Sometimes common sense gets run over by the forces of political correctness. Such thinking is at the heart of the debate playing out in the Supreme Court this very week.

As an orthopedic surgeon, I do nearly 100% of my surgery in an ambulatory surgery center. Although complications are very rare, I must maintain hospital admitting privileges at a nearby hospital in case one of my patients needs hospitalization after surgery. This is a logical and necessary precaution. It does not hamper my ability to do surgery in any way.

However, when it comes to doing abortions, pro-choice advocates want to deny their patients the same safety precautions. They want to risk the lives of women having abortions in the name of “reproductive rights.” What is behind such illogical thinking?

Dr. Christina Francis, an Ob-Gyn doctor, tries to explain this conundrum in an article in The Wall Street Journal. The case being debated by SCOTUS, June Medical Services v. Russo, concerns a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the site of the abortion. Despite the reasonableness of this law, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has weighed in with an amicus brief that opposes the law. They say the law requirements aren’t “medically justified” and therefore constitutes an “undue burden” on a woman’s right to abortion.

Dr. Francis correctly points out that uncontrolled uterine bleeding after an abortion can lead to death in as little as 10 minutes. She believes the required admitting privileges should be much closer than 30 miles for this reason. Opponents might argue that would limit the convenience of finding an abortion provider in rural areas. Most people would argue safety is more important than the convenience of a short drive to the abortion facility. Dr. Francis agrees.

Pro-abortion activists would gain some credibility if they agreed that women seeking an abortion deserve the same safety precautions as any other patient undergoing surgery. Instead, they make the indefensible argument that their patients are somehow immune to complications and don’t need such precautions. The two abortion providers in this case argue that admitting privileges provide no health or safety benefits. They insist such routine medical precautions are aimed at curbing abortion and impose an undue burden on women seeking abortion.

Physicians must meet rigorous standards of certification, licensing, and practice experience without frequent complications to be granted hospital admitting privileges. Is it possible the doctors objecting to these requirements are complaining because they can’t meet such standards? Should women seeking abortion be subjected to substandard physicians?

When women are sent to a hospital for emergency treatment after an abortion, and the abortion provider does not accompany the patient, they are forced to find an alternative Ob-Gyn doctor, like Dr. Francis, to treat their emergency condition. Dr. Francis frequently finds herself in this situation and rarely, if ever, receives direct communication from the abortion provider. This increases the risks to the patient. There is simply no need for these unnecessary risks. Those who support a woman’s right to abortion should also support a woman’s right to the best medical care possible. It’s just common sense.

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Here is an update on the virus situation in our country from the CDC as of 3/7/20 with a comparison of the influenza and corona virus to keep our perspective concerning the serious nature of each virus. (see last week’s post (Corona Virus is Coming- Should We be Worried?)

There is a virus spreading throughout our country and thousands will be infected soon if they aren’t already. Nearly 80,000 Americans will probably die before the year is over. Should we be worried?

The name of that virus is influenza. In 2017, 959,000 Americans were hospitalized with influenza virus and 79,400 died. There is no reason to believe the 2019-2020 flu season will be much better. Yet only 37% of adults aged 18-49 in America got a flu vaccine that year and only 60% of adults aged 65 and above. Clearly, America does not take the influenza virus very seriously.(Flu Shot or Not?)

I share those statistics with you for one reason – perspective.

Yesterday, President Trump and his Corona Virus Task Force met with the media to discuss the current state of the union with regard to the threat of the corona virus. As of yesterday, there were 24 known cases of corona virus in the United States and there was one reported death in the state of Washington. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), perhaps the world’s leading authority on control of infectious diseases, spoke to the media.

Dr. Fauci reassured Americans that everything possible is being done to control the spread of the corona virus in this country. President Trump eliminated all travel from China several weeks ago as an early preventive measure to limit the spread of the disease in this country. All Americans returning from China have been quarantined for at least 14 days as an added precaution. Yesterday, the president and his task force announced travel restrictions from other countries where the virus is spreading, including Iran, South Korea, and parts of southern Italy. Restrictions from entry across our southern border are in consideration.

Most reassuring, to me, was Dr. Fauci’s characterization of the corona virus’ behavior. Much like influenza, it is spread by airborne contaminants and close contact with infected patients. Also, like influenza, the vast majority of patients have mild to moderate symptoms and can be treated at home. About 80%, like influenza, will not need hospitalization and will recover without incident. Only about 20% will require medical treatment including possible hospitalization and only a small percentage of those will die. Most of the fatal cases, but not all, will occur in those with compromised immune systems and concurrent medical diseases such as chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, diabetes, or obesity. Such was the case in the one patient in the U.S. who died recently from the disease.

China now reports 39,002 people have been cured of their corona virus infection and discharged. About 37,000 Chinese people remain infected. South Korea has 3,150 cases with four fatalities.

The Corona Virus Task Board yesterday declared the risk to Americans is still low. People can protect themselves by taking many of the same steps they should be taking to prevent contracting or spreading influenza including:

• Get a flu shot
• Wash your hands frequently
• Avoid contact with people who are sick
• Stay home if you are sick
• Masks are more important for the sick than the healthy – The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, recently pleaded with Americans to “Stop Buying Masks” because they are of little value to most people and should be reserved for use by sick patients and healthcare providers.

Americans should take this virus seriously, but they should also take influenza seriously. At this point, the influenza virus has proven a much more serious threat to our health than the corona virus. That may change soon, but there is certainly no reason to panic. We have more to fear from fear itself than from this new virus.