Rural Safety: Researching COVID-19 in New Mexico

Due to the widespread spread of Coronavirus, United States health workers are expecting the virus to reach some of the remote rural areas such as New Mexico and other impoverished areas. That is why hospitals throughout the state are preparing to convert operating rooms into acute respiratory care units.

The health department is profiling medical triage master plans to make it easier for the physician to treat those people who are infected with the Coronavirus efficiently.

Coronavirus attacks differently like for some people, they will feel mild to moderate cough and fever. But to some people who are older or who have lower immune systems, they will experience severe coughing that results in a sore throat and grungy voice and most of the time, pneumonia.

The health department and other health officials have combined their efforts to help and guide medical workers in far away locations through a web-conference system that has been used to address this complex respiratory disease throughout the country.

The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center had created Project ECHO. Its goal is to prepare doctors, physicians, aides and other health practitioners to make valid and reasonable decisions with the regards of virus testings, quarantines and severe infections that can lead to acute respiratory complications. This is according to the senior associate of Project ECHO, Joanne Katzman.

Health officials also anticipated the sudden surge of the patients infected with Coronavirus, especially those who have travel history. And most of these cases have been found in New Mexico's urban places along the Upper Rio Grande, but they found it hard to trace the transmission of the diseases seeing that the patient has never contacted anyone who is exposed to the said virus.

These preparations were supported by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. She ordered a temporary stop to operate those establishments who are crowded including casinos, parks, restaurants and other tourist spots. She also ordered the restaurant owners to accept take outs and discourage eating inside the restaurant to avoid interacting with other people. She also told hotel owners to lessen the acceptance of guests and close down all cinemas, shopping malls, spas, gyms and many tribal establishments until April 10.

This is for the intention to slow the spread of this contagious disease. Because if not, the health care services will not be able to cater all patients at once. New Mexico has reported twenty-eight (28) infections while the United States has reported not less than 6,500 cases and 116 deaths. And most of the deaths are from Washington where many of the residents of Seattle suburban homes become a victim and have died.

There is also a problem of protective gears shortage. A lot of front liners lack protective equipment for them to be protected and not be contacted while giving health services to the people. To address this problem, they come up to a solution of solicitation. They have come to different agencies and accepted donations of masks that filter out virus-sized particles.