I want to thank all of you who are vaccinated, all of you who spent the pandemic in grocery stores, hospitals, doctor offices and the multiple places that provided us with our needs. These are the true heroes of our time. I want to thank all the first responders that protected us from ourselves. Half the people of this country fought for the rest of us, allowing us to isolate and keep us as safe as possible. I want to thank our caregivers for all the work that they have done for the last 18 months. During that time, they have endured the virus, fires, smoke, drought and trying to care for our patients and, while trying to maintain some form of homelife.
It has been a very long 18 months. It appears Nature is not through with us just yet. The virus is raising its ugly head once again and infecting us at a rate that is more infectious and stronger and more deadly. But that is what virus’s do as they want to stay alive and do their job until we all become infected. Viruses grow and change becoming, stronger to stay alive to infect more people and now it is our kids that are becoming infected. To prevent the virus from winning we ALL must do our part and fight it with all that we have. The best tool is the vaccine, hand washing, and not be around those who may be infected, wear a mask and stay out of crowds of unvaccinated people.
It’s also time to think about evacuation plans and filling a GO BAG with all the things we need to keep us sustained if we have another fire or earthquake emergency. Northern California is burning, but thankfully it is away from those areas that are heavily populated. Unfortunately, Santa Rosa burned last year and the year before during the fall months so planning should not be put off. History does repeat itself and with what is going on in the world planning should not be ignored.
I spend my time worrying about our patients and our hero caregivers and hoping that we can get through all of this and come out stronger and better prepared for all the thing that may come our way. We have the best employees caring for your loved ones and I would be proud to have anyone of them caring for me and my family.
Sharon Grinnell