California is running out of morgue space and doctors. Cancel the COVID Christmas party
Even as some families bury relatives with whom they recently celebrated Thanksgiving, other families are planning for Christmas gatherings in the middle of a severe COVID-19 surge.
It’s clear that no amount of death or data will ever be enough to convince some people to take this pandemic seriously. COVID-19 has killed over 320,000 Americans, but reports suggest that millions of Americans have once again decided to gather for the holiday. Political leaders appear to have largely abandoned efforts to enforce restrictions to slow the virus’ spread.
Our tolerance for mass death seems stronger than our tolerance for temporary inconvenience.
COVID-19 is devastating California. As of Tuesday, “Nearly 18,000 people were hospitalized with the virus and 3,755 were in intensive care units — both records since the pandemic began,” according to The Sacramento Bee.
Over 23,000 Californians have died. In Los Angeles, the death toll has topped 9,000 with no end in sight. In the Central Valley, ICUs are filling up and refrigerated morgue trucks are being deployed to handle an expected overflow of corpses.
“We anticipate that this space is going to be used,” Dan Lynch, emergency medical services coordinator for Fresno County, told The Fresno Bee. “This is a very dire subject matter to talk about, but this is the reality we’re looking at.”
“Essentially what my days have consisted of … in these last few weeks is seeing an amount of death that I’ve never seen before in my career,” said Dr. Patrick Macmillan, of the UCSF-Fresno medical education program.
In Tulare County, over 90 people have tested positive for COVID-19 at one convalescent home. Doctors and nurses at local hospitals work 120-hour weeks but can barely keep up.
Doctors are begging people to avoid gathering for the holiday.
“We understand this is the time of year that you want to be with family members,” one doctor told the Visalia Times-Delta. “Well, don’t be with them so that you can be with them next year.”
Sacramento County is on the verge of catastrophe, with ICU capacity in the greater region currently at 16%. With another surge, doctors and nurses may be forced to make tough choices about who lives and who dies. On Christmas Eve, California doctors and nurses are struggling with a mass death event.
Experts say that, if you insist on gathering, you should do it outside, keep it short and wear masks. Here are more tips to prepare for a COVID Christmas party:
▪ Make a will. COVID can come on fast. Make sure everyone has their affairs in order. It’s hard to make final wishes known on a ventilator. Don’t leave your family in the lurch for unpaid funeral expenses.
▪ Have the COVID talk. No one wants to get blamed for the death of a beloved grandmother or a favorite uncle. Have “the talk” with your family. Make sure everyone understands the potentially deadly consequences of a COVID Christmas.
▪ Say your goodbyes. Most COVID patients die alone, isolated, struggling to breathe. This might be the last time you see some of your loved ones alive. Don’t leave anything unsaid.
Harsh? Sure. But if you’re not comfortable with harsh realities, you’re not ready for COVID-19. Please stay safe. Spend time together via Zoom or phone. Tell old family stories. Tell your family how much you love them. Plan to celebrate together when everyone is vaccinated and the threat has passed.
And don’t even think about gathering for New Year’s Eve. Because — for too many Californians — 2021 won’t be a year to celebrate. It will be the number etched on their gravestones.