SO CAL -- COMMUNICATION -- TECHNOLOGY

  

Writing here becomes increasingly challenging for me to avoid discussing the issue dominating in the USA today as it likely does in other nations around the world.    Most specifically in the state of California and county of Los Angeles where I live, escalating COVID 19 is spreading through all ages bringing the obvious potential for mild to severe illness, even the possibility of life and death.      

As a former health care worker in U.S. medical settings I am raging angry at the politicized medical distortions promulgated from the White House for too long, minimizing the seriousness of this COVID 19’s effects on our nation’s citizens -- the neglect of timely preventative measures to slow the disease spreading, including lack of availability of diagnostic tests – the failure to effectively provide personal protective equipment and adequate working medical equipment, including respirators and ventilators for nurses and doctors use to save patient’s lives and their own as State governments have sought help.  

Should you wonder about the meanings of some Coronavirus terms such as those last two prominent now, click on this Vox site link.   

Following the Administration’s lead the echo chamber of one national media outlet and other ill-informed broadcasters continue their pattern of all too often dispensing misleading manipulative reports masquerading as factual news which I find dangerous and insulting as people capable of critical thinking recognize.  Efforts to contradict accounts from those medical workers who are actually providing the patient treatments, also blaming responsible press reporting those actual facts as hyping is nothing short of criminal distortions of truth.    

Here in California, So Cal, in keeping with sane precautions we’re increasingly being ordered to stay inside our homes.  We stay in our yards, may walk on our streets in a limited manner but basically confine ourselves.   Pacific Ocean coastal beaches, piers, parks and hiking trails, including those popular in my city, have had to be closed since too many individuals frequented the areas compromising voluntary social distancing requirements.  Trips for essentials at grocery stores, pharmacies, drive-thru restaurants are still acceptable.   

We’ve had only one person diagnosed with COVID 19 in my city to date.   We’re about 30 miles east of Los Angeles with multiple cities in between all running into one another, some of which have residents with the virus.  An immediately adjacent city is the location of one of our hospitals where the first Los Angeles County virus diagnosed patient died.   A student at one of our city’s five undergraduate colleges and two graduate schools was diagnosed with the virus.  Immediately all colleges cancelled on site classes for the remaining semester with students leaving campus and the city as their dormitories closed. Airports such as Los Angeles (LAX) are virtually vacant as few people are flying commercially.

The United States Navy Hospital Ship “Mercy” docked at L.A.’s San Pedro, like USN’s “Comfort” recently docked in New York, is accepting non-COVID 19 patients from hospitals to free bed availabilities for expected inundations of infected patients in April needing admission at those facilities. 

“Take a video tour of the USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) hospital ship. The Mercy class of hospital ships are converted supertankers now used by the United States Navy as naval ambulances. In this video: Interior medical spaces, engine room, pilothouse, and various other spaces.”

Californians hope the proactive preventative measures instituted by our Governor Newsom and L.A. Mayor Garcetti, if followed by citizens, will minimize the adverse consequences COVID 19 threatens.  Would that our Federal Government’s leaders had been and would still be more concerned for citizens welfare, be capable of implementing more effective problem-solving actions other than belatedly reacting in a hodge-podge manner.  

Despite how well we plan for ourselves and our families, unexpected events can even upset our best efforts.   Recent news in the Los Angeles area reports a community that has had an extensive power outage still being repaired as I write this.  Families are lamenting the lengthy outage duration has resulted in their losing refrigerated food they had purchased to use through this COVID 19 isolation period creating a variety of problems for them. 

On a more positive note, individuals all over the country are sewing masks, though not usually designed to meet the N95s medical filter level status, they do function with varying degrees of protection.  These are being distributed to hospital staffs in the creators’ areas.

One of several mask creators in the L.A. area most recently catching my attention is a Downs Syndrome man who initiated the idea with his sister who has joined and assisted him in making masks for doctors and nurses.  Are there individuals or groups where you live aiding as those sewing masks, for example,  in combatting this COVID 19?

My thoughts are with each of you who read here, wherever you are in the world.  I do hope you are safe, have been able to amply prepare to nourish yourselves adequately and stay well, especially if confined indoors.  For those of us who have friends and loved ones living elsewhere that we can’t unite with in person, we can be glad for technology that offers us various ways to interact. 

Friends of mine who have a large family scattered about So Cal and Nevada typically have family gatherings at varying family members’ homes on several holiday occasions each year.   Plans are being made for them to have an audio video collective group gathering at a designated time on a web site offering such capability this next holiday.   I may propose something similar to my much smaller family unit, but one scattered from coast to coast and north to south borders. 

What technological approach would you propose using or recommend?   For example, I have Face Time on my Apple devices.  My friends may use Zoom.   This recent New York Times article discussed this very topic.

What innovative ideas do you have for bridging the separation gap from others?

What togetherness activity as my friends plan appeals to you with friends and loved ones?   

Might you consider such a get-together in the future?