Dr. Ross F. Goldberg/screengrab Fox 10
Arizona Republic
Opinion: If you trust your doctor, listen to our plea: Now, more than ever, we need you to wear a mask, physically distance and wash your hands.
By Dr. Ross F. Goldberg || opinion contributor
If we don’t recommit to following the public health recommendations, we could get to a point where our health care system is overwhelmed.
We are on the cusp of another COVID-19 surge in Arizona, and our health care system is in trouble.
The new safety measures we have taken and the increased precautions have proven to be effective at slowing the spread of this virus. However, our numbers of positive COVID-19 cases are on the rise, and that’s because many Arizonans have grown tired of wearing masks and social distancing.
There is pandemic fatigue, and we understand that. However, there is an even greater level of fatigue and fear among our health care workforce – fatigue from being overworked and fear that no one will be there to help if we get sick or don’t have enough staffing to provide the care you may need.
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Mask wearing and social distancing are not viewed as political by the health care workforce, but they are needed until we have this pandemic under control. If we don’t recommit to following the public health recommendations, we could get to a point where our health care system is overwhelmed.
You trust your doctor to keep you healthy – please trust us now when we say that we need your help.
We appeal to your values, to your sense of responsibility and duty to others in our request that you follow the current guidelines.
Dr. Ross F. Goldberg
Please wash your hands before and after touching public surfaces or your face.
Please avoid all large gatherings and maintain distance between yourself and others.
Please wear a mask to protect others.
We would not continue this message if we didn’t believe in what it can accomplish.
Do your part to protect those around you while the health care workforce continues to do their part in caring for you.Dr. Ross F. Goldberg is president of the Arizona Medical Association and a practicing general surgeon at Valleywise Health. Learn more at azmed.org/page/coronavirus.
