This is not the first time Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, a doctor at the University of Toronto’s Division of Infectious Disease, posts something about the new coronavirus on his personal facebook page.
His posts on latest updates about COVID-19 have been quite popular with some garnering hundreds or even thousands of shares, but one of his latest ones gained even more significant traction having been shared at least 1.1 million times.
"I'm a doctor and an Infectious Diseases Specialist", the first line reads and citing more than 20 years of experience in the field, he goes on to say that he's not scared of Covid-19 but rather the loss of reason and wave of fear it has brought with it.
"I am not scared of Covid-19. I am concerned about the implications of a novel infectious agent that has spread the world over and continues to find new footholds in different soil. I am rightly concerned for the welfare of those who are elderly, in frail health or disenfranchised who stand to suffer mostly, and disproportionately, at the hands of this new scourge. But I am not scared of Covid-19.
"What I am scared about is the loss of reason and wave of fear that has induced the masses of society into a spellbinding spiral of panic, stockpiling obscene quantities of anything that could fill a bomb shelter adequately in a post-apocalyptic world," an excerpt of this post reads.
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Dr. Sharkawy also criticises the panic-buying of N95 masks, which he says renders them scarce for hospitals and health workers and touches on the multifaceted impact of the global spread of the virus, from major event cancellations to travel restrictions among others.
But what he's mostly scared about, he exclaims, is "what message we are telling our kids when faced with a threat. Instead of reason, rationality, openmindedness and altruism, we are telling them to panic, be fearful, suspicious, reactionary and self-interested."
According to the medical professional, it is almost unavoidable for the virus to be "near" us at some point, but the way we react to it can make all the difference.
"I implore you all. Temper fear with reason, panic with patience and uncertainty with education. We have an opportunity to learn a great deal about health hygiene and limiting the spread of innumerable transmissible diseases in our society. Let's meet this challenge together in the best spirit of compassion for others, patience, and above all, an unfailing effort to seek truth, facts and knowledge as opposed to conjecture, speculation and catastrophizing. Facts not fear. Clean hands. Open hearts. Our children will thank us for it.".
Read the facebook post here.
