People want in like to receive the COVID-19 vaccine last Friday outside the UTRGV Clinical Education Building in Harlingen.
Jacqueline Peraza | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
South Texas Health System officials are preparing for a potential increase in COVID-19 cases in the weeks after the lifting of the mask mandate by Gov. Greg Abbott and the Spring Break holiday.
Lance Ames, CEO of South Texas Health System Edinburg and South Texas Children’s Hospital, said people who gather in group settings without taking precautions continue to put themselves at risk.
“From our health system standpoint, we are ready for the worst-case scenario,” Ames said. “But we really do hope that the Rio Grande Valley community stays safe while having fun.”
In the case of an increase in positive cases, he said the most important resource is staffing.
“Right now, we are in a good place from a staffing standpoint,” Ames said. “So, if we were to have a surge of volume, we would be ready. Usually, surges come a couple of weeks after mass gathering events. We would be able to work together with the state to increase our staffing resources if needed.”
He said the health system is also prepared with a large supply of personal protective equipment.
I really would hope that everyone can remember where we’ve been and learn from what we’ve been through.
-Lance Ames
CEO South Texas Health System Edinburg and South Texas Children’s Hospital
“From a supply and PPE standpoint, our health system already has a very large stockpile ready to go in case we were to have a sudden influx of COVID-19- related cases,” Ames said. “We are doing everything we can to be ready to take care of our community.”
Drake Severns, a patient care technician at Edinburg
Regional Medical Center, said he and his co-workers are expecting the ICU and COVID-19 units to reach full capacity in the upcoming weeks.
“We’re preparing for the worst,” Severns said. “We’re all a little hesitant.”
He said he began his work in the field during the pandemic and has seen patients of all ages infected with the virus.
“It affects all ages,” Severns said. “It’s not just some pick-and-choose virus. It’s hard to see because, you know, many [patients] have underlying conditions, specifically here in the Rio Grande Valley. We have major diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and it’s those people who we see getting affected the most, but it can happen to anybody.”
Asked what advice he has for ways to stay safe, he replied to continue to wear masks, social distance and constantly practice proper hand washing.
“Our masks and social distancing have been helping us decrease the spread of infection,” Severns said. “What I would suggest, more specifically, is to double mask or try to protect your eyes because COVID-19 can infect you through your mucous membrane. … And hand washing is the most important key to preventing infection and stopping the spread of germs.”
Ames said it is important to safely go out and find joy but reminds the community that the pandemic is not over yet.
“There really is a real threat to COVID-19 still, and as more and more vaccinations come out we can sometimes get a sense of false security from that,” he said. “I really would hope that everyone can remember where we’ve been and learn from what we’ve been through.”
Ames said as much as the public may want to move on with life, it must stay cognizant of the situation.
“We still need to be strong,” he said. “We need to keep practicing those simple things, like wearing masks, even if it comes with that peer pressure thing, ‘If no one else is doing it, I guess I don’t have to.’ … We need to think about our neighbors. If we catch the disease, we can spread it to our neighbors. If we’re not worried about ourselves, we should at least worry about our neighbors.”
