WELLNESS

When the editor, Roger Tumminieri, first asked me to write an article about the vaccine rollout, it was a few days before the Ontario government announced our third state of emergency since the start of the pandemic. Admittedly, I didn’t anticipate that I would find myself in the midst of another province-wide lockdown while writing this article.

Today, news is delivered through social media, force-feeding bite-size information into the palms of our hands, nearly at the speed of light. Our challenge is filtering through it. To know the path forward, we should stop following headlines and start following sources behind them. Truly understanding our situation is more powerful and impactful than blindly marching alongside the masses. One author, one headline, or one publication should not cascade to conclusion.

They say hindsight is 20/20, but looking back, I still feel confused about how things spiraled out of control so quickly. In a matter of weeks, the headlines turned from “vaccines 95% effective” DR. TIMOTHY KODSI

Medical Lead Mimico Medical

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to “imminent third wave.” I’m surprised that the latter started emerging around the same time that we had administered at least one jab to the vast majority of high-risk patients. I’m horrified by the subsequent emergence of variant strains that are reported to cause more severe disease in younger patients. How did so many new strains emerge so quickly and become more deleterious as a result? I was never taught this in my microbiology courses. I’m confused by the way we classify COVID deaths, that is, are these surges in ICU admissions directly because of COVID19, or are they due to advanced presentations of other diseases in patients that happen to be COVID positive? Realistically, anyone admitted to a hospital is likely to contract the Co-SAR-v2 virus, so how are we differentiating between cases? I’m saddened to see children held out of daycares and classrooms. How will this affect their development? How are parents able to cope with their children being at home all their waking hours?

The answers to these questions matter insomuch as how they can help navigate us back to some semblance of normality. COVID-19 is both new and complex, confounded by geopolitical, economic, financial, and social dynamics, so it’s not easy trying to dissect and understand the dilemma.

We must remain united and avoid allowing our frustrations to disrupt our community. While it is within the right of the government to declare a state of emergency if it’s to protect their citizens, the ultimate question remains: Is the cure worse than the disease? Over one year in and there’s no answer in sight.

DR. TIMOTHY KODSI

Medical Lead Mimico Medical 416.201.0836 www.mimicomedical.com

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