This time last year, we were contending with the reality that the summer of 2020 was a bust. We had just started the school year, virtually in most cases. Yet hopes were high as we, as a nation, eagerly anticipated the arrival of a vaccine that would herald the end of this pandemic.
As a doctor of 20 years, I anticipated some vaccine hesitance. It is only natural to be wary of the new. I did not, however, anticipate the sustained degree of difficulty it has taken to get even half of South Carolinians vaccinated. We have been at that plateau for months.
This anomaly to me underscores the general loss of confidence in institutions, as well as the tribalism that pervades our society.
As a physician, I honor my oath. I do not question how you came to be at the state you were in. I do not modify my practice based on how well you stuck to preventive medicine guidelines. But as a human, there is an emotional cost that I and my colleagues suffer as we contend with crowded emergency departments, frustrated patients and overworked support staff. And it is so unnecessary.
While this state recently ranked as the very worst in the country for the rate of new COVID-19 cases, the numbers — at least for now — don’t appear to be climbing anymore. https://t.co/ZKVk8j7a43
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) September 21, 2021