Panel encourages social distancing, using masks

Doctors say there is more illness in Henderson County

Jul 30, 2020

A panel of four Henderson County physicians met Tuesday night and encouraged residents to stay the course by wearing masks and social distancing to combat COVID-19.

The roundtable discussion was sponsored by the Henderson County Medical Society and featured Dr. Doug Curran, Dr. Chris Johnson, Dr. James Qualls, and Dr. Alice Splinter. (Watch the video below)

The doctors all agreed that COVID-19 is continuing to spread in our community.

“It is certainly the greatest health care crisis that I have seen in my 40-year career,” Dr. Curran said.

It isn’t just the increase in numbers, they said, but an increase in the amount of illness in the community.

“Yes, we are testing more, but there is more infection in the community,” said Dr. Johnson. “It is not just a matter of more testing being available. It is a matter of there being more sick people.”

And although the doctors discussed improvements in treating patients, they said the best preventative measures are the same ones we’ve heard for weeks.

“Wash your hands, stay six feet apart, wearing a mask,” said Dr. Curran. “These are just simple things we ought to do.”

Those guidelines become even more important as we get closer to the start of school.

“For school, I think the masks are crucial,” said Dr. Splinter. “And to have parents work with their kids and explain to them how important masks are.”

The doctors called following these rules a personal responsibility.

“You have a personal responsibility to not infect someone else if you have been exposed or you have it,” said Dr. Johnson.

Dr. Qualls said, “Taking a personal responsibility for this is a way we can hopefully curb this infection here in Henderson County.”

It is going to require everyone doing their part, according to Dr. Splinter.

“Everyone needs to remember we are all in this together,” she said. “It is going to take a team effort for us to flatten the curve and get back to normalcy.”