upper waypoint

Eric Yeh: Home Front

02:03
Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

 (Eric Yeh)

For most of us, the do’s and don’ts of the pandemic are mostly simple ones. But for the doctors and health care workers on the front lines, nothing is simple. Eric Yeh, recording from his home, has this Perspective.

Stay home. Practice social distancing. Wash your hands.

Simple instructions yet they have been hard for so many to follow. “This is America,” I have heard one person say, “and I get to do what I want.”

Yet, my wife does not have a choice. She is a primary care physician in Santa Clara County one of the counties in the country hardest hit by COVID-19. She doesn’t get to stay home. She doesn’t get to practice social distancing. She can only wash her hands, so much so that the back of her hands ache from the constant barrage of soap and sanitizer.

She faces ever-changing guidelines. She lacks the necessary medical supplies to protect her, and she sees patients who sometimes choose not to disclose that they are ill.

Sponsored

As much as I selfishly want her to stay home with me, our two dogs, and our daughter who is about to turn one, I am reminded of the sacred oath she took when she chose to be a doctor. I am also reminded of the many classmates, residents and attending physicians who took the oath alongside her. They too are brothers, sisters, husband, wives, fathers and mothers. They too are risking their lives for us.

So, for those of us who are fortunate enough to have the choice, please stay home. You have the luxury to do many of the things you've been wanting to do. Read that book, listen to that podcast and make that recipe you’ve been meaning to. The sooner all of us do these things together, the sooner this crisis will be over.

After all, this is America, and I know that this is a country that cares for one another.

With a perspective, I’m Eric Yeh.

Eric Yeh is a proud husband and father living on the Peninsula.

lower waypoint
next waypoint