Community concern is high and rumours of COVID positive cases in our patch circulate almost as quickly as the misinformation.
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We are right to be concerned says Dr Simon Holliday, who runs a Mid North Coast respiratory clinic.
Dr Holliday has a firm opinion of the current risk posed to the region from the current outbreak which has locked down large parts of Newcastle and the Hunter region.
"I don't think it's a risk, I think it's a certainty. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," Dr Holliday said.
He echoes other medical professionals who say that COVID is going to be around for a very long time.
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If you're unvaccinated it will go down to your lungs, and that is when all the terrible, tragic stuff happens. It's a disaster and it's very hard to stop.
- Dr Simon Holliday
"Unfortunately we're all going to get COVID, every one of us, whether we're vaccinated or unvaccinated," he said.
"The difference is, if you're vaccinated it will get as far as your throat and your nose, and it will give you a cold, unless you've got some underlying terrible illness of the immune system.
"If you're unvaccinated it will go down to your lungs, and that is when all the terrible, tragic stuff happens. It's a disaster and it's very hard to stop.
"Everyone's saying "I'll just see how it goes", but when it comes, it's going to be too late.
"You don't clean your gutters on your roof just before the embers start forming. We have to realise this is a natural disaster and do what we can do to protect ourselves and our family, and that means get out and get vaccinated."
He is exhausted and admitted that COVID and the vaccination rollout are taking a toll on the mental health of medical professionals and their staff.
Health staff confronted by aggressive behaviour has not helped, nor has the relentless social media campaign of misinformation.
There are a lot of people who are foolish, who believe bizarre things. We can't let those people indirectly cause the death and illness in our community.
- Dr Simon Holliday
"We did 180 Pfizers on Saturday (July 31) and we had half a dozen over 60s bullying their way in, wouldn't take no for answer. Their backsides weren't going to move off the chair," Dr Holliday said.
"People who have been getting their information from Sky News and some of the extremists in the Liberal/National parties, and getting their information from Facebook, unfortunately they're putting themselves in a terrible position.
"We're doing all we can to help those people get to a safe position, but people have got to get their feet on the ground, get their head out of the internet, and stop listening to these people, who are evangelical, talking nonsense with conviction.
"There are a lot of people who are foolish, who believe bizarre things. We can't let those people indirectly cause the death and illness in our community.
"Unfortunately, you can't vaccinate against foolishness."
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