No need to reinvent the wheel

As the numbers of coronavirus/COVID19 cases in the United States rose, we had several weeks, if not two months, to plan and prepare for our response.

Sadly, we missed numerous opportunities, including the ability to have a reliable test for early contact tracing. It is too late now, as we are on the upswing of the epidemiologic curve. Despite a late start, there are mitigation measures we should consider as lessons learned from the South Korean experience.

South Korea was the only country that was prepared and proactive in its response to this virus, to protect its population. South Koreans have a robust national health care system; conducted a COVID-19 tabletop exercise in December to plan and prepare for an infection; had the prior experience of SARS and MERS, with aggressive testing and contact tracing; enacted laws during MERS amending privacy laws during a public health outbreak; had drive-thru testing centers, telephone consulting services and telemedicine; and they have dedicated centers and hospitals with specialized equipment and training, keeping the virus out of other hospitals.

We know from prior experience that health care workers will be disproportionately at risk of this infection. Hospitals need to anticipate, at a minimum, that 20 percent of their employees will contract the virus.

Having a dedicated mobile hospital facility in which all hospitals dedicate teams to work allows: 1. All other hospitals are freed to continue operating and functioning to care for those who have serious conditions unrelated to the virus. 2. With limited resources to personal protective equipment, intensive care unit beds and ventilators, we would pool our resources and help reduce any potential shortages.

As per the Korean CDC, the highest mortality is in those over age 70, particularly those with comorbid medical conditions in nursing home facilities. We need to protect this population.

Dr. Lawrence W. Gernon is a doctor and public health expert practicing in Albuquerque.