As a geriatric physician, I have visited nursing homes for over 30 years. COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus that is inflicting havoc and death over senior healthcare facilities.

Statistics reveal nursing homes are “hotspots” for large clusters of coronavirus, but as a doctor, I am not surprised at the carnage. We can and must do better.

That is why I ask local, county and state authorities to convene a “summit” and bring together a combat force of information, knowledge and ideas to eradicate this virus totally from the battlefield.

Elected government officials with Public Health personnel need assistance, so we must now draw from doctors, nurses, medical educators and well-informed senior organizations that can load ammo into our weapons.

Collaborating, organizing and launching an offense of testing, isolating, distancing, disinfecting, PPEs and gathering up-to-date and timely data is necessary. This must be coordinated at a “summit,” then widely implemented at a county and state level.

If we can control this virus in nursing homes, then when the next wave hits in the fall, the spread can be controlled, leading to remedies that might reconcile future “hotspots.”

We need a “summit” now to fight this war.

Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D., is a geriatric house-call physician who serves as president of the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults and Assemblyman to the California Senior Legislature. He has practiced in the Santa Clarita Valley for 32 years.