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“We ask God to heal our city, Father, of this disease,” Zapata said in the livestream.
Inside the house, looking through the glass front door, was her friend Carla Balderas, who has been quarantined due to Covid-19, as well as her 9-year-old son, Reinaldo. Carla’s husband, Sammy, was missing. He was at the local hospital battling the coronavirus.
As Zapata rotated the camera to show his surroundings, more than a dozen cars could be seen parked in front of the house, their occupants following the live feed from inside their vehicles, to be safe from Covid.
Zapata reflected on this moment in an interview with CNN, describing it as a call for mercy given the great pain and suffering in his small oil town of Iraan, West Texas, with a population of around 1,200 inhabitants.
“We had Covid before but never on this scale,” she said.
It seemed like almost everyone in Iran knew someone who was fighting Covid-19. Over a two-week period this month, 119 people have been tested for the virus and 50 have tested positive, according to Iraan General Hospital CEO Jason Rybolt. That’s a 42% positivity rate.
“[I’m] very concerned for the community, “said Rybolt.” Very concerned about trying to make sure they have the health care they need. “
Although the city is small, it could be seen as a microcosm of what could be happening statewide as the number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations remains high and as Texas Governor Greg Abbott, continues to fight against mask warrants.
“Fight for your life”
Zapata says she doesn’t know how the outbreak in her town started. But she says Sammy tested positive for the coronavirus before his wife Carla. Carla has lost her senses of taste and smell. Sammy was having trouble breathing.
“Every time he moved he started to cough,” Zapata said.
Days after testing positive for Covid-19, Zapata said, Sammy was admitted to Iraan General Hospital, a rural 14-bed facility. His condition rapidly deteriorated, Zapata said, and the hospital did not have the intensive care he needed. It was then that Zapata began to pray that an intensive care bed would be released – anywhere – for his friend Sammy.
“It was tough,” Zapata said in a broken voice. “Three times I remember Carla texting me and telling me they thought they had a bed. And I’d say, ‘I pray. “”
For a few weeks now, the number of intensive care beds available statewide has been low. Currently, 372 intensive care beds are available, according to the latest state data. The closest medical centers to Iran that offer intensive care are in Midland-Odessa and San Angelo, Texas, each about 160 km away.
“It could be 12 hours. It could be 36 hours, you never know how long it’s going to take,” Rybolt said of how long it takes for a bed to open.
Sammy entered the hospital on a Thursday, Zapata said, and was airlifted to a San Angelo hospital that Saturday. Sammy’s family live streamed footage of him being released from the hospital on a stretcher and loaded onto a helicopter.
“Fight for your life,” someone was heard shouting in the livestream. “We love you, Sammy.”
At least one Iraan resident has been airlifted out of state for care due to the lack of available intensive care beds in Texas, Rybolt said.
Mary Jo Jernigan was flown to New Mexico. Her husband Mike also contracted Covid-19 and he traveled to San Angelo, according to the couple’s daughter.
The school closed, the city building too
Last week, the school district closed after just five days of classes because about a quarter of staff and 16% of students were infected or were exposed to Covid-19, according to the superintendent of the Iraan Independent School District. -Sheffield, Tracy Canter.
“Over the past week, we’ve seen more cases of Covid for staff and students than we’ve seen all year, last year, while in school,” Canter said.
For now, the shutdown is scheduled to last until August 30, depending on the situation. In the meantime, there is no virtual or distance learning, the superintendent told parents in a letter. She also called on everyone to get involved in slowing the spread of the virus.
“Please make sure that students really take this opportunity to quarantine themselves. This means that students and staff will only quarantine themselves with their immediate family. They should not go out into the community or hang out with people. The only way this will work is if everyone does their part, ”Canter wrote.
The beloved football season is postponed, the homecoming is on the line, and city council members have decided to close the town building to residents.
“For me, this is very serious,” said Darren Brown, the Iranian mayor.
City council also voted to defer late charges on water and gas utilities and to halt utility disconnections for at least a month. Residents will be allowed to make payment arrangements if they cannot pay their utility bills.
“Sammy is with Jesus”
With so many people in quarantine, the small town in Iran is quieter than normal. There is no rush in the morning and afternoon to drop off and pick up students at school. And on a Friday night, the football stadium was strangely quiet.
To make matters worse, the city begins to cry.
Sammy passed away last Thursday.
He died five days after an intensive care bed became available for him and just hours after CNN’s interview with Zapata.
Zapata returned to Facebook to thank everyone who had joined her in prayer a week before.
“Thank you to everyone who prayed… Sammy is with Jesus,” Zapata’s message read.
Sammy’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at the city’s football stadium, according to his obituary – which also states that “the infectious smile, laughter and love he had for his family” will be cherished by those he has left behind.
As for what lesson could the rest of the country learn from this small town in Texas? Zapata says it’s very simple.
“Love your neighbor … today it could be me, tomorrow it could be you.”
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