The last time Dr. David Holcombe ’71 boarded a cruise ship, it was in a hazmat suit. David was deployed with his Disaster Medical Assistance team to evacuate the 2,400 passengers of the Grand Princess – stranded in San Francisco Bay due to positive COVID-19 cases on board.
“After spending hours on the cruise liner in full hazmat gear evaluating the degree of illness among the passengers, we were allowed back to the Port of Oakland with the vessel,” he said. The triaged passengers were then transported to various quarantine and health care sites, while he went into his own 14-day isolation.
Today David is back at his regular job at the Louisiana Office of Public Health, where he continues to work to combat COVID-19. He credits his UC Davis undergrad years with giving him the educational foundation and “ferocious drive” to accomplish his goal of becoming a doctor.
Thank you, David!