LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

What will we learn in our solitude?

The French philosopher Blaise Pascal famously wrote: “The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”

Can we then dare to believe that the unfamiliar solitude we are experiencing in our present forms of isolation will uncover within us a source of light and wisdom yet unknown to us?

Paul Empsall, Dollard-des-ormeaux

Barring partner helps no one

Re: “Hospital bars spouses from baby deliveries” (Montreal Gazette, April 6) As the husband of a pregnant med student mere days away from graduation, the importance of protecting frontline health-care workers is not lost on me. But I also dread the possibility of missing the birth of my son if other hospitals do as the Jewish General despite government assurances.

A spouse is more than a simple hospital visitor; nurses are only present for about 30 per cent of the labour. Studies have shown that women who deliver alone are 25 per cent more likely to require emergency caesareans, see a 10-per-cent increase in the use of pain medications, and experience longer labours by 41 minutes on average. Newborn babies are also 38 per cent more likely to have a low five-minute Apgar score, a sign that they need urgent medical attention.

Hospitals are the front lines of this pandemic. Staff members should assume everyone has the virus until proven otherwise. That means donning full protective equipment at all times — not robbing women of a positive birthing experience.

In any case, if the father has COVID -19, chances are that the pregnant woman he loves and cares for at home has it, too.

The World Health Organization said in March that “all pregnant women, including those with confirmed or suspected COVID -19 infections, have the right to high quality care,” which includes “having a companion of choice present during delivery.”

Forcing a parent to miss the birth of their child is cruel. But the policy also flies in the face of international guidelines, puts women and newborns at greater risk of harm and does little to protect hospital staff. Christopher Monette, Montreal

Something missing in COVID-19 guides

The Quebec government has put out a 24-page unilingual French guide for self-care during the COVID -19 pandemic while the Canadian government put out a single bilingual card on the same topic.

What should be made of the Quebec omission of English and the Canadian all-to-brief version?

Irwin Fruchter, St-laurent

Simpler times melting like snow

Last week, with the melting of snow in the front yard, we found our copy of the Montreal Gazette from Feb 7. It was fun reading about life in a simpler time.

Sure there was a quarter-page article buried on Page 4 about some virus in China, but the Habs had won the night before. In overtime.

Life must have been so different back then. (Sigh.)

Tom Robinson, Île-bizard

SHARE YOUR VIEWS: letters@montrealgazette.com