Faces of the Fight from Dr. Kevin Wasko: The fourth wave
Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, I try to practice gratitude. I am grateful for all that I have: a wife and children I love, extended family that are close to me, friends to support me, a career that provides for my every need, good health and years of opportunities ahead.
However, I am also increasingly frustrated, angry and sad. I feel duped and let down by fellow citizens that didn’t take the opportunity to be vaccinated or heed the advice of our physicians and health care teams.
Unfortunately, as a health system, Saskatchewan is on a barreling freight train that is consuming our emergency departments, public health teams and ICUs overburdened by COVID, staffed by health care workers that are physically and emotionally tired.
The high number of unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people in Saskatchewan have given us the distinction of having the worst immunization rate within the federation of provinces. When vaccination rates are low, more cases spread within the community, resulting in more illness. That leads to cases amongst children that can’t be immunized and breakthrough cases amongst those fully vaccinated, which is rare but can occur for a variety of reasons. Unvaccinated individuals are the main cause of that spread, as spread is much less amongst those vaccinated that do get a breakthrough case.
As a parent, I am concerned about my unvaccinated children getting sick but even more than that, I am concerned that the longer this goes on, the more it prevents them from growing up in an unrestricted normal way.
As a grandchild to elderly grandparents, I am concerned that the virus will find its way to my vulnerable elderly grandparents and they will suffer a horrible, painful death.
As a physician, I am concerned that my patients won’t get good care or the care that they need, because of the stress COVID has again placed on our system.
As a colleague working on the front line, I am concerned that my co-workers feel demoralized, exhausted, and angry when I work with them. It saddens me to see them subjected to harassment and abuse from patients who disagree with continued restrictions in our health-care facilities.
As a health system leader, I lose sleep at night worrying how the system that is already under such strain will possibly function the next couple of months. It disturbs me that there will be loss of life because we cannot meet the needs of our patients.
Selfishly, I am angry that I can’t return to the life I had. I enjoyed travel and activities that have been restricted. I want to live my best life.
Please, I ask that if you haven’t, please get vaccinated. It is what you can do that will make the greatest impact. If you have, thank you. Please speak up and encourage those around you to get vaccinated. Vaccines are safe, effective and available.
If you would trust me to treat you in the emergency department when you get sick, trust me on this.