Years: Northern Michigan is approaching the milestone of the first reported COVID-19 cases | Attention-pnr

The first positive cases of COVID-19 in the health departments of the four county jurisdictions of northwestern Michigan (Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, and Ozego counties) were reported in adult women in Charlevoix County on March 13. it was done.

Three days later, on March 16, the first case of the virus was reported in Emmet County, before the first COVID-19-related death was reported on March 31.

Since then, thousands of locals have had to deal with the disease. It surged in the spring and again in the fall with more than 4,600 positive cases confirmed in the four county areas, with 93 confirmed COVID-19-related deaths.

“We’re still in it, so I’m not sure if we still had the opportunity to handle everything,” said Lisa Peacock, a health officer at the Health Department in northwestern Michigan. “But it’s important to look back at everything that happened in the last year. In reality, I can’t believe it’s a year. That’s one thing, but how long do you still feel? “

Scientists are convinced that the coronavirus came from a thumb-sized bat pushed into a distant Chinese cave. Still, little is known about when and how it escaped from bats and began catastrophic raises around the world.

In January, a delegation of the World Health Organization of scientists from 10 countries was allowed to enter China to investigate the origin of the virus.

“This is important not only for COVID-19, but for the future of global health safety, and for managing the threat of emerging infectious diseases that may be pandemics,” said Tedros, Executive Director of the World Health Organization.・ Gebreyes mentioned in an article published in USA Today.

Dr. Joshua Meyerson, Medical Director of the Northwestern Health Department of Michigan, said health officials and scientists have learned a lot over the past year and that is how science itself evolves.

“Last year there was so much we didn’t know what we learned. We continue to learn about the science of viruses and infections, and what works and what doesn’t,” Myerson said. Said. “The positive thing to do is to learn about the need and importance of a mesh of personal and public health.”

According to Peacock, the Ministry of Health began with the goal of flattening the curve, but this was done by northern Michigan as the number of cases fell sharply in the summer.

She acknowledged that she had implemented effective mitigation measures to reduce community spread so that the local hospital system was protected from being completely overwhelmed by patients.

“People in need of ventilator care could get it in Michigan,” Peacock said. “I am very proud of my hospital partner, who has learned a lot over the years and is far more confident about the treatment of COVID disease and how it will appear to different people.”

She has also worked diligently to break down different components of the disease and discover how it developed in different communities, how the infection worked, and how to reduce its spread. I praised the efforts of scientists.

“One of the things I’ve talked about clearly is the vaccination effort, which is the current clear goal of vaccination of 70% of the population,” Peacock said. “What we have seen is that it really puts a heavy burden on our society and the whole world.”

Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, there was a strong impetus for adapting and improving safety from businesses, individuals and communities to help hospitals and public health manage their illness.

Despite being away from the manufacturers of personal protective equipment and distilleries that manufacture hand sanitizers and the groups that manufacture masks, there was a sense of unity.

“A large number of companies have adapted and pivoted to produce products they have never manufactured before. Some companies manufacture medicines and vaccines and actually see the community come together. “I did,” said Peacock. “We have seen the public health system become more visible to the entire community, and to everyone who is actually playing the right role within it.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently said that up to 85% of Americans may need to be vaccinated to protect the entire population.

Given the unpredictable deployment and allocation of vaccines, it is difficult to reach that number, and COVID-19 fatigue has somehow affected everyone.

“We are all tired, the community is tired, the staff are tired, the partners are tired, but we are continually rekindling the energy we need for this next goal. “I will,” said Peacock. “I hope there is light at the end of the tunnel and it will return to normal to some extent, but I’m not sure exactly what they look like.

“We know that vaccines are an important tool we’ve been waiting for for a long time, and we’re working hard to get there.”

In northern Michigan, COVID-19 numbers continue to improve weekly. The Michigan Safe Start Map, which tracks COVID-19 risk indicators, shows a positive rate of 3.9% in the Michigan Emergency Preparedness Area (MERC) Traverse City area, with a case rate of 1 million per person. 97.4 examples.

In addition, the proportion of hospital beds among COVID-19 patients is 3.2%.

By comparison, the average positive rate in Michigan is 3.9%, but the case rate is 112.9 per million. Inpatient beds account for 5.2% of COVID-19 patients throughout the state.

“If I had to use a word, it would be an indomitable spirit,” Peacock said. “Our community is strong and resilient and has a lot of courage to stick to it, stay clear and keep moving.”