Huntington Hospital Admin On Coronavirus: 'Avoid Gatherings'

Huntington NY

22 December, 2020

10:52 AM

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HUNTINGTON, NY — Michael B. Grosso, chief medical officer of Huntington Hospital, submitted an editorial to Patch on the coronavirus. Below is Grosso's full, unedited, letter to the editor: Keeping Christmas in the Time of COVID "But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time … as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!" — A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens As of this writing, more than 50 patients afflicted with the novel coronavirus are in beds atHuntington Hospital and almost 1,000 across Northwell, some of them requiring intensive careincluding ventilators. Despite significant and rapid improvements in our care, many of thesepeople will die. Those who know Dickens's story will remember that the ghost of Jacob Marley came to hauntScrooge to warn him. Of what? What sin was it that forged the chain that Marley carried in deathas a visible reminder of his spiritual failure in life? It was the sin of uncaring. Only in death didhe come to understand this truth: "Mankind was my business." During last Spring's pandemic surge, our nurses and doctors, and many other professionals puton their armor — their N95s and face shields, their gowns and their gloves — and went into battleat personal risk every day. Some died for it. At the same time, we felt the love of ourcommunity. The signs, the cheering crowds of neighbors, and all that food. It energized thestaff. It didn't altogether negate the fatigue, the anxiety, or the sadness at all those lives lost, butit helped, and we are so very grateful. Now here we are again. We in health care, like most others in our country, are tired. We see inthe recent release of the first vaccines some light at the end of the tunnel. But we are still verymuch in the tunnel and the danger is very real. An old neighbor of mine, a good man, is in thehospital now, on a ventilator. Two weeks ago, despite being over 90, he was on a ladder putting up Holiday lights. The vaccine came too late for him as it will be too late for thousands of others. At this time of year, some families do things to help the less fortunate, whether donating to aclothing drive or working at a soup kitchen. This season, it is literally within the power of everycitizen to save a life. Wear a mask in public. Socially distance. As soon as it is available toyou, get the vaccine. But most especially, for now, avoid gatherings in your homes. Becausedoing otherwise will cost some of your neighbors their lives. Yes, this kind of personal sacrificeactually helps ourselves. But it is mostly about remembering that we are interdependent — fellowpassengers to the grave — and our words and deeds have effects on these brothers and sisters,for better or worse. This is an idea much older than Dickens and one we need to embrace rightnow. God bless us every one. Michael B Grosso, MDMedical DirectorHuntington Hospital