Submitted by Castlegar physician Dr. Megan Taylor
I am a family doctor in Castlegar and on Nov. 28 I was diagnosed with COVID-19. I am sharing what would normally be very personal health information, as I want my illness to be of value to our community.
I will never know for sure how I came into contact with the virus, and in the end it doesn’t matter. I followed the rules, but still got sick, not because I did something wrong, but because viruses spread and no protection method is perfect. There is a reason this virus has caused a global pandemic.
I would like to share with the citizens of Castlegar the following:
Corona virus/COVID-19 is real. It is not a hoax or an attempt by the government to control us. It is a virus that will make you sick if you catch it. Fortunately most people will recover, as I have.
Please, please follow the guidance of Dr. Henry. Particularly, we must commit to not visiting with others as we enter this holiday season. I know it is hard and we all miss seeing our friends and family. But, the best way to spread this virus is to spend time indoors and unmasked. Time and again we have seen how family dinners for special events have spread the virus. And as much as we want to see our loved ones, imagine if you were the person who accidentally gave your elderly gramma Covid 19.
Please do get tested if you have any symptoms. Don’t assume it is your allergies, or your asthma, or any other thing. It might be that, but do the safe thing, get tested and then isolate until your results are back.
If you know someone who does come down with COVID-19, please be kind to them. Don’t assume they were breaking the rules, and even if they were, still be kind to them. Our world needs more kindness.
Please do seek medical care if you need it. Don’t avoid the hospital or the doctor’s office because you are afraid of us or don’t want to burden the system. Your health is important. All the health problems that people have don’t go away just because we have a pandemic. Your medical community is here to care for you.
I want to wish every person in Castlegar a peaceful Holiday Season. We are a strong and resilient community. We can get through these next months together and look to a much brighter spring and summer.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Megan Taylor
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