CTT #37: Will pandemic stress cause clinicians to quit medicine?

Co-host Dr. Pearl spoke with several critical care physicians in a recent Forbes article. One of those doctors described waking up regularly before sunrise, covered in sweat. Another seasoned physician said he had four patients die in a single day from Covid-19—more patients than he’d ever lost in a month. A resident explained that he started his ICU rotation with six Covid-19 patients. All were dead by the end of the month.

According to a national KFF/Washington Post poll, a majority of healthcare workers say the Covid-19 crisis is taking a toll on their mental health. Citing stress and burnout, 3 in 10 clinicians have considered leaving the profession.

In this episode of Coronavirus: The Truth, Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl discuss the rising professional dissatisfaction of doctors and their risk of PTSD once the pandemic is over. Here are the questions that were asked and answered [and when] on this week’s show:

[00:58] Each show begins with the most recent and relevant facts concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on American life. What’s happening and what does it mean?

[06:41] Does exercise prevent severe Covid-19 symptoms?

[09:33] What’s up with mandatory vaccines on college campuses?

[11:04] Was the J&J pause good or bad for public trust?

[13:17] How has Covid-19 impacted healthcare workers?

[15:11] How widespread is vaccine hesitancy in the United States?

[19:00] Listener question: “You guys talked about long-Covid a couple episodes ago. Is there an update on this? Have scientists learned anything new on that front?”

[20:20] Any good news this week?

[22:41] Texas vs. California: how do their infection, death and vaccine stats compare?

[26:22] How comfortable should we be with: air travel, dining in restaurants and attending sporting events?

[28:21] Will doctors and hospitals begin to charge out-of-pocket fees for Covid-19 related care?

[29:57] How to explain high number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in a state like Michigan, which was stricter than most?

This episode is available on Apple PodcastsGoogle PlaySpotify and other podcast platforms.

If you have coronavirus questions for the hosts, please visit the contact page or send us a mehttps://fixinghealthcarepodcast.com/contact-us/ssage on Twitter or LinkedIn.

*To maintain the credibility of this program, Coronavirus: The Truth refuses to accept sponsorship, outside funding sources or guests with any financial or personal conflicts of interest.