Dr. Asif Ilyas just might be right. We’ve been using a machete to attack the coronavirus to try to wipe it from the face of the earth, but now we need a scalpel.
The director the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research & Education, is right about another thing: we need to face some hard truths. Don’t let anyone fool you. We are unlikely to have a vaccine against COVID-19 for at least a year, if then. And many people will not trust any vaccine that is rushed onto the market and that cuts scientific corners.
Thousands of people don’t trust measles vaccines or even flu shots. What’s going to inspire them to take a vaccine that may not have gone through the years of rigorous clinical trials that pneumonia and other vaccines?
It’s sad, but true, we shouldn’t hold out hope for a vaccine by September or even Christmas.
Dr. Ilyas is among a growing number of responsible people, including many of our readers, who realize we can’t hide from the world forever, either. We’ve got to figure out a way to live with this virus, while protecting the most vulnerable in our communities.
Members of ReOpen PA, a group of about 85,000 concerned citizens, and affiliated groups throughout Pennsylvania, protest on the Pa. State Capitol steps in Harrisburg. May 15, 2020 Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com
It doesn’t mean defying government officials in our state who are offering sound guidance to keep people safe. And it doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind. It does mean carefully analyzing the medical data, scientifically calculating the risks and coming up with a plan to protect people while allowing the economy to restart.
Now, that’s easier said than done. But the concept is sound.
Too many people have serious medical issues that they’ve put off addressing during this pandemic. Our teeth haven’t been cleaned, we’ve skipped annual check-ups and many people are deathly afraid of stepping into a doctor’s office or hospital.
This means there will be another price to pay for COVID-19, exacerbating those underlying health conditions that make us more vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Before COVID-19 came to Pennsylvania, Dr. Ilyas notes we were seeing a decrease in the number of people dying from opioid addiction. Kathy Strain, with Drug Free Workplace PA, says deaths were roughly about 12 each day. And she says the isolation and anxiety the coronavirus has brought is hurting many people who need stability and human support in recovery.
This 2017 file photo shows a display in Onondaga Lake Park representing people who have died of drug overdoses. SYRSYR
Strain says her organization has had to adapt to organize regular online support meetings, while encouraging people to stay in contact with those in recovery, even by phone and online chats. People in recovery – and their families – need support.
Dr. Ilyas penned an Op-Ed for PennLive to call attention to what he sees as a recent spike in Opioid deaths, despite the best efforts to people like Strain who have been trying to make sure it doesn’t happen.
Pennsylvania has been losing about 5,400 people each year to opioid deaths before 2019. But last year, Dr, Ilyas says that number fell to 3,811 overdose deaths. This year, the numbers seem to be rising again, and research indicates the cause is COVID-19.
“The Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research & Education predicts a 10-25 percent rise in Pennsylvania opioid-related deaths for 2020, Dr. Ilyas wrote, “primarily due to social isolation, desperation, financial strain, and lack of access to counseling, medical or surgical care that otherwise limit a susceptible patient’s opioid use and potential abuse.”
The argument is well made that we must find a way to limit the secondary impact COVID-19 has brought to our community. His call for increased testing and tracing has become the rallying cry for those who want to reopen society and protect the most vulnerable from COVID-19.
Without reliable testing and tracing of those infected with the coronavirus, people will still fear getting help to fight the other diseases that can be just as deadly.
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