I am the father of a 4 year old. Like everyone else, I went through the different stages of COVID: fear, insecurity and then COVID fatigue. I wonder when we can be “normal” again and not have to wear masks everywhere. I long for the day when I don’t have to worry about a new seasonal variant that threatens my aging parents and my too young child for a vaccination. But I am also a doctor in a safety net hospital that has been dealing with COVID since it entered our lives. I know the reality of COVID because I’ve seen it up close.
I’ve seen people gasp like fish out of water, their chests rising and falling, but never getting enough oxygen. I’ve seen my colleagues collapse after watching another patient die or their lungs or other organs being irreparably damaged by a disease that was largely preventable with a simple syringe. I’ve seen the anger and sorrow on the faces of sons and daughters who wonder why their parents wouldn’t just get the vaccine.
My experience is not an isolated one. Talk to a doctor and he will tell you the same thing. We are all fed up with this. But just like the disease, we are fed up with the constant deluge of misinformation that our patients face, which is as deadly as this disease. We’re tired of people living in a reality that just doesn’t exist until they get sick. Then they are forced to live in the world the rest of us inhabit – a world where vaccines are available and extremely effective, and where masks and rapid tests can prevent outbreaks.
We are still dealing with a dangerous, highly contagious disease. The latest numbers show that LA County has more than 600 people hospitalized with COVID and has suffered more than 27,000 deaths to date. As of December 5, less than 20% of children ages 5-11 in LA County had vaccinated, making them susceptible to disease. I would add that some of those who have had COVID have long developed COVID symptoms that we still do not understand well.
There have been recent posts on the internet and local blogs attempting to cast doubt on the effectiveness of PCR testing. PCR testing is still the gold standard in COVID testing, and – unlike what you read on your second cousin’s aunt’s Facebook feed – these tests can easily distinguish between the influenza virus and COVID. In a recent article in Kaiser Health News, Kelly Wroblewski, director of infectious diseases for the Association of Public Health Laboratories stated, “It is not remotely accurate that the CDC test does not distinguish between influenza and SARS-CoV-2. It doesn’t recognize the flu. It only recognizes SARS-CoV-2. If both flu and Covid are in circulation, you could only detect SARS-CoV-2 and no flu. “
I want to add that contrary to some of the conspiratorial claims you may have heard, PCR testing does not extract DNA. This claim has no further basis in reality than the idea that the moon landing was faked or that Elvis is alive and working as a fryer in the back of a waffle house in Chattanooga. The PCR test has not been “discontinued” by the FDA. In July of this year, a Lab Alert issued by the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Systems of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the CDC had submitted its application for an Emergency Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 PCR -Diagnostic test after December 2021. The EEA did not become “revocable” – it was voluntarily withdrawn because it was no longer needed as more extensive tests had been available since the EEA was originally issued.
The SMMUSD board made the right decision to renew the contract for PCR testing across the district. We’re in a much better position than last winter, mostly because of the vaccinations. But with the advent of the Omicron variant and the lack of clarity in these early stages about vaccine penetration and mortality rates, it is perfectly reasonable to test and mask out in public facilities, at least for the next few months, where we have access for all Children have to keep open. The safety of our children and the teachers in their schools must be protected to the best of our ability if we ever get out of this cycle of COVID infections.
Sion Roy is a Director, Inpatient Cardiac CT at Harbor UCLA. he is also a past president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, trustee of Santa Monica College, and trustee of the California Medical Association
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