covid & no-visitor policies.

Crucial to see the patient perspective: Katie talked to 2 pts who turned down liver transplants – the ultimate in life-saving procedures – because of these concerns. She also spoke to psychologists who described the scientific basis of anxiety & offered tips for overcoming it.

Listening over Katie's shoulder as she wrote this article makes me question whether stringent no-visitor policies – absolutely key in early days because of fear of spread and lack of PPE – are now more harmful than helpful, particularly in a place like SF, with our low caseload.