July 1, 2020

You’re in your garage and about to blow a gasket.  A few months ago, you hauled in an old beater, a ’60 Corvette that looks like it would be more at home in the local junkyard than out on the open road.  Rather than give in to the enormity of the task, you take it on as a pet project, imagining what this mangled metal will look like after an extensive period of renovative work.  During the coming months, you invest your time, your freedom and your finances, looking toward the day when the restoration is complete.  Just as you’re about to put on the finishing touches and polish the last bit of chrome, you discover an underlying issue with rust and rot.  You’re back at square one.

Tell Me It Ain’t So

It can be argued that Americans have faced the brunt of this global pandemic.  We have endured months of unemployment, closures and personal hardships.  We have seen decimation of certain sectors of our economy and trillions of dollars borrowed that may never be repaid; but many held on to the belief that with the coming of summer we would see a return to some form of normalcy.  However, just as things began to open up and millions experienced renewed hope, COVID cases began to spike; and now there are signs all around us that the days of closures and restrictions are about to make a comeback.

Among those signs is a tweet this week from Michael Caputo, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health Human Services (HHS), which states that the government “expects to renew” the public health emergency (PHE).  You may recall that the PHE is currently set to expire at the end of July.  As we reported previously, the American Health Association (AHA) had asked HHS back in June for an extension of the PHE, which was originally declared this past January.

What Is New Is Old

In addition, we are seeing calls for a return to the difficult and often draconian measures that marked the initial weeks of this national crisis.  HealthcareDive is reporting that:

States like Arizona, Texas, Florida and California are reporting record case numbers and hospitalizations. Hospitals in some Texas counties have once again halted elective procedures and those states have stopped or reversed reopening plans amid the increases.

This is particularly frustrating when one takes a look at the easing of this virus in other regions of the world.  One news organization this past Sunday showed a graph illustrating the dramatically divergent tracks of COVID cases in Europe versus the United States.  While the line on the graph representing COVID cases in Europe descended downward in dramatic fashion for the most recent weeks, the line representing American cases shot up during the same period of time.  According to many news outlets, the new surge in COVID cases in America is being felt most keenly in the South and Southwest.  Some epidemiologists have argued that this is due to a premature relaxation of restrictions in many of the states in these regions.

Trudging Ahead

Regardless of the reason for a resurgence of the virus’ effects in certain sections of the country, an extension by HHS in the PHE declaration—which some are suggesting may be until the end of the year—will mean a continuation in the waivers and flexibilities that clinicians and medical facilities have had available to them during recent months, including those dealing with telehealth, off-site facilities, HIPAA privacy and certain reporting requirements.

Yes, it is frustrating to see the light at end of the tunnel now fading.  Nevertheless, there is a light out there, and we will get through to the other side.  For now, we must endure a little longer.  We must hope that some good will come out of this prolonged odyssey–something that will improve our lives, our relationships and the way we care for each other.

MiraMed Global Services offers multiple solutions to healthcare providers and facilities.  We want to be a part your healing mission.  Please reach out to us at info@miramedgs.com if we can be of service to you.