For the past several months, the nation and the world have been dealing with the devastating crisis created by COVID-19. This horrible virus has swept across the globe with unprecedented speed reportedly infecting over 4 million people and killing nearly 300,000.
Officials, including those at the top of the various nations and governors of American states have been forced to make extremely difficult decisions in order to stem the tide of the pandemic. The most far-reaching one has been the virtual shutdown of a country. In the U.S., state governors were given wide authority in deciding how far to go in this process.
There is no doubt that drastic measures were needed. Although the crisis is far from over, it appears that it has leveled off to some degree, and hopefully the worst is behind us. The debate over whether or not the decisions made were right or wrong will go on for years.
One choice that we found difficult to understand was the prevention of loved ones to be with a close relative in a hospital or other medical facility who is suffering from a life-threatening illness or condition. What we are referring to, for example, is a spouse, child or parent who has had a serious heart attack or who has terminal cancer or who is otherwise in very critical condition. Only when the patient is in the throes of death have family members been allowed in the room, and by that time it is often too late to exchange loving goodbyes.
We agree that such visits should not apply to every hospital patient – only those in life-threatening or end-of-life situations. We also agree that the number of those allowed visitation rights, the frequency and the length of time should be limited.
But how is it a threat to anyone, for example, to allow the wife of a husband who has had a heart attack and is in jeopardy of dying to see her spouse for 15 minutes a day, or every other day, after precautionary measures are enforced – taking her temperature, undergoing other tests, wearing a mask, etc. It poses no greater risk than permitting her to see him when death is imminent.
With the rules and regulations in place, the result is the cruelest possible. We strongly feel that this is one area that needs to be changed or at least softened.