Salt Lake County ads say: “We need to do more” about coronavirus crisis
Nov 12, 2020, 2:35 PM | Updated: 3:02 pm
Dr. Swaminathan with the University of Utah Health explaining his experience with COVID-19 in a new ad campaign by SLCo. Credit: Salt Lake County
SALT LAKE CITY– Salt Lake County has a new campaign with ads featuring people affected by the coronavirus crisis. The individuals involved in the ads also explain that the health-care system is strained.
The ads include Stephanie Deer who claims her sister couldn’t receive care for her heart attack in Riverton and later died.
Another has a University of Utah doctor who says you may not get care after you are in a car accident or have a broken leg if the emergence room is full.
Salt Lake County Health spokesperson Nicolas Rupp says they don’t want to scare people from going to the hospital, but they want people to understand the gravity of the situation.
“If someone needs hospital care, they need to seek it out. Hopefully, it will be available, hopefully, everyone is doing their part enough that our hospital system can handle this surge and care will be available,” he said.
“We need to do more,” than recent restrictions, said Deer during a Zoom news conference with Rupp and Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson.
Wilson said the county and state are in a crisis right now.
“I’ve been wrong a couple of times, earlier I said the worst was behind us. I also said we would be close to having Covid wrapped up by now, and that is not the case,” she said.
One of the coronavirus ads has a woman who says she is still suffering different symptoms from getting coronavirus earlier this year. Lisa O’Brien founded “Utah Long-Haulers,” who are patients experiencing lingering symptoms of the virus for one, two or even three months.
“I feel like it’s great that they are doing something now, but we may need to look at further measures,” said O’Brien at the news conference.
