What Will Make People Take The Pandemic Seriously? | Five To Save

The numbers are in, and they're abysmal.

And we're not just talking about the second-and-third-wave coronavirus case surge that we all expected to hit this fall and winter. 

No, the real problem remains what it's been for a while: not enough people taking the pandemic seriously enough. Not enough public precautions against infection and transmission. Not enough flexibility and creativity in the supply chain. 

We're sorry that this week's five news stories don't have the stubborn optimism of our last Five To Save. But this week's five news stories have something else that's at least as important: truth. 

1. Poll results show the changes in public opinion about vaccination. Regardless of the change in differing populations - in all the ways you might expect - not enough people are committed to being vaccinated. 
   
   
2. It's crucial that healthcare providers do the utmost to convince their communities to follow vaccination protocol, and not just because of public health. From a purely business perspective, keep in mind that 2/3 of patients are prepared to switch providers based on coronavirus response. 
   
   
3. Government agencies are doing as much as they can, advising the public not to gather with family and friends this holiday season - no, really, that means you - but allowing that, if you test negative before and after gatherings, you can shorten your quarantine between gatherings. 
   
   
4. So how can organizations like the government and your facilities and you yourself influence others to be safer? Change your language slightly, according to these study results. Saying "pandemic," "protocol," and a few other key phrases may make all the difference. 
   
   
5. And, when words fail, use that thing that's worth a thousand of them: animated video testimonials showing the horrors that many providers are experiencing on a daily basis. 
   
   
   (And if they're more fond of fictional convincing, here's a doctor analyzing the COVID-19 episode of The Good Doctor.) 

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