WATCH LIVE
While public health officials are ready for the end of the COVID-19 emergency declaration, others are concerned about the evolution of the virus.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Within a week from today, San Francisco’s COVID-19 public emergency order will come to an end. This is the same day California’s COVID-19 state of emergency expires.
While public fitness officials say it’s time for those statements to end, some longtime COVIDs are concerned about what this means for the long-term virus.
“I don’t think the general public understands how bad this can be,” said Olivia Harris, a 27-year-old San Francisco resident who has long suffered from COVID. “When we hear that the public fitness emergency is ending, it sends a message to many other people to relax with their precautions. “
“What will happen is that other people will end up like me, unfortunately,” he said.
MORE: Coronavirus Timeline: Tracking Key Moments of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the San Francisco Bay Area
Harris is young, fit and said he had no underlying physical conditions when he contracted the virus last June. He said he didn’t expect to enjoy a long era of COVID. But now, 8 months later, he’s still dealing with the impacts. Its symptoms manifest themselves with excessive tiredness and tiredness, severe muscle aches and gastrointestinal problems. He said he had to drop out of higher education and return to his parents. I couldn’t work.
“I don’t need to sugarcoat anything. Having prolonged COVID is like a nightmare,” he said. “The symptoms can be debilitating. “
Harris is among an organization of people, who have prolonged COVID or pandemic impacts, raising considerations that San Francisco’s public fitness emergency will end next week.
“Even if an emergency ends, there is a crisis,” said Kristin Urquiza, co-founder of the group Marked through Covid. “We’re about to lose a ton of protections that kept San Franciscans afloat. “
MORE: San Francisco to End COVID-19 Public Fitness Emergency Declaration on Feb. 28
Urquiza, who lost his father to COVID-19 early in the pandemic in 2020, fears that the most vulnerable San Franciscans will lose some protections related to housing, sick leave, health care and food benefits.
“All those others are changing lately,” he said. And that’s why we want to work with netpaintings leaders to make sure we leave no one behind. “
Urquiza is asking the city to separate protections from the public fitness emergency. Marked by COVID has created a place where San Franciscans can submit comments to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor’s Office.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, said the end of the public physical emergency means the end of COVID-19. He said the term “emergency” refers to battered hospitals.
MORE: Is it time to put COVID-19 behind us?: This is what fitness experts say
“How we determine the term emergency refers to a serious illness, so it’s literally hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths that describe an emergency. This forced us to shut down the company to make sure our fitness systems are protected,” Gandhi said. “It doesn’t mean COVID is gone. In fact, unfortunately, COVID will never be eradicated. “
However, those facing prolonged COVID say they feel abandoned.
“This is the fourth year of the pandemic, and we still have no treatments, support or public warning for the non-unusual peak adverse effects of infection, along with COVID,” Charlie McCone, a San Francisco resident with prolonged COVID, said in a text message to ABC7 News.
MORE: Study shows natural immunity to COVID can provide good protection at least 10 months after infection
He said it was irresponsible to end the public fitness emergency without further public warnings about the long COVID, or a proper remedy for it.
Harris also needs other people to perceive the risks and know that more people are likely to contract prolonged COVID.
“Again, I think it would be perfectly fine. Many other healthy, vaccinated people are,” he said. “But a lot of other people will end up like me. Life stopped, with no end in sight. “
RELATED STORIES AND VIDEOS:
If you’re on the ABC7 News app, click to watch live
Did SF forget about his plan to deal with the alleged sex paintings in the Mission?
Napa Co. receives a mind-boggling amount of snow, enough for skiing
Families a rare low point of snow in San Mateo Co.