Lancaster Starts Viral Task Force

The city of Lancaster has put together the Antelope Valley COVID-19 Task Force to assist the Antelope Valley Hospital during the coronavirus pandemic. Made up of the city, Antelope Valley College, Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Co. and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, the task force has already built a prototype oxygen hood to delay or prevent Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome from developing in patients suffering from the virus and reduce the subsequent need for ventilator support.   Additionally, it has created and built two designs for protective enclosures to reduce exposure to health workers during intubation procedures, as well as a design for an antechamber for those workers to change protective clothing. The task force is acting as a source for additional personal protection equipment and supplies for the hospitals, whether that be masks, fingertip oximeters, gowns or respirators.   Mayor Rex Parris said that it was the toughness and resiliency of the area that will beat back COVID-19.