COVID-19 Update

by Dr. Colleen Sholar & An American COVID-19 Victim

For this week’s article I considered several topics which are all pretty important — masks, hand hygiene, social distancing, how to stay connected with family, how to continue with some normalcy while reducing our risk of getting sick, how to manage chronic medical conditions at home, how to access medical care, what to do if you get sick — but unfortunately it’s easy for us all to see these recent changes to our everyday as impositions and unwelcome mandates because, until things are personal, they just don’t carry much weight.

I have been talking to a local person with COVID-19 and thought asking them for a few words to share would be more helpful as I know it has made the pandemic more personal for me.  Below is his unedited, solicited but not prompted words.

While those of us at the clinic and hospital are prepared to care for those with COVID-19, we would prefer for our role to be in keeping our community healthy.

-Dr. Colleen Sholar, D.O.  F.A.A.F. P.

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“To my fellow Patriotic Conservative Idahoans,

We all enjoy the great freedoms provided by this beautiful state and tend to frown upon governmental intrusions upon those freedoms. We also make choices that sometimes become detrimental to our own well-being

I live and work in Clearwater County where in my experience almost everyone refuses to wear masks, including myself. I did social distancing everywhere I went thinking that the plastic shields would protect me and the clerks during my shopping.

We also have the concept that herd immunity would be a good thing.

I even helped someone create a banner praising first responders but complaining about Personal Protective Equipment use [mask wearing] and government intrusion.

Ironically, I came down with Severe COVID-19 just days later and ended up in the hospital, and unfortunately am still here with very low oxygen levels and extreme difficulty breathing.

In hindsight it would have been a small sacrifice to wear a mask during public interactions to protect myself and others, including my girlfriend, who is also sick with this terrible virus.

From a very deep place in my heart I plead with you all to reconsider the tiny, temporary inconvenience of wearing a mask and continued social distancing to protect yourself and your fellow patriots and citizens in Gods Great Country!

Signed,

American COVID-19 Victim”