The remarkable effects of the Coronavirus, Covid-19, has changed the world forever and the devastating repercussions have been felt collectively by all of us. CODE BLUE seemed to occupy the senses daily and as the tragic and unforgettable images streamed into our lives, the leaders, heroes, and the first responders, are those who are were an undeniable war zone. Dedicated nurses, doctors, the medical frontline, fire & rescue, paramedics, police officers, were all struggling for PPE and supplies with little support, while working around the clock. The numbers of those who were sick and dying were only growing, more and more each day. Appropriate face shields, gloves, goggles and glasses, gowns, head covers, masks, respirators, etc, all were desperately needed and in great demand, but still, those who were fighting each day, facing unbelievable threats with insufficient testing, were selflessly saving lives while society was globally quieted, alone together. The new battle came with the Delta variant and the highly contagious Omicron variant. As life saving vaccines and boosters were released, resulting in declining numbers of new cases, the noncompliant, in the name of their own individual rights and deny the common good, still remain. Entire communities and regions in the United States refuse to vaccinate due to mistrust of science, political alliances, or fear and have further compromised hospitals and medical staff that simply cannot keep up.

But, we remain optimistic and diligent and slowly our world will recover and once again we welcome light, awareness, and a new found gratitude for what we know as relief in the new found “normal”.