Good morning Winnipeg.

Got a message overnight that I'm not going to respond directly to (because it was mean and unnecessary) but a bit of a thread, if you'll permit me.

People who don't believe our hospitals are overcrowded and that health care staff are overwhelmed should perhaps consider:

Our hospitals were ALREADY overcrowded before COVID.

When people think of overcrowded hospitals, they think of what they've seen on TV - impossibly gorgeous health care staff running through hallways as disaster after disaster unfolds.

It's a Hollywood vision that rarely actually happens.

Our hospitals may not LOOK overcrowded, but they are. How do we know? Wait times.

Think about it. If there were no wait times, then that means there is room in the hospital.

There's no room in the hospital to have your hip replaced right away.

There's no room in the hospital to have your knee surgery right away.

There's no room in the hospital to see you immediately unless you're on the verge of imminent death.

Remember 20 years ago when everyone was up in arms about hallway medicine? It's still happening - just some of those people are now in their homes instead of the hallways, waiting.

So, now, we add COVID (and potentially, influenza) to the mix.

Those admitted to hospital with COVID are in danger of death. But there's no room, because the hospitals are overcrowded.

So other things get cancelled. Like my surgery, for the second time.

This is done to prevent those Hollywood-esque scenes you're so used to seeing. Because NO ONE wants that to happen. EVER. And I pray we never, ever see that here in Manitoba, or Canada, or anywhere, frankly.

So the hospitals may not LOOK overcrowded, but they are. Because they already were.

I am fine with my surgery being cancelled, because I would rather not have the potential slow-moving disaster that is COVID run amok.

Anyways, that's my thread for today.

Virtually hug a health care worker (and a teacher, and a journalist, and a retail worker on the front lines) because they are all tired. So tired.

I know you're tired too. Hang in there. We are going to make it.