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B Carpenter - Thinking Deeply's avatar

I find that discussions on the stresses to our healthcare systems and medical professionals seem to focus on a lack of hospital capacity and the necessary human resources to support those facilities. It seems to me this obscures the real problem. Yes, there are many shortages nationwide in ICU capacity and supporting staff, but this is a consequence of the real problem, too many patients. Instead of trying to only focus on how to add ICU capacity, field hospitals, additional emergency staffing, more ventilators, etc. What we need to do is focus on the problem of too many patients. We know how to do that ... vaccinations, masking, following public health measures.

I served as a medic during the Vietnam conflict. I know what it is like to perform triage under battlefield conditions. I understand having to focus on saving those we can and having to watch some die because we cannot save them all. The solution to that was not to build more field hospitals or get more medics and doctors to help. The solution was to end the war.

The solution to the Covid stresses on our healthcare system is not more capacity. That treats the symptom not the disease. The disease is too many patients. We have the knowledge and tools to reduce the number of Covid patients and vaccinations, masks, and public health measures should be a lot easier than ending a war.

Some will argue that this is just a matter of semantics. No, it is often necessary to properly describe a problem in order for the solution to be more apparent. So, please let's stop talking about too few hospital beds and staff to support them and start talking about too many patients and how to address that problem.

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KellyO's avatar

It has been so absolutely depressing to be amongst this widespread ignorance and arrogance for so long that is causing so much harm. (I'm in FL) 😢 it doesn't have to be this way. Covid, the ozone layer deterioration, domestic terrorism, gun sales out of control, wealth gap climb, health care issues, etc... why are we destroying ourselves? Is it the pain that must be felt to birth new life or is it the continuum of toxicity and greed that rejects true love and healing? These are very sad and confusing times.

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