Los Angeles's Perspective of COVID 19 Effect and Impact on Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19) captured worldwide attention as the virus spread from initial detection as a pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, China in December 2019 to the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization only three months later. This paper describes the impact of COVID 19 on cardiac surgery services in the greater Los Angeles area. Discussion includes public health response to the pandemic, how local hospitals reacted to the expected surge in COVID patients, establishment of telemedicine services, and the projected future impact on California healthcare as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic.