The Idaho Way: Surge of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients affects everyone’s health care

By Scott McIntosh, Opinion Editor

If you like this newsletter, forward to a friend or colleague, and they can sign up here.

Here’s a scary statement, from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s strategies during crisis standards of care:

“Universal DNR Order: Adult patients hospitalized during a public health emergency, when crisis standards of care have been declared, should receive aggressive interventions; however, they should receive NO attempts at resuscitation (compressions, shocks or intubation if not yet intubated) in the event of cardiac arrest. The likelihood of survival after a cardiac arrest is extremely low for adult patients. As well, resuscitation poses significant risk to health care workers due to aerosolization of body fluids and uses large quantities of scarce resources such as staff time, personal protective equipment, and lifesaving medications, with minimal opportunity for benefit.”

In other words, whether we’ve signed a “do not resuscitate” directive or not, every single one of us is now under a DNR directive in Idaho because we’ve reached crisis standards of care due to a deadly and overwhelming surge of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients in our hospitals.

This is just one example of how the decision to not wear a mask and not get a COVID-19 vaccine is more than just an individual choice.

Read what our editorial board is begging to do for your sake — and for everyone else’s.

Looking for civility among the F-bombs

President Biden’s welcoming committee between the Boise Airport and the National Interagency Fire Center certainly had parts of it that had a festive, carnival-like feel, complete with tents selling merchandise, happy, cheering people, horns honking. But then I saw the flag, “F--- Biden and f--- you for voting for him.” And then I saw another one. And another. And another. There must have been 100 or more of these flags and signs with the same variations on the theme. God bless our photographers trying to shoot photos that we can run in the paper.

Trying to find civility among the crowd was a challenge, but then I found Cyndi Bratcher.

Property tax solutions

Idaho’s property tax crisis requires real solutions, not scapegoating local government, writes the Idaho Democratic legislative leadership team.

One more 9/11 story

If you haven’t already read it, Bob Kustra’s account of narrowly avoiding being at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, is a must-read. You can read the full account here.

What you’re saying

This week, we’ve received letters on BSU football games as super-spreader events, the long and successful history of vaccine mandates, Idaho Legislature’s frivolity and the lack of critical thinking during Biden’s visit.

You can read those letters and more by clicking here.

You can submit a letter to the editor or guest opinion by clicking here.

Like this newsletter?

If you like this newsletter, forward to a friend or colleague, and they can sign up here.