By Allan Jamail
Jacinto City, TX. – July 28, 2021 – Norma Mendez, the Jacinto City Elementary School’s crossing guard, is in a medically induced coma at Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital after being stricken by the COVID-19 virus. She had deliberated about getting the vaccine, but before she could get vaccinated, she caught the virus.
According to Norma’s niece, Marissa Gonzalez, Norma has now been in intensive care and hooked up to a ventilator for 63 days at the time of this writing. Marissa says the family is asking for prayers and inviting others to join their nightly prayer on social media with the hashtag #PrayForNorma.
The 58 year old Mendez has helped thousands of parent’s drop-off and pickup their school kids through the years where she’s been a guard.
Norma’s husband Danny and she have 2 daughters and 3 grandchildren, daughter Natalie Mendez, and daughter Myra Rodriquez and her husband David have 2 children.
Natalie said her mom has breath in her lungs, so for us “we’re not going to lose faith.”
“She is not quitting or giving up and neither are we.”
Marissa said doctors said her lungs have been scarred by the virus; as of now her condition isn’t changing.
North Channel Star writer Allan Jamail was vaccinated January 4th and had no adverse reaction and says only a tiny percent of those vaccinated have reported some discomfort but not life-threatening side effects. “I encourage everyone to get vaccinated. The sooner, the better, for yourself, your family and the citizenry,” Jamail said.
Jamail said if anyone wants to help this family during their ongoing crises, they can call or text him at: 281-782-0401 or email at: allanj211@aol.com and he’ll get them in touch with the family.
Worldwide, there is an alarming surge in coronavirus cases — and health experts say a key factor in this latest wave is the new highly contagious Delta variant.
The variant is spreading about 55% faster than the alpha strain that was first identified in the United Kingdom late last year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) — and that strain spreads about 50% faster than the version that first began infecting people in late 2019.
“We should think about the Delta variant as the 2020 version of Covid-19 on steroids,” Andy Slavitt, a former senior adviser to President Joe Biden’s Covid Response Team.
The Delta strain was first identified in India in December 2020. It rapidly became the dominant variant, overwhelming the country’s health care system. It was identified in the United Kingdom soon after.
“This is the most contagious version of the virus we have seen throughout the whole pandemic,” said Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “It’s really very contagious.”
For more information on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness visit the Center for Disease Control at: www.cdc.gov – – click on the disease link window.
To get a free vaccine shot check with your medical doctor or go to: houstonmethodist.org/vaccine