It's something you do tens of thousands of times each day without a second thought, but for some taking a breath can be a challenge. "I got down pretty bad before, after I came down with COPD before I finally started exercising and everything. Just couldn’t hardly get around to take care of myself." John Gibson was diagnosed with COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, several years ago. COPD is a group of lung diseases that block airflow and make breathing difficult for more than 16 million Americans. "COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States and it's going up," said Registered Nurse Ruth Anne McKeever with MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. Heart diseases first, cancer second and those things are going down and COPD is usually preventative." McKeever works in the MercyOne Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Center, where Gibson attends class a few times a week for the last few years. Tuesdays and Thursdays are Pulmonary Rehab, with patients who primarily have COPD. "It makes a big difference," Gibson said, "I'm a firm believer of getting exercise. It’s proved to me that it works." The rehab center looks like a gym or fitness center, with treadmills, bikes, weight machines and other exercise equipment. Each patient receives a workout routine tailored to their needs and abilities, to help them strengthen their muscles, including their diaphragm. But many, like Gibson, find other benefits, too, not just treatment for COPD. "There's a lot of advantages too as far as my arthritis," Gibson said. "I’ve got arthritis real bad and just being able to keep my range of motion to where I can move around okay." The team of dedicated medical professionals at the rehab center helps those diagnosed with COPD through all stages of their disease, from education about their diagnosis to the exercise regimen, and how they can monitor triggers in their everyday lives. "We teach them ways to make their life easier," said McKeever. "If you've got to carry laundry up and downstairs, how can we make this easier for you? What steps can you take to make your environment easier and more friendly for you?" For John, he's experienced the benefits of the cardiac and pulmonary rehab center firsthand, especially when he tested positive for COVID-19. "When I did catch the COVID-19," he said, "I think I was a better shape physically to be able to fend it off and then we have colds and the flu, whatever comes along. It’s keeping you're body healthy and your immune system." While the workouts and the machines can seem intimidating, the MercyOne team helps each person develop a workout that is right for their abilities. "We're going to start really slow. We're going to start super slow and will build up as you tolerate," McKeever said of helping their patients find what machine or workout is best for them during each session. "We're going to listen to you. And if you aren’t tolerating something, just communicate, we'll try something else." John says he plans to continue attending class twice a week for as long as he can. "Just because you're getting old I don't want to sit around and watch TV all the time. Getting out and doing different things and it’s just enjoyable." Because if it wasn't for the MercyOne Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab team, "you know, I don't know where I'd be if I wouldn't be doing the exercise. Probably be in a nursing home and I’m not ready to go there yet." November is COPD Awareness Month and if you would like to learn more about the MercyOne Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Center, you can learn more and contact MercyOne here. SEE THE VIDEO
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When it comes to matters of the heart, finding the right treatment or surgical fix is imperative to getting a person back on their feet. MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center is one of the top cardiac centers in the region and Siouxland News got the chance to see a new technique for an open heart valve replacement and meet a patient who went through the TAVR procedure herself. Ellen and Ed Schwarten are world travelers. Residents of Emerson, Nebraska, the couple has been on adventures around the globe. "We just enjoy life," Ellen said during a recent doctor's appointment, "and now I've been given some more time by having this procedure and I'm really happy about it." For the last several years, Ellen's doctors have been monitoring an issue with her heart. She was diagnosed with aortic stenosis or a tightening or restricted opening of the aortic valve in the heart and when it came time for Ellen to have that valve surgically repaired, it was suggested the TAVR, or transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure, was right for her. "It's a percutaneous technique where we place the aortic valve by inserting plastic tubes into the groin arteries, and basically a new valve is mounted onto a balloon," said cardiothoracic specialist Dr. Glynne Edwards with MercyOne. "And it's basically a fancy procedure for stenting the old valve and deploying a new valve immediately. That's immediately functional right at the time of the procedure." This procedure is relatively new, created in the last decade and is an alternative to an open-heart procedure. MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center has been performing this technique for about 18 months. "It's the alternative to the standard, or what used to be considered standard of care, for aortic valve replacement," Dr. Edwards said, "which was surgical aortic valve replacement where the surgeon does what is called sternotomy, which is an incision usually in the middle of the chest or sometimes along the side of the chest wall. TAVR is done while the patient is awake and recovery time is much shorter. "Your patients are usually minimally sedated and if they are intubated or put to sleep, they are extubated right after the procedure," Dr. Edwards said. "So it's generally a much shorter length of stay and greater patient comfort, recovery sooner. Patients can return to their you know usual activities in a much shorter timeframe." When Siouxland News met Ellen and Ed, Ellen was one week post-TAVR procedure. "But I was awake during the whole thing. I was not put out, and it's better if you can do that and I did that. I heard him talk and everything," Ellen said thinking back on her procedure a week earlier. The TAVR procedure is quick, taking around 60 to 90 minutes and patients like Ellen are home in a day or so. A much better alternative to the long stay and recovery that comes after an open-heart procedure. "If you look at the number of open-heart procedures or valve replacements being done nationally. 