United For A Common Cause: Humanity
As COVID-19 continues to be an evolving situation, I want to encourage us all to hang in there. It is important that we adhere to recommendations for safety, not just for ourselves, but also for the wellbeing of others. This is a difficult time for countries, nations, continents, and the world at large. Being in the medical system, I see the amazing work and commitment of healthcare professionals to do the best they can to keep our patients, families, and communities safe. We are reminded of the Hippocratic Oath we took upon entering the health profession as we work alongside interdisciplinary teams to take care of patients and the community.
During these times, many areas of all our lives have been affected ranging from mild and moderate effects of travel restrictions and school closures, to grave concern for disease and the effects of death and loss that have touched many countries. Every family and every life has been affected in one way or another. In healthcare, like several other sectors, we have needed to evolve drastically to provide remote clinical care directly to patients in their homes through their devices. For patients who are in the hospital, we continue to work as a team to provide the ongoing care they need while working to protect everyone as best as possible. While urgent and emergent cases are still being treated in person, moving to virtual visits has been one helpful alternative. In order to practice social distancing and keep everyone healthy during this time, we have employed the help of technology. However, the majority of acute care delivery cannot be done via technological devices alone, hence the ongoing need for medical care for the sick and injured.
We each need to take care of ourselves and one another by observing and adhering to the regulations that have been put in place to keep us all safe. Take care of yourself, keep others protected, and don’t forget to reach out for help if you need it. One of the best things you can do for yourself and others is to keep yourself informed with reliable sources of information, practice social distancing, and following the recommended guidelines. If healthcare and other providers are risking so much to try to keep everyone safe, please let’s all do our part by observing these safety rules. It does not help if we do the best to observe safe practices, but others do not regard this as a priority. This only works if we all pull together. We are all in this together! 
In this difficult and even tragic times, I have seen people come together to work as a team and rally toward a common goal regardless of age, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality. I hope that we all remember this, and continue in this spirit even after COVID-19 passes, knowing that the result of our togetherness will forever be felt and remembered. Let’s keep the families who have lost loved ones as a result of this in our thoughts and prayers. Amidst COVID-19, We Are All United For A Common Cause: Humanity.
I learned that looking to the future, there is a lesson in looking back as seen in this TED talk by Bill Gates regarding learning from past outbreaks (https://youtu.be/6Af6b_wyiwI). This short video provides great insights and some possible solutions for the future that are thoughtful and strategic
Lastly, due to the fact that information is constantly evolving — both true and false — it is important to get information from reliable sources to learn of any new and evolving guidelines. I have listed below reliable and trusted resources to guide you through the barrage of online information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Get the latest public health information from CDC:
Get the latest research from NIH:
https://www.nih.gov/coronavirus
Johns Hopkins University also has a tracking map with reliable information. It is available at:
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
Stay safe and be well!
Seun Adetayo
