Covid Corner with Dr. Gary Jacques

"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better" --Pat Riley Dear MANNM staff and Los Alamos community, The Facts: At the end of yesterday, New Mexico Department of Health reported 24 new cases, bringing our total up to 136. 1913 tests have been performed. No cases reported for Los Alamos County. Commentary: New Mexico, like other communities around the country, should not expect to see new cases reach a peak until 7-14 days after effective social distancing/shelter in place practices take hold. This is primarily because of the incubation period of the virus. Infections acquired before that time may take 7-14 days before they're manifesting with symptoms. If we add to that the backlog of lab tests awaiting results and the current turnaround time of multiple days between sample collection and test results, we can safely add a few more days. As a result, I think we'll see a continued increase in daily cases for perhaps another week at least. Encouragement: Today's quote is a reminder that we do not instantly become excellent overnight. Instead, look for ways to do things better day by day and before you know it MANNM will be a center of excellence in infection control and safety in our Covid-19 response. Enjoy your Friday! Dr. Jacques