No… The second wave is absolutely not coming. You wanna know why? Because the first wave hasn’t even ended.

Yes that’s right, despite our fearless leaders claiming victory over COVID-19 in the White House, this is far from over. It’s amazing how all of a sudden, Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci have disappeared and the federal administration no longer recognizes COVID-19 as a threat to our country and its citizens. Donald Trump and Mike Pence continue to refuse masks and defy the very guidelines their own experts and task force have put forth (we’ll get to this later).

Sure, some states are seeing a downward trend in cases, such as Massachusetts and New York after having the highest case rates and numbers of unfortunate deaths, but, that is only because of strict lockdown policies which are only now slowly lifting in gradual phases. The first states to reopen and lift lockdowns such as Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and Texas are now seeing infections skyrocketing. Arizona is now over their hospital capacity and running out of life-saving measures such as ECMO (form of life support technology). This is worrisome. There was a reason that the medical community and task force released strict criteria for reopening in a phased manner, yet these states and their leaders refused to follow such recommendations at the pressure of our ignorant and inadequate federal leadership. Our goal was to flatten the curve; a phrase that is still misunderstood to this day. Our intentions were to slow the spread so that our healthcare system would not be overburdened and sadly we are seeing the curve heighten.

Excuse me while I climb atop my medical soapbox as my patience is running thin and my filter is slowly fading.

Lately on social media, I’ve seen people traveling to Florida and other warmer, southern states for vacations as if nothing has changed. My jaw has dropped at the sight of packed bars, crowded restaurants, and friends hanging out in groups without a mask in sight or an inch between strangers. There has not been any visible self-quarantining after these trips which would be the smart and safe thing to do. This is maddening as a healthcare professional and a rational adult. Sure, you might be young and not a high risk of mortality but a fraction of those young and healthy individuals do carry a small risk of death or serious illness. In the very least, they may inadvertently spread the virus to a stranger or loved one who is at higher risk. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, wearing a mask has been politicized and somehow now a sign of weakness or inferiority. Trump and Pence continue their idiotic appearances of not wearing a mask or physical distancing in fear of looking weak (instead they just look stupid). They have organized the White House press staff chairs next to each other as if the pandemic never occurred, the virus is rarely mentioned, and the medical experts have been virtually silenced from press conferences. I understand our country is in turmoil regarding racial disparities, economic recession/depression, and police brutality while the administration tears apart civil rights of the LGBTQ community as well as environmental protection policies behind the scenes of civil unrest but this federal ignorance is frustrating because people of color are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 and the country is nowhere near ready to claim victory (despite all the tweets and false statements).

I have had friends, acquaintances, and family who live out of state that are dumbfounded by the fact that Massachusetts has yet to fully open. I get it, livelihoods are ruined, the economy is suffering, and people are restless. However in their own respective states, cases are on the rise. Here in Massachusetts, we have gone about things using science and data at the recommendations of medical experts and our cases are falling compared to where they once were. People are still wearing masks, physically distancing, and taking appropriate precautions. As I go for long runs through the city, people pull up their masks when passing by others and keep their distance when needed. This is the culture that needs to be adopted across the country in order to slow the spread of the virus and make contact-tracing manageable. No this isn’t an attack on your freedoms as an American, it is a critical public health measure meant to save lives.

Now for all the garbage spewing out of the White House in the past week. Trump recently stated that if we stop testing, the cases will drop and if we test more, the cases will rise. It appears that every time the man opens his mouth, his ineptitude grows more obvious. This statement is horribly inaccurate. As we test more, cases will initially rise but then quickly start to fall as they will more accurately reflect the true number of infected individuals. Sadly in states such as Florida and Arizona, testing has increased and cases have continued to rise, not fall. This is troubling to the highest degree. Also, apparently Pence has been pushing his poorly-informed propaganda to governors that cases are rising because of testing and that we have won against the virus. He is stupidly stating that the “second wave” is blown out of proportion and that the media is fear mongering. Multiple predictions and studies from respected public health institutions are showing over 200,000 deaths in September/October. As a healthcare provider who is helping to oversee about 50 practices across the country treating the highest risk patients, I can tell you that the media’s reports of rising cases in over 21 states is more than accurate. Dr. Fauci, who has been pushed into the shadows, continues to warn of resurgent cases and higher infection/death rates. Many countries who were hit the hardest around the world, are now seeing cases in fewer than in the hundreds, and even New Zealand has truly defeated the virus. That is the sign of respectable leadership or at least leadership who respects the opinions of experts and science-driven data. Instead, our blowhard president is planning to hold a rally packed with 20,000 people sitting shoulder to shoulder with optional mask use (after having agreed to a waiver of liability should they contract COVID-19). Tulsa (where the rally is planned to be held) is currently experiencing rising cases, most recently increased by 50% from the prior week. As a healthcare provider, this is the worst idea and blatant defiance of all medical opinion during this pandemic. It violates the guidance set forth by the CDC and COVID task force. If people travel from out of state for the rally and then travel back to their home states, that could easily spark a surge and the entire country could flare up potentially as a super-spreader event. This occurred in Boston during a Biogen conference.

I’m tired of our incompetent president and puppet-like vice president making inaccurate claims and doing things in defiance of science and medicine for their own political gain and popular favor among the public. First Trump touted the miracle of hydroxychloroquine that he supposedly took himself to prevent the disease despite studies showing possible risks and no benefit in treating or preventing COVID-19. Clearly a ploy to save face. Recently the FDA, pulled hydroxychloroquine from the emergency use list of drugs for COVID-19 because of mounting evidence of risky side effects and lack of benefit. Their denial that the virus is still a credible threat to the American public has led them to create a false sense of security for the general public. Many people have been quoted in interviews in various public places saying along the lines of “why should they wear a mask or not be worried about it when Donald Trump, our own president, isn’t worried about it.” This is a dangerous game they’re playing and it risks the health of us all.

Cases are on the rise. This is not a second wave, it’s the first tidal wave slowly receding before it comes crashing down to claim more lives. Dark…yes. Morbid…certainly. A possible reality…absolutely, without a doubt. They say those who deny history are doomed to repeat it (most famously quoted by Trump himself in a tweet on 6/11). Our president ignored initial warnings by experts when the virus was overseas and had yet to reach our country. He claimed it was a hoax and delayed any effective action until it had reached us. Simple actions taken just a week before would have saved tens of thousands of lives. And don’t give me that malarkey that if he didn’t act when he did, millions would have died. No kidding…if I don’t treat a skin infection, the patient could die but if I wait to treat it, the patient could lose their foot even though they survive. Trump makes this same argument but with the lives of hundreds of thousands of people which is unacceptable when there is clear research that these deaths could have been prevented. Trump then pushed states to reopen prematurely despite not meeting task force/CDC criteria and now those states are seeing hospitals reach capacity and cases rising. You, Mr. Trump, need to heed your own advice…if you deny history, YOU are doomed to repeat it.

OK… I will step off my medical soapbox and stop my rant. But please… I beg of you… Wear the damn mask, wash your hands, avoid groups/crowds, and PLEASE physically distance. The virus is still out there and while your personal risk of death or serious illness may be low, it’s not zero and those you love are not immune. Listen to the experts, not the president, his mindless puppets, and his political/personal agenda.

Be well and stay safe.