Letter from the Editor: ENTtoday Promises to Inform, Highlight Humanity During COVID-19 Crisis

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Like everyone else in the world, the publishing industry and ENTtoday are adapting to life in the COVID-19 era. Amidst the daily news of PPE shortages and increasing cases and deaths, the newest in immunotherapy for head and neck cancer and the latest revision rhinoplasty technique don’t necessarily seem as interesting right now. We’re in a fight—to help our patients, protect ourselves and loved ones, and to imagine what our practices will look like once the COVID-19 surge is over. At ENTtoday, we’ll try to put a voice to not only the struggles and anxieties but also the hope and bravery that surround us. When life hands us lemons, we’ll make lemonade.

To that end, we’re focusing much of our content on COVID-19 and how it affects our daily lives. Some timely stories will be placed online, as things can change dramatically and rapidly. We were among the first otolaryngology news sources to write about the potential novel coronavirus transmission in aerosol-generating procedures such as endoscopic sinus surgery. We’ll also cover the business perspectives of practices, large and small, as well as those of our industry partners, as they navigate these uncertain times. Our Literature Reviews will focus on data-driven COVID-19 articles from all sources. Richard Holt’s article this month is a beautiful summary of the ethical issues swimming in our heads as we deal with the anxiety and uncertainty of treating patients who may or may not have COVID-19. How do we take care of them and keep our businesses alive while protecting ourselves and our loved ones, who unwittingly share in the risks we take?

Through all of this, ENTtoday will remain true to its core mission: to not only inform but to highlight the humanity in our specialty and the special responsibility we have been gifted with. Amongst the daily depressing stories of deaths, the lack of ICU beds, and the diminishing PPE supply for front-line providers, there have been heart-lifting stories of the public’s respect and admiration for what we do. There’s the nightly applause that cities around the world have performed in support of healthcare workers. A man in Detroit used $900 he had saved for a knife-sharpening tool to buy gas for nurses on their way to work. A cardiologist in Minnesota was pulled over by a state trooper for speeding. Noticing used N95 masks in her purse, he let her go without a ticket and then gave her his personal stash of N95 masks, as he thought she needed them more than he did. Hearing these stories is a much-needed boost to the psyche and a reminder of the support we enjoy. We will get through this, and we’ll do it together.

I leave you with a quote from author Mary Anne Radmacher: “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” Please stay safe everyone, and I look forward to connecting soon. 

—Alex