In the last nine months, I have watched the Fabric team dive deep into COVID-19 work with incredible dedication. Adoption to virtual care is no longer an option, and I can say with certainty the work being done will lead to more efficient and higher quality healthcare in America.
With the end of the year approaching and a vaccine on the horizon, we’re entering a new phase of change and uncertainty. While we may be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, we’re not there yet.
The vaccine is most certainly a (big) step in the right direction, but it isn’t an off switch to the life we’ve been living since March. In fact, according to the New York Times, a vaccine will be much less effective if it is introduced into a population where COVID-19 is raging, much like the U.S. is now. It will take time for everyone to receive a COVID-19 vaccine; my hope is that most Americans can be vaccinated by early summer 2021.
So what does that mean?
The next few months are crucial to our nation’s public health. Hospitals and health systems are already overwhelmed. With the holidays around the corner, I know it’s really hard to give up seeing loved ones, but in order to get through winter, it’s a sacrifice we’ll all have to make.
Here’s some data to consider:
The Fabric platform alone has screened and treated 1,255,021 so far in 2020.
Of those visits, we’ve seen our visit volume this fall surpass what we were seeing this summer—proving risk for COVID-19 is definitely still on the rise.
It’s a marvel that we have not one but two vaccines that have very promising outcomes, but data like this proves we need to continue being vigilant.
The goal is to get this country (and the world) back to normal. The work being done by our healthcare workers and scientists has given us an opportunity to do so. It can only happen if we remain patient and continue to increase access to adequate testing, social distance, and wear our masks. The next few months will without a doubt be challenging—we’ve gotten this far, we can get through it, together.
Onward and upward to 2021!
