ELIZABETH NEAL HAS SEEN HER share of challenges in over four decades as a Clinical Nurse in both California and Texas. Like most of her peers, the challenge of COVID-19 is a new presence that threatens her and the rest of the medical specialists on the front line of what is now a national emergency.
“As of now, our patients aren’t at risk,” said Neal during a late-night break in her role at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. “Of course, that can change in an instant. The one thing that is concerning is that no one has experienced anything like this. Has anyone currently living done so?”
Galveston County had been fortunate to avoid a Coronavirus case until late Friday morning when the county health district released a statement that a woman in her early 30s was diagnosed and that the case was “directly linked to a Montgomery County Public Health’s presumptive case involving a man in his 40s.
The woman, a resident of northern Galveston County, was tested by Austin Public Health and is self-quarantined in Austin.
For Neal and her M.D. Anderson teammates, drastic changes have been placed in order to reduce the risk of the potential deadly menace in check.
“The lobbies are cordoned for visitors to go through and be screened prior to visits,” she said. “There is no international travel permitted. If someone does travel anywhere, they are quarantined by employee health.
“Classes have been cancelled and interviews are done on video instead of in person.”
Cutting the risks has been a top priority for Neal.
“I don’t do anything to expose myself,” she said. “I do wash my hands like crazy.”
The blizzard of cancellations, postponements and closings across the nation and throughout the world has left many feeling that the world has stopped. Indeed, it has, especially with the news of the likes of Academy Award winning actor Tom Hanks, Utah Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez each testing positive for COVID-19.
Local nursing homes have bolstered their defense to protect their patients, with several placing temporary bans on visitors. The Dickinson High School boys’ basketball team was denied their chance to play in the 6A state semifinals when the University Interscholastic League announced the postponement of the state championship tournament.
For now, Galveston County has avoided the storm.
“This is a rapidly evolving situation. We understand this presumptive positive case may concern our community, but at this time there is no evidence of community spread,” said Dr. Phillip Keiser, Galveston County local health authority. “The immediate risk for Galveston County remains low. We have worked very hard planning and preparing for this moment. There are steps in place to safeguard the community.”
With all eyes anxiously awaiting what comes next, it now becomes apparent that the likes of Neal, Keiser and the rest of the medical community are the current stars that people will be counting on during the most challenging time the world has faced as a whole since World War II or the Cuban Missile Crisis.
