This winter is going to be rough. I hope folks are working hard on solutions. Socially distanced Halloween, then it gets too cold up north to do anything like dining outside, then we hit the question of how to travel or not travel and distance appropriately over the holidays.

The east coast and midwestern cities are doing okay at managing the pandemic right now, but people are starting to burn out in July. Then it gets cold. No more outside exercise, shopping, or dining.

People need to embrace masks fast, and we need better testing and treatments.

Nobody is talking about this long term, because perhaps it’s too overwhelming. We have to figure this out now, though. Our healthcare providers are starting to burn out in hard-hit areas. They can’t sustain triage conditions forever.

This troubles me a great deal. A lot of people are burnt out and have given up or can’t cope with the reality this is how 2020 is going to be. Meanwhile, hospital systems are starting to reach capacity in new states. This is a marathon, not a sprint.