Doctor reflects on COVID-19 pandemic, one year after first confirmed case in Colorado
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- One year after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Colorado, a Southern Colorado medical professional is reflecting on the pandemic and its lasting effects on the health care industry.
On March 5th, 2020 the state identified it's first known case of COVID-19. Since then, nearly 6,000 Coloradans have been lost to the deadly virus.
According to Penrose-St. Francis Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bill Plauth, COVID-19 case spikes and record surges in hospitalizations forced many health care workers to adapt to constantly changing demands.
"They showed tremendous courage. Especially in the beginning, when we didn't know what we were dealing with," Plauth said.
He said their rapid response to changes made local hospitals better prepared when they saw four times as many cases in the fall.
One of the biggest strains on frontline doctors and nurses throughout most of the pandemic, he said, was fear of spreading the virus at home.
"It wasn't until we started giving vaccines to a lot of our frontline care givers, that we saw just how much stress people had been in. As soon as a lot of people got their vaccine, the stress they had compartmentalized, you could just see it drain from their bodies."
Plauth said the speed at which companies were able to mass produce and distribute vaccines is also a nod to the innovation and determination in the last year.
