We Might be Done With COVID-19, But It Is Not Done With Us

A message to the community from Tarrant County physicians

The current surge in COVID-19 cases in the Tarrant County area is having serious consequences that could impact patient outcomes.

• Hospitals are currently at, or over, their staffing capacity with very few open ICU beds available across Tarrant County.

• Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are straining to meet the overwhelming needs in the hospitals.

• COVID-19 hospitalizations aren’t just a problem of the unvaccinated, they also strain the resources that are needed to treat other medical conditions and emergencies.

To avoid this, we urge the community to recognize this current crisis and take the simple and familiar steps that are proven to be effective against the spread of COVID-19.

• We must continue to wear our masks, wash our hands, and be cautious about how we gather.

• Because the Delta variant is the most contagious variant yet and has the potential for spread by both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, we encourage everyone to wear a mask in public while indoors and outdoors when unable to socially distance.

• In addition, those who are not fully vaccinated should limit gathering with those outside of their household, especially while indoors.

Vaccination is the safest and most effective way by which we can protect ourselves from this deadly virus and get back to normal.

• With over 350 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine given in the U.S., evidence of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines is overwhelming.

• Being fully vaccinated results in an 8-fold reduction of having symptomatic COVID-19, a 25-fold reduction in being hospitalized and a 25-fold reduction in death from COVID-19. We strongly encourage every eligible person to get vaccinated – immediately.

As a community, we are at a tipping point. Let’s move in the right direction.

• Each one of us can do our part to stop the spread, break the cycle, and defeat this pandemic once and for all. The choice is ours.

• Contact your doctor or go to Tarrant County Public Health, Texas Department of State Health Services, or the CDC to access the vaccine and get answers to your questions.

The Tarrant County Medical Society is a membership organization for the physicians serving the Tarrant County community. TCMS has been dedicated to the improvement of the art and science of medicine since 1903.