Dr. Winston D. McIver, Jr. Delivers Weekly COVID-19 Updates

Since April 2020, Dr. Winston D. McIver, Jr. of Waccamaw Primary Care in Conway, SC, dedicates his time to provide weekly COVID-19 updates to social media viewers on Facebook and Youtube. Dr. McIver collects information from various sources, including the CDC, DHEC, and other medical resources, to compose a report that is backed by statistics with recommendations that focus on public health and safety. McIver’s insights on the impact of the virus give viewers an idea of the severity of the pandemic and why people must adhere to the medical guidelines to help alleviate the spread of the virus.

“People should not play around with this [virus] because it is serious. It is unfortunate that people are making this a political item when it is a public health issue, “ said McIver. Underlying medical or health conditions and the lack of access to healthcare have caused a disproportionate amount of cases and deaths throughout cities all across the country. However, the virus is no respecter of persons when it comes to the diagnosis; under-served or underrepresented populations tend to have a lesser chance of recovery from this virus. Unfortunately, there will be more cases. McIver implores people to be vigilant about following the necessary protocols to stay safe and curve the virus.

Statistics show that the United States is still leading in cases and deaths across the globe. Dr. McIver explains that people are getting COVID weary as well as medical physicians because the fight appears to be without end. Several challenges exist inside of this health crisis, including delays in delivery of medicine, pre-existing conditions that are untreated and out of control, and political factors. What remains clear is that the United States has four percent of the world’s population, but 24% of the coronavirus cases in the world are in the US, and 22% of the world’s deaths are in the United States. We are not out of the woods. By the end of the year, the United States will have well over 200,000 deaths due to COVID-19. Dr. McIver gives the analogy of six 737 airplanes crashing every day for two months, which equals the number of deaths (approximately 1,000 per day) in the United States. By the end of 2020, the United States will see 230,000 deaths of Americans due to COVID-19.

Here are some health protocols that you should follow to mitigate the spread of the virus and lessen your chances of contracting the disease if exposed to the virus:

· If you believe you have COVID-19, get tested and self-quarantine immediately

· If you are in a crowd and you are closer than 6 ft for longer than 15 minutes to other people, you raise your chances of contracting COVID-19 if you are around someone exposed to the virus – get tested, self-quarantine

· If you are around anyone who was exposed, get tested. Don’t assume that you are not affected because you do not have any symptoms

· Wear a mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing

Dr. McIver stresses the fact that, at this time, the virus is the constant, and people are the variable, which means that to change the impact of this virus is to change people’s attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors towards COVID-19. There are a lot of concerns about returning to work and school – school and college athletics are restarting. People are anxious to get back to what feels normal in our world. The truth of the matter is that the new norm now includes a virus that is not going away anytime soon. People must do their part to respect each other’s concerns about the virus.

McIver states, “I say this with sincerity; I say this with concern. “if we don’t take care of this problem, it will continue to be a problem. The virus isn’t going anywhere. People are still getting sick. The hospitals are still adjusting how they have people come in. It may not affect you, but it may affect someone you love – your grandma, your auntie, your family. When we know better, we are to do better. It’s clear – wear the mask. Practice social distancing.”

COVID-19 is not a political condition – it is a health condition that has taken on a political personality. The science of this virus evolves and is the factor that shows us how our world continues to shift into a dismal state of being for humankind if our country does not do something to change its spread and vitality. We must be good stewards of our environment and people in general.

You can watch the Network LIVE weekly broadcast on Facebook every Friday at 4:00 pm for COVID-19 reports and specials topics related to business, medicine, and more. Visit the broadcast page on this site to tune in.