Communication is key
The word pandemic just sounds scary. I mean, it literally says panic with a few letters in-between. So how do we remain calm while still appreciating the gravity of the situation? It is a delicate but crucial balance that hinges on effective communication. So far, some of the messages we’ve received haven’t been consistent or clear, the consequences of which could be dire for parts of the country.
Many downplayed the severity of COVID-19 from the start, suggesting that “it’s just the flu.” Information from other countries about who is at highest risk has been misinterpreted to mean that COVID-19 is not a concern for most people. Early data from the US paint a much different picture, with many young, healthy individuals being hospitalized. Further, considering the sheer number of people likely to contract the virus, even if the majority of cases are mild, there are still an immense number of Americans at risk for serious illness or even death. This is why COVID-19 not just the flu.
no immunity
COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus, to which no person on earth, young or old, has immunity (unless already infected and recovered). Still, for many people, the symptoms (which resemble the flu) are mild enough that they resolve at home without any treatment. Some don’t have any symptoms at all. This is one of the reasons why COVID-19 spreads so quickly. Most infected people are still healthy enough to continue spreading it, out and about.
extra contagious
In addition to COVID-19 being free to infect without immunity, it is also the way the virus is structured that makes it so contagious. It is uniquely “sticky” to human cells, significantly more so than other coronaviruses like those which cause the common cold. Think about what your shoelaces look like after you’ve walked through a patch of burrs. This is what COVID-19 does in a person’s respiratory tract.
Read: Why the Coronavirus has Been so Successful – The Atlantic
can be severe – even in healthy people
While older people and people with underlying health conditions are at heightened risk for severe disease, some people who don’t fall within these categories can also have severe disease that requires hospitalization or even results in death. It is less likely but it is still happening. Even for those who resolve at home, it can be a long and far-from-enjoyable recovery, worse than the flu.
Patients often take a turn for the worse when their immune system kicks into overdrive. It starts to attack the body’s own healthy cells in an attempt to “unstick” the virus. These “cytokine storms” are likely responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome that leads to the need for breathing assistance. Young and healthy individuals with strong, healthy immune systems can also be at risk for this brute force immune response. In fact, this was the reason why so many young people died during the 1918 Pandemic Flu.
Ten Times more fatal
The case fatality rate for COVID-19 is still not entirely clear, though some research estimates it could be as high as 3% or 30 in 1000. More likely, the death rate is closer to 1% or 10 in 1000. Still, the death rate for seasonal influenza is just a fraction of that with 0.1% or 1 in 1000 flu cases resulting in death.
no vaccine (YET)
For a virus to stop freely circulating in a community, enough people have to have developed an immunity to it, either by becoming infected and recovering or through vaccine-acquired immunity. When it comes to the viruses that cause COVID-19, seasonal flu, and other severe illnesses, because post-infection treatment options are limited, the objective is to prevent or significantly diminish illness through mass vaccination campaigns. The US Department of Health and Human Services along with FDA and pharmaceutical industry are trying to fast-track the development of a novel coronavirus vaccine.
conveying calm and control
So how do we stay hopeful given what we are up against? Communication is key. Is the job of health departments and government officials to deliver understandable, credible, and actionable information in a way that conveys compassion for the community and sensitivity to the challenges. Citizens deserve transparency about the plan – how it works, why it will work, and most importantly, why we all have a role to play for it to work. In return, we will all do our part.
We cant ignore the facts, we need to embrace them. We shouldn’t be giving out target dates to “reopen for business.” We need to manage expectations appropriately. As you can see, the mandate to stay home is not overblown, and it may be in our best interest for it to last another 6-10 weeks. Our goal is to draw out the spread of infection. The more we can push the peak, the more patients we can treat, the more lives we can save.
It is not just our own health we are protecting – which may not seem like a big deal if you are young and healthy. It is the health of our loved ones, our friends, and our neighbors. Nobody is immune to the virus or, especially, to its ramifications.