Novel Corona (COVID-19)

In the United States, let alone the rest of the world has faced and been tasked with combating another stage in the evolution of Hazardous pathogens. With the widespread affliction that the novel Coronavirus would have on the world of healthcare. Was faced with magnitudes of circumstances that impacted the way healthcare would operate, some anticipated and others not so. When the government first was advised of the disease much of the circumstances and response was reflectant on the past circumstances such as in the case of an N1H1 (bird flu virus), and ebola. Little would it be known the significant effect it would place on the existence of the world.

In the Emergency service community, the struggles that went beyond that of the media’s narrow view of what the front lines actually were. Resources and supplies that were reported and needed by the hospitals were needed by Emergency services were in cases needed at twice or more the rate of consumption.

Emergency crews during the height of the pandemic would often find themselves in compromised circumstances whereas it mattered who, how much, often, and what was exposed to the virus. Cleaning supplies which could effectively decontaminate were in high demand and short supply. Respiratory protection little too often was available, actually provided protection, or was already compromised. Personnel’s morale was defeated and battered. Where some were unable to go home to family out of risk of cross-infection, or consumed by the lack of ability to help those affected forced or unable to reach those not because of extensive decontamination.

Services from distant rural environments to inner cities ability to be able to protect personnel and treat patients ranged significantly. Corona which has affected the lives of over 99 million lives in the United States has now come to a state where the world is now in a flux of common state. In which practices of treating patients is now assumed to be a state of infection source / potential just going to any type of medical facility.

Understanding of the virus from the very beginning was rife with deep misunderstandings much of which study has either objectively illuminated or put to rest aspects lacking concise clarity. The virus which is now known to affect the lungs, heart, pulmonary system, nervous system, the brain and many other systems throughout the body. However much of today’s response is simply coping with the coexistence of this now endemic, still triggers much skepticism that our would-be pillars of society understand and will intervene these shortcomings in respect to the common place of Medicine.

Governments and hospitals with returning to a normal level of operation and cases seen per day now allow for reasonable remediation by supply and technology to appropriately address the working environments and safety concerns needed. The protections once only afforded to the hospitals and Government in the forms of the N95s, face shields, gowns, Tyvek coveralls, air filtration, and contactless disinfectant systems which were critical to patient care now find their place on a case by case scenario. Leading to questions which beg to ask, what practices in healthcare need to change?

Covid now poised for its 4th year, with 6.6 million deaths and many of the community not expecting an end, permanently residing in existence along with the seasonal flu. While we have done well to address many aspects in treating preventable death. With light showing aspects of arbitrary or politically ambiguous data. Leads the questions: Where do we go as a society from here? What does the Healthcare systems need to change? Or what has been learned but not addressed in the limitations currently faced in the nation’s emergency services flawed response structure? Those who truly look at the case studies will find that the circumstances behind Corona could have objectively been addressed from the very start. Exemplified by the response of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic ending in April 1920 with 50 million deaths. As the famous quote once said, “Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.” – George Santayana 1905 & Winston Churchill 1948