10 years ago, 80 to 90% of open-heart valve procedures were done surgically," Dr. Edwards said. "In 2020, that's about 50% being done surgically and the other 50% being done by this transcatheter technique called TAVR." Just one week after her valve replacement, Ellen was doing great. She showed me the four electrodes she had to wear 24/7 for 30 days to monitor her heart and any cardio events she has during her recovery. Doctors at MercyOne have been doing the TAVR procedure for about 18 months and with patients like Ellen, see just how significant an impact this less-invasive procedure can have on someone's life. "I would think that if nothing was done that my life would be shortened," she said. "I think I got a few more years. I'm 87 and so I'm thrilled living that long." As with any medical procedure, the TAVR procedure may not be right for everyone. Doctors recommend you talk with your own physician before having any procedures done. SEE THE VIDEO Visiting an emergency room can be a scary and stressful experience. With the colorless walls and unusual smells, many who need emergency care find themselves waiting hours to be seen, but not anymore. Inside MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center's newly renovated, redesigned and reimagined emergency room, the Fast Track does just what its name says, gets patients in and out fast. "With our Fast Track, we are really excited to be able to serve the community in this capacity." Chris Hawkins is the Emergency Services Director at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center. "We really strive to see patients in under 90 minutes and get you in and have your treatment and discharged in that amount of time." Fast Track is designed for less severe emergencies and when new mom Rikki Myers brought her son into MercyOne's emergency room after a scary fall, she was moved into the Fast Track system. While the nurse was checking her son, she noticed something else, a cough. He tested positive for RSV. "They really prepared me because RSV can go from nothing too scary really fast and because I knew he had it, I was prepared to help him get better," Myers said about the team at Fast Track. Because of their quick response to her son's emergency, they also caught his RSV before it got too serious, something this first-time mom is grateful for. "They helped me be knowledgeable about what was wrong with my son, even if it wasn't related to what we came in for." MercyOne's new emergency room and Fast Track is the only one of its kind in the region, designed with patient care and accessibility in mind. "Really, the focus was on the community and to be able to get patients who are coming in with lower-level emergencies that were finding they would have to wait longer in the emergency department before it was their turn to be seen," Hawkins said. "So, by doing this it can get them moved through the system a little bit quicker and been seen and treated." The Fast Track opens at 3 p.m. every afternoon and is located in the ER. The renovations inside the emergency department also include private rooms and valet parking during the week. SEE THE VIDEO Misinformation: What it is and how to identify it "A report just came out recently that showed that 65% of vaccine misinformation comes from 12 people on social media." It's not just false information on vaccines that make the rounds online, nothing is truly spared from being the victim of misinformation. From politics to pizza shops, and sometimes a combination of both, misinformation, or the spread of false information perceived as truth, has been around for decades. "Misinformation is anything that's designed to try to put doubt in people's minds about the truth." David Elder is a professor at Morningside University and specialized in misinformation and propaganda. “I teach a class about propaganda,” he said, “and propaganda is just purposeful manipulation of a large group of people. And usually what you see in misinformation, is it will include some hint of truth and then skew it to fit a certain agenda.” Teaching about misinformation isn’t just looking at how it spreads, but how to identify it. One surefire way to know the information is factual is by verifying that it is from a credible source. "And so, to have a credible source you need to make sure that there's an author,” Elder said. “You need to make sure that they have the right background in order to have some sort of opinion on this thing." A credible source doesn’t necessarily mean someone with a familiar name. It’s important that they have the right background to be speaking on the topic. “There are epidemiologists who are on Facebook, trying to tell us what is true and what is not true. But oftentimes, those aren't the people that we recognize,” Elder said. “Just because you recognize someone via your family member your friend or even some pundit on TV that you watch every night. Just because you recognize them doesn't mean they always have the correct information. So, going to a source that has a scientific background can be a great way to stop that spread.” Misinformation has taken on a new meaning in the age of COVID-19. From the virus itself to mitigation measures and vaccines, the spread of false information now can have deadly consequences. "The spread of misinformation may be used to be something about, ‘oh this celebrity is dating that celebrity’ and there's not that much of a consequence,” Elder said, “but now it's misinformation about things that can save your life, and can save your neighbor's life and your friends, your family." Now, you may be thinking what exactly is considered misinformation? "Anything that tries to undermine the sort of the veracity or the trust that people have in that kind of information would be considered misinformation.” Elder says misinformation has been around for a long time, “I think the biggest thing is to be aware of, sort of the erosion of trust in expertise, over the last 30 years, maybe longer." But as social media grows in popularity, the spread of false information ignites faster than a wildfire, with posts about COVID-19 garnishing thousands of shares in a matter of minutes. "Sadly, I'm not sure it's grown during the pandemic because the spread of misinformation on social media, happens all the time,” Elder said. “I think what we're seeing now is that there are more dire consequences." "This is literally life and death for people." But what can you do to combat misinformation? There are a few things:
