Today marks one year since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic as cases of COVID-19 spread around the world.
By March 11, 2020, there were more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries, and almost 4300 people had lost their lives to the virus.
Looking back, Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Colby says despite the losses and the struggles, he thinks Chatham-Kent got off relatively easy.
“We have had only nine deaths in Chatham-Kent. At no point was our hopsital and our ICU and ventilator supply overwhelmed ot the point where anyone was denied care,” Dr. Colby says.
Since the first case surfaced on March 18th, 1391 Chatham-Kent residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and there have been 42 outbreaks in the community.
Dr. Colby says keeping the virus mostly at bay has been a team effort.
“An incredible effort by a lot of people that are working up to 16 hours days, especially when we have outbreaks, to get everybody tested, diagnosed, isolated, out of circulation, plugging all the holes to make sure that nothing happens,” Dr. Colby says. “It was very organized and very well done, and I am just so proud of everyone that has contributed to this effort.”
The past 12 months have been a challenge for everyone in the community, to say the least. Schools closed down, jobs lost, families separated, community events and festivals cancelled.
But while there have been tragic losses and struggles, Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff says the community has come together like never before.
“this was a community effort, this really showed what Chatham-Kent is all about,” Canniff says. “When we look at our success throughout this whole process, and it was us working together as a community. We couldn’t have done it just as a single group moving forward, we tackled this as well as any community ever could.”
However Dr. Colby says there’s still work to be done, continuing with health and safety measures like hand hygiene and distancing, and ensuring as many people as possible can get vaccinated in short order.
“The role of a public health system, slightly different from an acute care system, is to keep the population healthy,” Dr. Colby says. “But when there is a war you do not ask if you’re going to serve, you ask how you’re going to serve. I know that everyone in the health care system feels the exact same way.”
Dr. Colby says he can hardly remember what life was like before the pandemic, but he’s proud to serve.
