Physician Health & Wellness

in the Era of the COVID-19

BY DOUGLAS P. MURPHY, MD

“What is wellness? A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” World Health Organization

As I began writing this second installment on the series, “Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19” I was struck by how much had changed in the last 6 months regarding COVID-19. Based on my research for the first article and the favorable trajectory of the pandemic was taking, my thesis for this second article seemed set: “Physician Health & Wellness in the Era of COVID-19 in the Rearview Mirror: A World Coming Out of Pandemic.”

At that time there was much of this hope and optimism. Coming out of the horror of the pandemic-ravaged Winter, this hope was desperately needed. Baseball was back, and though the Yankees weren’t doing well, people were watching and they were having fun! Businesses, restaurants, and theatres were opening. People were making plans; they were getting back to living life. New York City was hosting an international flagship event cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic: the US Open, one of the so-called Grand Slam events of tennis. This US Open was unique as sport history of the highest order. Novac Djokovic, a favorite to win, would accomplish two historic feats: break the record for Grand Slam victories at 21; and completing the “Calendar Slam,” winning all 4 Grand Slams in a single year. This had not been accomplished in the men’s tennis since Rod Laver did it 52 years ago in 1969. Considering the shocking state the city was in just 6 months before, the change was remarkable. Flushing Meadows was alive with smiles and activity. People were relaxed, casual in conversations, and having fun. As I watched it seemed to me that both Djokovic and New York City were climbing their own Mt. Everest, one for tennis glory, and the other for a place out of the horror that had been the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sadly, it was not meant to be. Djokovic did not summit his Mt. Everest being taken down in the final by a surgent Danil Medvedev. New York City was unknowingly beset with another surge of COVID-19: the Delta Variant.

Better Days Ahead: The Rollout of Vaccines

By March 2021, case rates were dropping, and vaccines were rolling out with great demand. At that time, it was conceivable that 70-85% of the population could be vaccinated before the onset of the fall flu. An end to the pandemic seemed to be in sight. Three vaccines were approved for Emergency Use: Pfizer/ Biontech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

However, a series of new variants began to cloud the picture with potentially dangerous properties that could threaten to