Though there are major reasons to be concerned about the novel coronavirus outbreak, there are also several reasons to be optimistic, writes Paul Sax, MD, clinical director of the infectious diseases division at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
In an opinion piece published on the website of public radio station WBUR-FM, Dr. Sax lists five reasons for concern and three reasons to remain hopeful.
The five concerns:
1. Hospitals may be unable to handle the rise in patient volume due to the outbreak, especially since COVID-19 patients will require private rooms.
2. Broad testing for the virus did not start early enough, in part due to tests that did not work.
3. Older age — older than 70 years according to one study — and having other infections makes COVID-19 infection more serious, which means the people at greatest risk of developing severe infections are already vulnerable patients.
4. Hoarding of supplies, such as masks and other protective equipment, could leave healthcare workers at risk.
5. The political climate may lead to public health officials not being truthful about the state of the outbreak.
The reasons to be hopeful:
1. From what is known about COVID-19, it is mild in most people who contract it, and most people infected won't require hospitalization.
2. Children seem to have greater immunity to the virus than adults, due to the fact that they may already have milder coronavirus strains, which show up as milder colds.
3. Physicians, scientists and public health officials around the world have been extremely collaborative and cooperative with regard to sharing clinical data.