The primary objective of local, state, and federal response to COVID-19 is to minimize mortality and mitigate explosive demand for acute health-care services related to COVID-19 complications, especially those that require care in intensive care units. 

Governmental responses have varied from statewide stay-at-home orders to more incremental approaches targeting restrictions in specific industries and locations. Certainly, many of these restrictions are warranted and necessary to achieve the desired public health outcomes. 

I have been practicing audiology since 1996 and started out as a jack of all trades—seeing patients of all ages, providing a variety of diagnostic services, and fitting hearing aids to patients of all ages. Early in my career, I developed a strong interest in working with children with hearing loss and their families. While I had some opportunities to provide this service initially, I did not begin to exclusively see children until a job change in 2005 led me to an exclusively pediatric position.