The Call to Rally Against a Winter Surge

I need to share some very important, cautionary information with you. Within the latest news cycle of break-through infections and booster shots, the news item worth paying special attention to, as somber as it may be, is the prospect of another winter surge.

Personally, after coming off our third COVID-19 surge, this is the last thing I want to hear. But if we hope to avert it, the time to act is now.

So why might we see another, fourth surge? First, for the first time in over a year, schools are now in session with children, many who are too young to receive the vaccine currently, gathering indoors. Second, this summer’s surge was bigger and later than last summer’s and so the tail of this surge will likely rest higher, serving as a springboard as the winter surge takes lift.

It is now well established that the COVID-19 pandemic is the worst crisis, in terms of lives lost, that this nation has ever suffered. It is worse than any prior war or pandemic, including the Civil War and Spanish flu.

However, the true breadth of this pandemic is hard to appreciate. Droves of people aren’t dying at home as seen in previous crises of this magnitude. Instead, casualties are cloistered in hospital beds, where they’re attended to by beleaguered and exhausted health care providers.

So it’s quite easy to miss the enormity of this crisis. It’s so easy not to act.

We thought a vaccinated population of 60% might be enough to at least slow down COVID and prevent a severe surge, but the delta variant proved us wrong. We need closer to 90%. If you’re like me, you don’t want to spend the winter holidays alone watching morbid headlines and graphs of rising death tolls. You want to spend them gathered with loved ones.

The stakes are high and we need to rally now. More than 4000 San Antonian’s have already succumbed to the COVID-19 virus. The good news is we could put an end to this. We now have vaccines which are safe, effective, free, and available.

If you’re unvaccinated, we urge you to protect yourself and your loved ones by getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments are available today, and you can schedule yours now.

If you’re already vaccinated, be sure to get the COVID-19 booster when it’s your turn. Learn more about third vaccines and booster doses for eligible individuals. Truly, vaccination is our only real hope for avoiding what could become our longest and hardest winter.

 

Respectfully,

Bob Leverence, MD

Chief Medical Officer, UT Health Physicians