One of the things that I personally can compare is the experience of being involved in public policy then closed to the pillars of government then back to private life. Moreover, the travails of living the challenges of life with limited resources, income, disability and now middle age life.
The last few months of this pandemic in the West had my own, my family, friends and saw other people lives change drastically. Some of these changes unfortunately has forever changed people lives and sadly I can count the number of friends and acquaintances that were lost directly or indirectly related due to this in these last months.
Let me start in March, my 91 year old US Army World War II Filipino Veteran father recovering from a Heart Surgery at the VA hospital for a while was suddenly threatened be discharged even if did not agree a the hospital's administration need's to make room for the influx of Covid-19 veteran patients. The explanation was my father was susceptible to be infected. But they were prepared let a 91 year old heart patient with a pacemaker, stage 2 chronic liver disease, gout, hypertension, Alzheimer's loose to a nursing facility where the covid-19 is death trap. Anyway, I'm not going to make a long story on this. My father was tested Covid-19 negative on March 31 and he was transferred to Contra Costa, CA in a Nursing facility on April 1 and on August25 was infected with Covid-19 with other residents from a staff outbreak. This is one example of the scenario of how this pandemic has been handled from early on in the absence of no guidance. As you can see how the specifics of he demographics in this case.
In June to July regardless how much you try to go online for example and try to get a city testing online in California it was impossible unless you answered you exhibited one of the symptoms of Covid-19. As we also, once you get tested the other issue was the back log on getting the results will take days or even weeks which takes the test useless. If you come to think of if even you get tested but you are exposed on daily basis to unknown individuals you really never know unless you are regularly tested.
Although it's a good thing that there are more places doing Rapid Testing today and Antigen testing there are still challenges. The CDC 2 days change their guidelines again about having anyone get tested if they exposed to those asymptomatic individuals. I'll give one example, On a visit to a testing site, there were a family of family of 5 from El Salvador. The people doing registration had N95 mask and gloves but no body PPE were taking ID's and Insurance cards. After which they go to the next area for the tester who takes the swabs who had the the complete PPE from mask, gloves and body, After 45 minutes the 5 individuals goes back to the testers and given the information they are Covid-19 positive. So going back to the individuals that took the registration, was the CDC guideline necessary?
The other issue is happening is on this testing is various realities. These 5 individuals live in 2 bedroom apartment together. The mother did not almost take the test as she did not have ID and insurance. We all know this opens up another issue. But for the purposes this pandemic discussion, without the credentials needed you need at least $150 get the Covid-19 Rapid test
200,000 Americans now dead from Covid-19, The Honorable Ruth Ginsberg just passed yesterday, with the flu around the fall, the best would be time to get your flu shot. Anyone with pre-existing conditions like myself have the fear on this Covid-19 and we never what can happen. Do I want a vaccine? Of course, but it has be not misleading like what when they told my father he can infected when the patients starts to come in when after all they only admitted less than 10 when when got rid of him.
