People still dealing with the impacts of COVID-19

I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency. On Friday, the World Health Organization declared an official end to the global health emergency related to COVID-19. Masks like these are already pretty much gone from doctors' offices like the one I am standing in front of, but for so many people here in San Diego, the impact of the pandemic is going to last for the rest of their lives. How frequently does that first patient ever diagnose across your mind? Every time I see a COVID patient, I think about him. Dr. William Singh was one of the many healthcare workers who would come home during the height of the pandemic and scrub off before going inside, in attempt to avoid spreading the coronavirus to his family. It was really dark times for a lot of physicians.

Now, more than three years later, the World Health Organization officially announcing that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency. This just a few days before the United States is set to end its COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11th. I think it's great. I think the numbers have shown a steady decline over the last couple of weeks, actually, even. So we're very happy that the disease is coming under control. But for others. I have mixed feelings about it.

Rachel Cedillo's lost her dad to COVID-19 while her mom also battled it and survived. Cedillo's eventually ended up in the hospital as well due to the coronavirus. You have to move on. You have to continue your life. So that on one side is the good, but also at the same time, it's still out there. Both Cedillo's and Dr. Singh expressed their gratitude for the vaccines and a rapid response that got San Diego County through the height of the pandemic.

As a community, as a society, we're able to pivot. We are able to move to a lot of the virtual when we need it to. But for Cedillo's. How for you do you still carry your dad's memory with you? She still lives with the effects of COVID-19 every second of every day. I always. always carry him with me.

covid, pandemic, health, health emergency