Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Every day now, another nursing home, assisted living facility or hospital is reporting COVID-19 infections. Those can happen in any health care center and will probably happen in most, even when they are doing everything right. Now that scientists have discovered that the COVID-19 virus can be spread in aerosolized form, we know it can hang in the air, and that can be deadly for our elders, especially those in congregate communities.

Selfless nursing assistants, nurses, doctors, food service and environmental staff, and administrative staff have all put themselves at risk to serve and protect, along with emergency services, law enforcement and many more. Thank you to each and every one.

Our whole society has pulled together — as we do in a crisis. Our CDC, American Health Care Association, the N.C. Health Care Facilities Association, LeadingAge and state and national leaders are working together like never before. Governor Cooper and Secretary Cohen are doing things with us, not to us. That’s public service.

We can do this, together. If we social distance, stay home when sick and support each other, we will get through this. Stay safe.

Ted Goins is president of Lutheran Services Carolinas, which operates eight senior care communities in North Carolina, including Trinity Place in Albemarle.