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“If only people could see what I see and hear what I hear, every eligible Albertan would be vaccinated.”
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If only.
Those are the words of an Edmonton emergency room and transport physician who gets to hear the regrets of Albertans who live in remote communities where the low COVID-19 vaccination rates are contributing so heavily to Alberta’s state of medical emergency.
This physician, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, says every day — usually several times, but as much as 10 times a day — they transport people who might not have outwardly denied the existence of COVID-19 but admit they never believed reports about the severity of it.
“The most common response I’m hearing from people is: ‘I had no idea that I would be this sick. I wish I had gotten vaccinated or taken COVID more seriously and taken more precautions.'”
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This doctor says recently a man in his 60s from a remote northern Alberta community was weeping with regret. He was missing a wedding anniversary that coincided with a family member’s birthday that was being marked by a special joint event.
“He was a very, very lovely gentleman, and he was crying and scared. He said to me: ‘I wish I had known better. I wish I had listened to my grandchild who asked me to get vaccinated and I just hope that I can survive this to make it to this event next year. If only I had listened.’ ”
If only.
The doctor tracked this patient’s progress and he did, in fact, survive, but many people don’t. Those who survive often suffer with long COVID — many months of intense fatigue and other symptoms.
On Thursday in Alberta, 17 new deaths from COVID were reported in the previous 24 hours. There are 1,058 people in hospital, 226 of them in intensive care.
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Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, said “100 per cent of new ICU admissions were in Albertans who did not have any vaccine protection.”
If only they had listened.
Hinshaw said Albertans who have not been vaccinated are “about 15 times more likely than those with vaccine protection to end up in the hospital from COVID-19. They are about 40 times more likely to be admitted to the ICU.”
During her COVID update on Thursday, Hinshaw referred to a story first reported by City TV in Edmonton that several residents of Edson are fighting for their lives in an Edmonton ICU after they attended a “COVID party.”
The point of the party, apparently held just outside the town about 190 kilometres west of Edmonton, was to have healthy people mingle with those who had tested positive for COVID-19 in an effort to develop natural immunity to the virus. This is the same virus that has flooded Alberta hospitals with sick patients and overwhelmed intensive-care units, which are now running at 179 per cent of normal capacity. The system is only coping because 177 surge beds have been added, sacrificing scheduled surgeries, including cancer operations.
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“I cannot confirm that these (party) reports are accurate,” said Hinshaw, “but whether or not this specific report is verified, what is important to know is that anyone contemplating this kind of activity should know that this consequence — severe illness, and transmitting to others who may become severely ill or even die — is an absolutely likely outcome.
“Hosting or attending an event like this in the current time of crisis is irresponsible and dangerous. It doesn’t just put you at risk, but those around you, including people who may need health care for other reasons than COVID, but have no critical care capacity available for them when they need it.”
If only people weren’t so ill informed, if only they weren’t so selfish and ignorant.
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If only they’d listen to the experts instead of some crackpot with no credentials on social media.
Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious-disease specialist in Edmonton, called the story about the COVID party “tragic” because people are “literally falling prey to misinformation.”
“I guess what people are kind of losing track of is the risk-benefit part of the equation,” said Saxinger, reached via telephone on Thursday.
“And a lot of that risk has been shifted by the Delta variant, which is so much more transmissible and aggressive at spreading.”
Saxinger says Delta is affecting all age groups and greater than five per cent of all cases end up in hospital. “That’s like one-in-20 people hospitalized and a quarter of those go to ICU. Those are terrible odds,” said Saxinger.
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“No one would take those odds, like, here, have a one-in-20 chance of going to hospital. So I think there’s some really serious misconceptions about the risk of COVID right now and we have to tackle that better.”
Hinshaw also addressed the rampant misinformation.
“We have heard persistent questions and rumours on social media that vaccines are not working against the Delta variant, but this is categorically untrue,” said Hinshaw.
“In Alberta, COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be 85 per cent effective against infection with the Delta variant after two doses. COVID-19 vaccines are even more highly effective at preventing severe disease and death, including against the highly contagious Delta variant.
“The bottom line is that two doses of vaccine will protect most people from getting sick, having to go to the hospital, or dying if they catch the virus.”
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She points out that no vaccine is 100 per cent effective and there are some “breakthrough” infections in people who are double vaccinated, but that’s because some people have conditions that mean their body cannot fully respond to doses of vaccine.
The transport physician says before they intubate severely sick COVID patients either on a helicopter, plane or in an ambulance, they give the patient the opportunity to FaceTime their loved ones before they will no longer be able to talk — and because it may be the last thing they ever say to their loved ones.
One young mother who was having troubles breathing because of COVID was giving instructions to her parents who were caring for her small child, who was too young to understand what was going on.
“With tears streaming down her face she was telling her parents what her child typically likes to have for a bedtime snack.”
If only she’d had her vaccine, she could have tucked her own baby into bed and told her she loves her herself.
If only.
Licia Corbella is a Postmedia columnist in Calgary.
Twitter: @LiciaCorbella
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September 24, 2021 at 06:06PM
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Corbella: ER doctors hear tearful regrets from unvaccinated patients - Calgary Herald
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