Talk to your doctor
If you were looking to harvest the perfect ear of corn you would start by talking to a farmer who has spent decades honing his skills or an agronomist backed by research on crop yields and soil nutrient needs.
If your car’s dashboard lights start to resemble a Christmas tree and the engine makes disturbing cathunk- a-thunk noises as you drive down the road, you would talk to a trusted mechanic who is an expert on quickly identifying the problem and letting you know how to fix it.
If you are suffering a crisis of faith and feeling lost and forsaken, you would talk with your pastor, someone you trust and who has years of learning and experience in helping you find peace.
By the same token, if you have medical questions about COVID-19, vaccinations or any other medical topics, you should talk with your doctor or other reputable professional medical care provider. As with the other professionals, they have years of training and experience in the prevention and treatment of illness. Doctors are able to answer your questions with factual information rather than relying on what a coworker’s sister’s aunt said happened to her son or the politically tinged items that have been showing up in your social media feeds.
Most importantly, your doctor knows you and knows your health history. Your doctor can help you make an informed medical choice that addresses your concerns.
Taylor County is in the midst of another surge in the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains to be seen how long the surge will last and what kind of impact it will have.
During the region’s last major surge that occurred at the end of 2020, the number of obituaries published in The Star News for the six-week period leading up to Christmas was roughly double that of the same period of time for the prior three years. While this is not enough to prove direct causation, considering the numbers dropped to normal averages when the surge passed, it would be far too much of a coincidence to rule out a correlation. Any preventable death is a tragedy.
If nothing else, the past 18 months have created a mountain of information leading doctors and researchers to recommend new mitigation strategies in the prevention and treatment of the pandemic. This data has allowed medical providers to better understand how the virus makes people sick and why it is more severe in some people than others. It has led to improving ways of keeping people from getting ill and how those who become ill are treated. When it comes to making decisions that impact you and your family’s health, go to the best resource and talk to your family doctor.
