Central Maine health care providers: The only option we have is to stay home - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

To all fellow Mainers:

The coronavirus is in Maine. We do not know how many people are infected. As we write this, Maine has more than 100 confirmed cases and there are more than 40,000 cases nationally. As you are reading this, there will be many more. These numbers are a gross underestimation of the total number of people infected, as we are now only able to screen the severely ill for coronavirus as a result of a critical shortage of tests.

This virus is spreading rapidly. There is no cure and no immunization to protect us. Hospitals are becoming full. We do not have enough hospital beds or ventilators to care for the number of people that will become gravely ill. The health care system is running low on the gowns, gloves and masks that are worn by health care workers. We do not know when or if these problems will improve.

In brief, this virus is deadly and we cannot cure it, and our resources to care for people who become ill are limited.

The only way to slow the spread of this illness is with social distancing and isolating at home. This means distance from your friends, family and coworkers.

While this may seem like a drastic step, we have no other option.

Going out to visit even one or two other people runs the risk of spreading illness, as you spread the disease before you begin to feel sick. If we do not stay at home, thousands more will become ill and we will run out of resources to care for them. By staying at home you can protect yourself and the ones that you love from becoming sick and being unable to receive adequate medical care because our hospital systems are overrun.

Please protect yourself and loved ones by staying home.

Elizabeth Rothe, M.D.

Abigail Hoke, M.D.

Susan Abbott, F.N.P.

Muhammad Ahsan, D.O.

Laura Arnold, M.D.

Dianna Baker, M.D.

Elaine Balutis, M.D.

Catherine Batz, D.O.

Jordan Beall, P.A.

Nathaniel Bowling, M.D.

Benjamin Brown, M.D.