Helping to spread the word
West coast doctors taking to Facebook Live to provide information on COVID-19
CORNER BROOK — From working in assessment clinics to running the dedicated floors in hospitals, family doctors in western Newfoundland are on the frontlines of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s one of those things that family physicians just tend to be the ones that fit into all the different nooks and crannies of the system to help support it,” said Dr. Amy Pieroway, a family physician in Corner Brook and the chief of family medicine with Western Health.
Pieroway, and Dr. David Thomas, a family physician in Port aux Basques and Western Health’s chief of staff for rural south, are among those leading the way in the western region by helping educate the public. Thomas has been sharing information through daily Facebook posts for more than a month. He said it’s about giving people the information they trust.
“And so, fortunately, people still trust their family doctors.”
Thomas and Pieroway and are also members of the Long Range Family Practice Network. The network has been doing different things to address the COVID-19 situation and during a recent discussion the idea of doing something through social media came up.
“To help spread information and try to combat misinformation,” explained Thomas.
Since Thomas had been using social media to share information already, it made sense that he would take the lead, and he asked Pieroway to help.
“We connect frequently based on concerns and worries that we’ve had through this process for our communities, for our colleagues, for our patients,” she said.
With full support from Western Health, the two decided to start a weekly Facebook Live event, using a platform where both can appear at the same time. The first one was on April 19 and focused on a history of the virus. “How we got to where we are,” said Thomas.
The plan is to do one every Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
Last week’s featured information on how the virus moves and propagates, and what things like immunity and flattening the curve mean.
“All the words that people have probably been hearing and wondering about and trying to keep it in as simple language as possible.”
In coming weeks, they will have guests including Dr. Monika Dutt, the acting medical officer of health for western and central, and other people from Western Health to talk about preparations and what people can expect when visiting facilities. Thomas and Pieroway will also answer questions live and from a list they’ve received prior to each event.
“A lot of the patient encounters that I’ve had recently have kind of had the flavour of COVID in the background, because it’s creating a lot of anxiety and unpredictability in the world. And that tends to not go well when you’re trying to be healthy and create a system in your life that allows you to take care of yourself,” said Pieroway.
“I think it’s an easier thing to ask your questions to physicians that you know rather than to put them out to the void of the internet and hope you’re getting good advice back.”
Both say the questions they’ve received have been good and well thought out — things like what’s the difference between self-isolation and social distancing, what it means for a home to have someone self-isolate, who can travel with whom, how do masks work, should you wear a mask, how long will this last and how long will it take to get a vaccine.
At one point more than 300 people were following the first live broadcast and it’s since had over 5,000 views.
“Even though we’ve created it for our own local communities, to service those communities, I think it’s spread a little bit wider afield than that,” said Pieroway.
This week the province has seen several days with no new cases, but both doctors say that doesn’t mean people should relax.
“In fact, it should be incentive to keep going,” said Thomas.
He said to get to 14 days or even past then, maybe there can be thoughts of changing approaches or lightening restrictions.
“But we can’t even think about that while we think there might be community spread. We have to remember what we do right now doesn’t come into play for two weeks’ time.”
Pieroway agrees it should be motivation to continue doing what we’ve been doing.
“Which is stay inside, and stay safe and protect the people that we love.”