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Friday, April 19, 2024

Allen County health officials discuss COVID-19 pandemic a year after 1st confirmed case

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Allen County health officials discuss COVID-19 pandemic a year after 1st confirmed case
Allen County health officials discuss COVID-19 pandemic a year after 1st confirmed case

One year after the first two cases of COVID-19 were announced in Allen County, health officials reflect on the year's challenges.

Tonight -- the one year mark since the first two covid 19 cases was announced in allen county.good evening i'm chris mullooly thanks for joining us.

Since then..

Its been a challenge for everyone.

Children... families... businesses... all impacted.

Maybe none more than health care workers.37 thousand 16 covid 19 cases later in the state... and six hundred 56 deaths...these frontline workers continue to provide the best care possible... under the most difficult circumstances.i spoke with some... who talk covid 19 a year later... its challenges..

And what keeps them going.

?nats - this is a pandemic?

March 11 20-20... ?nats?allen county health commissioner doctor deborah mcmahon...issuing a warning.on the 11-th a possible exposure of covid 19 at the fort wayne home and garden expo.still no confirmed cases... but mcmahon says they're coming.?nats?more than a year later..

The coronavirus pandemic continues to impact everyday life.i probably wouldn't have been in this job if it wasn't for the pandemicmcmahon would retire a few months later...doctor matthew sutter would take her place.some good friends are on the board and twisted my arm and its really a great gift to be a part of thissutter has seen rises and falls in covid cases... hospitalizations and deaths.he was overseas in february when the pandemic started.and says he and the entire health care system... learned a lot.one of the things we've really learned about is what simple cloth masks can be/ they're not perfect for as cheap and easy as they are to use theyve been tremendously effective and creating a stress on health care workers like doctor jeff boord.there was a lot of new info we had to consume and a lot of learning that had to happen quicklyboord is chief quality and safety officer at parkview health.with so much information coming in..

The hospital created an incident command center not a day went by i wasn't learning new information trying to work with team members incorporat that and turn it around7 days a week.

And long hours for nurses like keith enterline.

Thats been my driving force that rest assured you are getting the very best he remembers one moment... that sticks out.male patient doctor amitted he wasn't covid positive but his wife was on another medical surge unit who was covid positive unfortunately she lost her life to covid and listening in on the doctor delivering the news.to see the eyes of someone who got the news of losing their spouse they had been married to for so long thats gut wrenchingits part of his driving force to continue to give care.knowing he can make a differece..

Even a year later...that's what i hope happens in my lifetime that it's put away in the history books 3 i asked each about the vaccine progress over the last few months.they all say its been a major difference in hospitalizations and deaths decreasing.doctor sutter believes by the summer...we'll be able to achieve

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