I had my annual physical the other morning, so, of course, clad in just a backless one-size fits none “gown,” I talked to my doctor about the new Coronavirus.
She can’t see it being stopped. Most of the world, including greater St. Louis, will take a hit. Yet, while deadlier than the flu, most of us will survive.
Still, germs can be pretty unpredictable. For example, my doctor’s young son got sick and tested positive for Influenza type A. She prepared for a house full of sick people, but, none of the rest of them got sick and her son quickly recovered.
While this new bug (like most) preys on the elderly and medically compromised, some young and robust folks will succumb. That’s just the way it is with viral disease.
Then I started wondering, how many extra, needless Coronavirus deaths will we have here in Missouri because so many of our neighbors lack medical coverage.
My health plan pretty much demands that I get an annual physical and I’m frequently called by a “care coordinator” wanting to make sure I live my “best healthy life.” With my primary care physician, cardiologist, electrophysiologist (for my internal defibrillator), and the specialists I get bounced to scarcely a month goes by when I’m not seen by a doctor. If I catch the virus I’ll get medical support to better my odds of surviving.
As we’ve read and heard in story after story on Missouri and Medicaid Expansion, hundreds of thousands of working class people in our state lack medical coverage. Another hundred thousand have lost Medicaid, most due to bureaucratic SNAFUs. When things get dire they head to an emergency room – which could be 80 miles away. It is very predictable that some infected with the virus won’t get care that could save their life. That happens everyday in this state with other diseases and conditions, the Coronavirus will be no different.
A big chunk of Missouri’s economy is tied to the hospitality industry: Wednesday’s [3/4/20] New York Times carried a bunch of stories on the virus, including one noting that “Only about 40 percent of hotels and restaurants in the United States offer any type of health insurance…” I bet that’s another statistic where Missouri drops below the national average. (Again, most states have expanded Medicaid.) So, while the NYT editorialized Wednesday about the need for mandatory paid sick days, that’s not even a realistic dream in the Show Me State.
In other words, there’s a good chance that a cook or wait staff serving you soon may not be able to afford to stay home when sick, even if they have Coronavirus symptoms.
Bon Appetit. And, good luck.
Glenn