popular or unpopular any thoughts on physicians leaving NYC for safe states

[Anne]

I’m not scared of being exposed myself. I’m scared of catching it, being an asymptomatic spreader, and spreading it to my awesome older patients and killing them. That’s why I’m focusing all my efforts on getting people to stay home and away from me and my staff, none of whom can get tested right now.

[artemis]

If you're too scared to work in a pandemic, just quit your job and stay home. No sense in going anywhere else. If it isn't there yet, it will be soon. As goes NYC, so goes Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, and Kotzebue.

I'm hoping that won't be the case, because a lot of smaller cities, having seen what's going on in NYC and on the west coast, have started to seriously shut things down. Here in Omaha we've had two confirmed cases of community acquired disease, and that prompted the mayor and the state governor to shut down pretty much everything. No public gatherings of groups larger than 10 people are permitted, all bars are closed, all amusement venues are closed, restaurants are carry out or drive-through only, schools are closed for the next six weeks. Everyone's being told to stay home as much as possible, and to keep up social distancing. Knock on wood that these measures may flatten the curve enough for our area hospitals (which are suspending all non-essential procedures starting on Monday) to keep up with the new cases until some effective treatments are discovered for this nasty bug.

In the end, it's a numbers game. The smaller the town and the farther it is from an international airport, the greater the chances it will either be spared or suffer a minimal impact - but only if its citizens don't blow off COVID-19 as an overblown hoax.

[AR]

If you're too scared to work in a pandemic, just quit your job

Maybe I'm not understand, but I think that's exactly what some of these NYC docs are doing.

and stay home. No sense in going anywhere else. If it isn't there yet, it will be soon. As goes NYC, so goes Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, and Kotzebue. It's just a matter of time. Hopefully that delay will allow for more equipment to be made, more treatments to become available, and perhaps even a vaccine to be developed.

I think that if you're going to stay home somewhere, it's very likely that there are better places than NYC. It is going to be insane there. If you're going to stay home and your goal is to avoid general civil unrest, leaving NYC would seem to be a rational thing to do.

For those NYC docs who are choosing quitting, leaving NYC is almost certainly better than staying. It might be hard to find a place that would be worse.

[The White Coat Investor]

I'm hoping that won't be the case, because a lot of smaller cities, having seen what's going on in NYC and on the west coast, have started to seriously shut things down. Here in Omaha we've had two confirmed cases of community acquired disease, and that prompted the mayor and the state governor to shut down pretty much everything. No public gatherings of groups larger than 10 people are permitted, all bars are closed, all amusement venues are closed, restaurants are carry out or drive-through only, schools are closed for the next six weeks. Everyone's being told to stay home as much as possible, and to keep up social distancing. Knock on wood that these measures may flatten the curve enough for our area hospitals (which are suspending all non-essential procedures starting on Monday) to keep up with the new cases until some effective treatments are discovered for this nasty bug.

In the end, it's a numbers game. The smaller the town and the farther it is from an international airport, the greater the chances it will either be spared or suffer a minimal impact - but only if its citizens don't blow off COVID-19 as an overblown hoax.

I disagree. I think it's going to hit everywhere, but the more isolated the town, the more time to prepare you have though. They've shut down air traffic into some bush villages in Alaska. Those guys might keep the virus out of town until there is a vaccine. But that's not the case for most places.

[The White Coat Investor]

leaving NYC would seem to be a rational thing to do.

For those NYC docs who are choosing quitting, leaving NYC is almost certainly better than staying. It might be hard to find a place that would be worse.

Not sure that's any different now that there is a pandemic...

[CM]

I'm hoping that won't be the case, because a lot of smaller cities, having seen what's going on in NYC and on the west coast, have started to seriously shut things down. Here in Omaha we've had two confirmed cases of community acquired disease, and that prompted the mayor and the state governor to shut down pretty much everything. No public gatherings of groups larger than 10 people are permitted, all bars are closed, all amusement venues are closed, restaurants are carry out or drive-through only, schools are closed for the next six weeks. Everyone's being told to stay home as much as possible, and to keep up social distancing. Knock on wood that these measures may flatten the curve enough for our area hospitals (which are suspending all non-essential procedures starting on Monday) to keep up with the new cases until some effective treatments are discovered for this nasty bug.

In the end, it's a numbers game. The smaller the town and the farther it is from an international airport, the greater the chances it will either be spared or suffer a minimal impact - but only if its citizens don't blow off COVID-19 as an overblown hoax.

I hope you're correct. I've been assuming that I will become infected, even in the rural Midwest.

[StarTrekDoc]

I’m not scared of being exposed myself. I’m scared of catching it, being an asymptomatic spreader, and spreading it to my awesome older patients and killing them. That’s why I’m focusing all my efforts on getting people to stay home and away from me and my staff, none of whom can get tested right now.

This.

And that's why LA/NYC are shifting testing to those actively delivering care and lower the testing bar until we get a fast, POC testing that's sufficiently wide enough to accomplish a true population surveillance program.

[StarTrekDoc]

I hope you're correct. I've been assuming that I will become infected, even in the rural Midwest.

Chicken pox and measles eventually found its way to North America. It'll get there unless you're literally on an Motu without any future physical contact OR enough time passes for a vaccine to be made and distributed.

[burritos]

Do most doctors think that they're going to die if they get it? When the tough got going with the fires out here, the firemen stayed. I'm glad they did. One fireman I treated lost his house but he kept fighting the fires 2 years ago during the Thomas Fire. The suicide rate for firemen surpasses that of doctors. Hold the line people.

[CM]

I would bet on survival, but I don't think it is a sure thing.

[AR]

Not sure that's any different now that there is a pandemic...

Well there is a reason why there are reports of lots of rich people going to their summer homes in the Hamptons or wherever. NYC is not going to be a great place to be. Not from a virus-catching standpoint. Just from a general chaos standpoint.

If that was my plan, I wouldn't pick the Hamptons, but I would get out of NYC.

[AR]

Do most doctors think that they're going to die if they get it? When the tough got going with the fires out here, the firemen stayed. I'm glad they did. One fireman I treated lost his house but he kept fight the fires 2 years ago during the Thomas Fire. The suicide rate for firemen surpasses that of doctors. Hold the line people.

I think most will hold the line.

But I'll give the 75 yo doc with obesity and HTN a pass if they want to get out of dodge.

[AR]

Chicken pox and measles eventually found its way to North America. It'll get there unless you're literally on an Motu without any future physical contact OR enough time passes for a vaccine to be made and distributed.

Yeah, its going to be tough to avoid for anyone just about anywhere.

I think the Sentinelese are probably safe. Can't think of too many others.

[burritos]

I think most will hold the line.

But I'll give the 75 yo doc with obesity and HTN a pass if they want to get out of dodge.

Ok you're right. Is that makeup of who is bolting though? I think the docs who have worked till 75 aren't the weakest willed of the doctor cohort.

[AR]

Ok you're right. Is that makeup of who is bolting though? I think the docs who have worked till 75 aren't the weakest willed of the doctor cohort.

That's what I'm assuming. Maybe it's a generous assumption on my part. I really have no idea.