CommentsRANTZ & RAVEZ-Our conversations have changed dramatically in recent weeks.
There is ever-present fear and anxiety no matter what the subject may be. Whether speaking about family issues, neighborhood concerns, work and financial obligations or a host of other subjects, it always comes back to a discussion of the novel Coronavirus and its impact on our lives.
As news reports list the increasing numbers of people who are gravely ill or have died from the illness around the world, our concerns become more intense and frightening. It’s very personal once we consider the impact on our families, friends and business associates.
In this world of instant remedies for most medical and social issues, there is no immediate resolve for the deadly (Covid-19) virus. The most intelligent and successful scientists, doctors and others in the world of science and medicine have not been able to find a cure for this slow and painful illness that in thousands of cases brings a painful and slow death. It is hard to believe that something we can’t see is causing such anxiety among millions of people around the world.
Christians have just celebrated Palm Sunday and the start of Passover has begun as we approach Easter Sunday and Ramadan. During this most holy season, we are not able to attend services in our houses of worship. A new normal requires us to remain at a distance from others, secure in our residences for the immediate future. Watching religious services on the internet or TV is not the same as being with fellow worshipers and members of the clergy.
The newly created California Health Corps has been established and recruited over 80,000 retired healthcare workers and graduating medical students to join the dedicated and professional medical professionals staffing hospitals and host of other medical facilities where people are risking their lives treating those in need of medical attention. We thank them all for their sacrifice and dedication to help save lives.
With thousands of Californians at risk, we are all obligated to follow the rules that require distance between people and now the mandatory wearing of face masks in public. When we venture away from home, we must don a mask and gloves for protection. A reminder: the gloves should be disposed of in a trash can and not thrown on the ground in parking lots. It is time for all of us to band together and follow the rules established to protect everyone.
Stay healthy and avoid calling 911 in LA County if you are having a heart attack during the current COVID-19 Pandemic. These are not normal or routine times.
Dr. Marianne Gausche-Hill, medical director of the LA County Emergency Medical Services Agency has signed a policy that is now in effect. This policy is intended to reduce the number of high-risk patients flooding emergency rooms during the pandemic. The policy which could apply to 911 patients with heart attack and drug overdoses as well as those with COVID-19, instructs first responders to wait and see whether a patient loses heart function again within five minutes after being revived before transporting them to a hospital.
The aim is to keep people who are likely to die out of hospitals, which are expected to soon be overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients as the situation worsens. The message here is simply stay healthy, stay home and stay safe.
May God bless us as we live another week with anxiety and fear during this most trying time in our history.
(Dennis P. Zine is a former and retired LAPD Supervisor, former and retired 12-year Los Angeles City Councilman and current General Manager at Bell Canyon in Ventura County. Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.)
