Indiana doctors urge anti-coronavirus pledge as deaths surge
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A group of Indiana doctors is urging people to sign an online pledge that they will take action to slow the spread of the coronavirus as the state faces a COVID-19 death rate that keeps going higher.
State health officials on Friday added 71 recent coronavirus deaths to Indiana's toll. At least 50 people with COVID-19 infections have died in the state every day for 25 straight days through Wednesday.
Indiana reported 50 coronavirus deaths on one day in April, followed by several days in single digits as recently as September until surging past the 50 mark again in mid-November.
The Hoosier COVID Crisis petition, launched this week, calls for people to avoid gatherings, wear face masks, get the vaccine when it's available and advocate for government financial support for those suffering the pandemic's economic effects.
Dr. Gabriel Bosslet, a petition organizer who has treated COVID-19 patients at Indianapolis hospitals, said he believes most people follow virus precautions, but that signing the pledge will send the message about the seriousness of the disease to those who refuse to take actions such as wearing masks when out in public.
'œThis is a voice for those people to say, we're all in this together,'ť Bosslet told The Indianapolis Star. 'œI think the minority is very vocal and the majority didn't have a microphone.'ť
Indiana's surge in new COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths began in September about the time Gov. Eric Holcomb lifted nearly all statewide business restrictions while keeping a statewide mask order in effect. Holcomb has reinstated crowd size limits and ordered Indiana hospitals to postpone non-emergency surgeries starting next week.
Indiana's hospitals are currently treating more than quadruple the number of COVID-19 patients than they were in September, with health officials worried about hospitals becoming overwhelmed.
Dr. Lyle Fettig, a palliative care physician at Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis, said he would like to see Indiana adopt restrictions similar to those in Michigan, which has prohibited in-person instruction at high schools and colleges, barred indoor restaurant dining and closed various entertainment venues.
'œWe could use more targeted restrictions of places where the virus spreads easily,'ť Fettig said. 'œI'm hoping that wide endorsement of the message throughout the state would signal to leaders like the governor that many people do see a role for the state intervening more.'ť
Indiana health officials have recorded nearly 6,700 deaths of people with confirmed or presumed coronavirus infections since March. The state's seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths has reached 70 per day - more than double the rate at the start of November. That average fell below 10 a day during July.
Bosslet, who started the Hoosier COVID-19 Update Facebook page, said he often hears from people outside the healthcare profession worried about the state's coronavirus trends. More than 5,000 people have signed the online pledge as of Friday.
'œThere's no way otherwise to quantify how many of us are in this tribe, this tribe that believes this is real, ongoing,'ť he said. 'œThis is a way for those people to all come together.'ť