Doctors at UPMC reflect as PA hits 3-year mark with COVID-19

IN YORK, AMBER GERARD WGAL. NEWS 8. AMBER, THANK YOU. THIS MONTH MARKS THREE YEARS SINCE THE NATIONWIDE SHUTDOWN BECAUSE OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. NEWS 8. JEREMY JENKINS JOINS US LIVE FROM UPMC IN HARRISBURG. JEREMY. WELL, LORI, THREE YEARS INTO THE PANDEMIC, COVID IS NO LONGER A SCARY UNKNOWN. WE’RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT IT EACH AND EVERY DAY, BUT IT HAS PERMANENTLY CHANGED HOW WE INTERACT IN CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTS TO HELP. PEOPLE ARE EVEN GETTING SICK. TODAY, WE HAVE 28 PATIENTS WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID ACROSS SEVEN UPMC SITES IN CENTRAL. THAT’S A MUCH DIFFERENT PICTURE THAN WHAT WE SAW AT THIS TIME. THREE YEARS AGO. I AM ORDERING THE CLOSURE OF ALL SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, GYMS AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUES WHEN THEN GOVERNOR TOM WOLF SHUT DOWN NON-U.S. BUSINESSES IN THE COMMONWEALTH IN MARCH OF 2020. THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY HAD HUNDREDS OF COVID CASES. ONE OF THE LARGEST IMPACTS THAT WE’RE STILL SEEING TODAY, THE BURNOUT OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO ARE OVERWHELMED WITH PATIENTS. SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO COULD AT THAT TIME ARE ALSO COMING BACK NOW. SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE, YOU KNOW, EVERY ADMINISTRATION IS THINKING ABOUT MAKING EFFORTS TO RECRUIT MORE PEOPLE OR TRAIN MORE PEOPLE. SO THAT SHOULD BE IMPROVING AS MORE WORKERS ARE MAKING THEIR WAY BACK TO THE HEALTH CARE FIELD. THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BE SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH PROCEDURES LIKE MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. STILL, IN EFFECT, TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID AND OTHER RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES. WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF FLU, AND DURING THE FALL AND THE WINTER, WE SAW A LOT OF FLU PATIENTS. SO THAT ALSO PREVENTS THE SPREAD OF THE FLU. SO WE’RE STILL WEARING THE MASK. WHILE COVID HAS BECOME THE NEW NORMAL THAT MANY PREDICTED IT WOULD BE. DR. BRAR SAYS ONE THING HAS REMAINED THE SAME WHEN IT COMES TO PATIENTS. INTERESTINGLY, PATIENTS WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID ARE NOW IN AS WELL AS. LAST YEAR WAS MOST OF THEM ARE PATIENTS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VACCINATED. WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING YOURSELF, DR. BRAR SAYS YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TALK TO YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER ABOUT VACCINATIONS. WHEN IT COMES TO EVERYDAY THINGS YOU CAN DO, SHE SAYS, YOU CAN WIPE DOWN COMMON SURFACES AND MAKE SURE THEY’RE DISINFECTED. AND WHEN IT COMES TO COMING IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO MAY BE

March 2023 marks three years since the nationwide shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic and doctors at UPMC in Harrisburg are acknowledging both the progresses and challenges since.While COVID-19 is no longer an unknown, doctors are learning more about it every day.It has left a lasting effect on society, from how people interact with others in certain environments to the number of people getting sick."Today we have 28 patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 across seven UPMC sites in central PA," said Dr. Navdeep Kaur Brar, a pulmonologist at UPMC.That number is a very different picture than what occurred three years ago, when former Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closure of all schools, community centers, gyms and entertainment venues.The Susquehanna Valley had hundreds of COVID-19 cases in March of 2020 when former Wolf shut down non-essential businesses in the commonwealth.One of the largest impacts, that's still struggling to recover, was the burnout of healthcare workers who were overwhelmed with patients."Some of the people who quit at that time are coming back now. So, hopefully in the near future administrations are making efforts to recruit more people and train more people so that should be improving," Brar said. As more workers make their way back to the healthcare field, the environment will have some familiar procedures, such as masking and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses."We're seeing a lot of flu and during the fall we saw a lot of flu patients. So, that also prevents the spread of the flu. So, we're still doing the masks," Brar said. While COVID-19 has become the 'new normal', many predicted it would be.Brar said one thing remains the same when it comes to patients."Interestingly, those who are hospitalized with COVID, even now as well as last year, are patients who have not been vaccinated," he said.To help protect against COVID-19, doctors recommend people frequently clean surfaces, keep their distance from others showing symptoms and to talk to their doctors about vaccinations.

March 2023 marks three years since the nationwide shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic and doctors at UPMC in Harrisburg are acknowledging both the progresses and challenges since.

While COVID-19 is no longer an unknown, doctors are learning more about it every day.

It has left a lasting effect on society, from how people interact with others in certain environments to the number of people getting sick.

"Today we have 28 patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 across seven UPMC sites in central PA," said Dr. Navdeep Kaur Brar, a pulmonologist at UPMC.

That number is a very different picture than what occurred three years ago, when former Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closure of all schools, community centers, gyms and entertainment venues.

The Susquehanna Valley had hundreds of COVID-19 cases in March of 2020 when former Wolf shut down non-essential businesses in the commonwealth.

One of the largest impacts, that's still struggling to recover, was the burnout of healthcare workers who were overwhelmed with patients.

"Some of the people who quit at that time are coming back now. So, hopefully in the near future administrations are making efforts to recruit more people and train more people so that should be improving," Brar said.

As more workers make their way back to the healthcare field, the environment will have some familiar procedures, such as masking and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

"We're seeing a lot of flu and during the fall we saw a lot of flu patients. So, that also prevents the spread of the flu. So, we're still doing the masks," Brar said.

While COVID-19 has become the 'new normal', many predicted it would be.

Brar said one thing remains the same when it comes to patients.

"Interestingly, those who are hospitalized with COVID, even now as well as last year, are patients who have not been vaccinated," he said.

To help protect against COVID-19, doctors recommend people frequently clean surfaces, keep their distance from others showing symptoms and to talk to their doctors about vaccinations.

Doctors at UPMC reflect as PA hits 3-year mark with COVID-19

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

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