The coronavirus impacts everyone, including law enforcement
/The coronavirus impacts everyone, including law enforcement
By: Robert Foreman
Americans are finding themselves adjusting to a new normal to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Schools are closing, college and professional sports are suspending play, flight restrictions are being put into place and some people are choosing to self-quarantine themselves. Stores are seeing long lines as people are rushing out to stockpile supplies in case they have to stay inside. Of course, there are those people who are going overboard buying up as much toilet paper and hand sanitizer as they can find. How toilet paper and hand sanitizer became the two most important things in the world is beyond me.
Yet, while everyone is talking about how the coronavirus is impacting average citizens, pro athletes, politicians and celebrities no one is thinking about the impact on first responders such as law enforcement. Officers have to have direct contact with the public in the course of doing their jobs. As such, dealing with individuals who are suffering from the coronavirus adds an extra risk for law enforcement officers who are already dealing with life and death situations.
However, the media, and some other people, are trying to make the coronavirus out to be the greatest plague the world has ever known. So, let’s start out with some information regarding the virus. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) the coronavirus is a respiratory illness that can be spread from person to person. Individuals who contract the virus may experience flu-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, coughing, fever and, in severe cases, difficulty breathing. The disease can be considered fatal for senior citizens, those with compromised immune systems or other medical conditions such as heart disease, asthma and diabetes.
For first responders, particularly those in law enforcement, one has to wonder what steps to take to protect themselves from the virus. Some law enforcement agencies are ensuring that their officers have greater access to latex gloves, face masks and hand sanitizer. In California, the Department of Corrections canceled visitation hours at state prisons to prevent possible transmission of the virus. Other states will likely follow California’s lead and cancel prison visits to help stop the possible transmission of the virus into the prisons where both the officers and inmates would be at greater risk due to the confined conditions.
Of course, there are those who will use the coronavirus situation to their advantage and attempt to scam people or cause undue panic. One place that has become ripe for this behavior is on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. For those who only rely on their news from social media, which is crazy to begin with, they are particularly susceptible to fear-mongering and scams. In fact, the Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose recently addressed this matter by reminding people that causing a false public alarm will lead to criminal prosecution. Ambrose’s comments came on the heels of the first reported coronavirus related death in New Jersey.
Officers who wish to protect themselves should follow the guidelines that have been laid out by the CDC. Wear protective gloves and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is at minimum 60% alcohol. Have trained medical personnel, such as EMS and EMT, treat and transport anyone that you suspect has the coronavirus. The CDC also advises people to maintain a distance of six-feet, if possible, but that is unlikely for officers who have physical contact with the general public on a daily basis.
As of this writing, the number of reported cases of coronavirus in the United States had surpassed 1700 with 41 people having died. While the United States, and the world as a whole, attempt to contain the virus the last thing people should do is needlessly panic. Taking simple precautions to limit your exposure to the virus is a good place to start. If you have to store up supplies stick with the basic items that you need. All of the toilet paper in the world isn’t going to help you if you don’t have water, food or fail to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. Simply put, just be smart, remain calm and if you suspect that you may be sick get tested and self-quarantine. As for those people who FINALLY just realized that it’s a good idea to wash your hands on a regular basis, remind me not to share any food with you or eat anything you cook. Washing your hands is something you should’ve learned as a child, not as an adult.
