Dear Community Members,
I wanted to let you know about what is happening in Toronto with Covid cases. I have a very limited perspective; I just know of a few of my frum patients who have it. I am not sure what other doctors have experienced but are sure it is similar. Within the last few weeks, I have had two cases that I would like to tell you about.
The first is a man in his forties who got COVID from the community. He was feeling tired achy and weak. He couldn’t eat or drink and started requiring iv fluids. Eventually, he had to go to the hospital and was in the hospital for four days. Fortunately, he is back at home and out of quarantine and back at work. However, he can only work for about 2 hours per day and then has to return home to rest.
A second case is a woman in her fifties. Her kids came home from Lakewood and she started feeling unwell. She and her whole family are positive for COVID. She is very weak, is in bed with a high fever despite round the clock Tylenol and Advil, and has required iv fluids. The family and especially the kids are feeling terrible.
These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. It takes close to three weeks for many people from once they are infected until they die from COVID. If it will take a death for the Toronto Jewish community to take COVID seriously, I estimate that a thousand people in our community will already be infected. By then it will be much harder to contain and we could expect another thirty deaths even without further transmission.
People say that COVID is getting weaker. Unfortunately, we have no proof of that. The death rate from COVID has definitely declined but I think this can be attributed to three factors. The first is we are protecting our elderly better and keeping them away from exposure. It is now younger people who are getting COVID and they have less severe symptoms. The second is the medical system has learned how to treat COVID a lot better. People with severe COVID are doing a bit better in the hospital system but the medical system could easily be overwhelmed if there is a major onslaught. Finally, we are diagnosing milder cases so the proportion of severe cases seems much less.
I was very traumatized by all the death notices from the various frum publications in April. Please let’s work together to prevent that from reoccurring.
Masks and social distancing have been shown to cut down on the spread of Covid. It is spread by respiratory droplets so that things we do to cut down on the inhalation of other people’s expired air will help to cut down on the spread.
Even if you have had COVID before you can still get it again. Probably you will have a mild case but you can infect others.
Please be careful about Sukkos! Think twice about having your children coming in from the States. Likewise, one should avoid traveling to places where COVID is spreading like New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Chicago, etc. There is a much higher prevalence of COVID there. Please don’t invite people for meals in your Sukkah. It won’t be possible to keep social distancing and one of the highest risk factors for transmission of COVID is communal meals.
Please forward this to others. Consider printing 5 copies of this and bringing it to your shul for others to read.
On Yom Kippur we get forgiveness for sins we have done in the past and resolve not to repeat them. Let’s try and not have any regrets for the upcoming year.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Ron Phillipson Md CCFP
Passionate Plea !
I just wish the Doctors would NOT put in the “you can get it again” thing.
It is like warning people they should wear seatbelts AND avoid lightning strikes.
Takes away from the [Important] message.
Do you have evidence that you can’t get it again? If so, please post.
That is the point.
There very well may be a possibility of contracting the virus again.
There are even a few documented cases [out of millions] that made the news.
Herein lies the problem, all the “risks” that can not be ruled out [Children, Young-healthy people, getting corona a 2nd time] are all outliers.
They should definitely NOT be bunched together with KNOWN & RECOGNIZED coved risks.
Getting COVID a 2nd time is not an outlier.
The reason we have seen very few instances of re-infections is because antibodies of people who were infected in March/April are just now starting to wear thin or disappear.
The more the weeks roll on you will unfortunately see more re-infections.
I have heard from reliable sources that many of the cases now in Lakewood are reinfections.
Not sure what the issue with this warning is.
I spent 4 hours by an urgent care in Lakewood today. A large number of patients were sick in March and had antibodies and are sick again now.
While not doubting the veracity of your experience,
That would be a bona fide news worthy development.
Sorry to say, you live under a rock. I know 5 people with antibodies who have it again now. Some have donated plasma previously. All have similar symptoms and tested positive again after a 6 month interval.
Slowly but surely, the evidence is pointing towards antibodies lasting around 6 months, similar to most coronaviruses. Since the frum population is the first community to have the virus become prevalent a second time after being hard hit, we are going to be used as case studies the world over for how effective antibodies are.
The evidence thus far: Antibodies grant protection to nearly everyone, but seem to run out at about the 6 month mark. Time will tell how true that is.
Were these people given Dr Zelenko’s protocol early?? All the doctor mentions is fluid… I’ll be dan l’kaf zchus that he forgot to mention this or was scared to, but just wanted to mention that THAT not giving medication, and doing nothing is more dangerous than not wearing masks and socail distancing. There are other things people could take also as propholactic and cure– PEOPLE do not need to go to the hospital or die! Do something right away and DO YOUR RESEARCH!!
Please don’t self medicate! I know someone who had a condition where if they would have taken Dr. Zelenko’s protocol they would have died instantly. Please speak to a medical professional before taking any medication.
Dr Phillipson,
It is so heartbreaking to see that there are some people in our community, that for the sake of proving their point they will look and hope for someone to die so they can have everyone feel guilty and can even forecast a number of deaths Rachmono Litzlon!
Why when telling the story about the guy who went to the hospital for a few days you fail to mention the real facts that when he got to the hospital he wasn’t tested positive anymore and after a few days they figured out that he was sick from an allergic reaction to a medication he took???
Why don’t you mention how many people needed to be treated mentally, how many families are shattered and depressed, and have lost their Parnassa?
How many nervous break downs our community has suffered from all the fear mongering and all sorts of scary letters including the ones from the self proclaimed organizations??
Yes we all know that this is a dangerous virus and Klal Yisroel has suffered tremendously, and we all know that we need be careful, but why do we need to scare a community with lies? If bh to date we have had only a few people from our large community needing treatment in the Hospitals, I can just rephrase your own words in a positive way BH only a “tip of the iceberg” have been sick enough to have been taken to the hospital..
Let’s not wait for those of us who are still stable and healthy trying to desperately keep our spirits up and keep our schools and Yeshivas open safely so our innocent children can continue to thrive to lose their minds too.
If I may recommend that u as a doctor who is trained to treat people to stay healthy both physically and mentally, wouldnt a letter like this be more effective?
“Dear Torontonians, as we all know we together with the rest of the world are going through a very difficult time. I would like to encourage people not only to continue wearing masks, social distancing and washing your hands but also to continue keeping our moral up creating a happy and healthy environment for our kids and families, BH we as a community have been vigilant and careful, despite the increased numbers of positive tests, it has made a big difference and we have only had to treat a few ppl in the hospitals. Hashem should continue to bench us!
If possible try not to have guests from out of town, but if they do come please take all necessary precautions to do this as safely as possible.
Please forward this to others, consider printing 5 copies of this and bringing it to your shul with a smile for others to read.”
I think similar letters like this is what our community needs. Support, encouragement and an overall Hakoras Hatov to the very sensible way in which everyone has been handling this…
Keeping our homes happy and positive creating a healthy environment to battle this plague!
May we continue to share good news with each other, update our community with truths and positive feedback and appreciate the unbelievable chassodim Hashem has bestowed on our community.
גמר חתימה טובה!
Izzy Miller – thank you.
As someone going through a crisis other than physical (I happen to be covid positive now, and am feeling awful in addition), you cannot imagine what your words mean to me.
May Hashem bench you with all – and only – good.
Izzy Miler- god bless you!
Your letter is awesome an so on target!