SEE THE VIDEO Misinformation: What is immunology and how vaccines work with your immune system The immune system has been making headlines the last 18 months as the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, but what exactly is the immune system and how does it work? "The human being is a very complicated system and immunology essentially looks at how different parts of the immune system fight bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi, how they keep you healthy overall." Dr. Anni Moore is a microbiologist and teaches immunology at Morningside University. Part of that involves vaccines, their development and how they work. "The short answer here is vaccines essentially stimulate your immune system," Dr. Moore says, "that gives your immune system the tools to target that specific organism, such as the Coronavirus or the flu virus, and essentially stimulate your immune system to fight it." Just like there are many different types of organisms that can attack an immune system, there are also many different types of vaccines in development even before they are needed. "Vaccine development itself is pretty complicated," Dr. Moore said. "However, because we have been doing that for about 200 years now, we do have the tools. We know what goes into it, and it's a much more seamless process, even when we don't have these pandemics going on." "There is a lot of research going into vaccine developments all throughout the world." With scientists around the globe working on vaccine development every day, creating vaccines to fight a global pandemic in a year isn't a surprise because much of the science behind it was already there. The development of vaccines to fight coronaviruses have been in the works for decades, as described in this report from the Journal of Biomedical Science. Dr. Moore says there are many different types of vaccines being created, but the baseline is the same. "It all starts with identifying, of course, the target, the virus, in this case, the Coronavirus and looking at target proteins, for example, that your body would recognize as a foreign." When creating a vaccine to target a specific virus, like COVID-19, scientists need to identify the spike protein in the virus that your immune system fights off. Dr. Moore says a vaccine can use the identified spike protein itself or the gene from that protein, such as mRNA vaccines, and give your immune system the tools it needs for battle before you become infected. "Essentially, it tries to get those into your body to activate your immune system that would then recognize that protein as foreign and start building up the immune arsenal, such as your T cells, such as your antibodies, against that particular protein," Dr. Moore says about the vaccine's job inside a person's body. "So they would identify that virus, or the bacteria, in some cases, by that antigen, we call that, the identifying protein." One of the biggest debates surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines is their lack of full FDA approval, but the medicine behind the vaccines has been approved with the emergency use authorization. The full FDA approval, Dr. Moore says, involves everything else. "We are out of phase three trial, we have been vaccinating with these emergency approved vaccines for months now, and all the data says medically everything is solid," Dr. Moore says. The medicine behind the vaccine has been given the green light. "Now, what else goes into the FDA approval process, complete approval process, is not just the medical stuff, it's everything aside from that. So things that deal with production and storage, and, and, and. So it's all the non-medical stuff that also goes into the FDA approval." "So to say that these vaccines are sort of iffy because they don't have full approval is somewhat short-sighted because the data is there that medically, these vaccines are definitely solid." What about vaccine immunity versus natural immunity? For those who have had COVID-19, your natural immunity may not be as strong as you think. "So, when you get the vaccine, you have a controlled dose. You have an X number of molecules or viral particles that are given to you." When you get sick naturally with the Coronavirus, Dr. Moore says, "then you don't know how much you've got and you don't know how much your body can handle how much your body could. What kind of proportional response, your body is going to get to that Coronavirus dose that you got naturally." The new Delta variant has brought the topic of 'breakthrough cases' into the spotlight with skeptics saying that the vaccines aren't working when someone who has been inoculated tests positive for COVID-19. But no vaccine is 100% effective and has never been touted as such. The flu vaccine each year is typically between 40%-60% effective against the flu strain. The COVID-19 vaccines are between 60%-95% effective, depending on which one you look at. "Whether the virus has mutated a little bit so it sort of slipped past your immune system," Dr. Moore says. "There are always these cases. But what seems to be the overall data right now is that the vaccines, even if they don't 100% prevent you from getting COVID, it will prevent you from getting very, very sick and they prevent hospitalizations." Want to learn more about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against the Delta variant? Read this article from the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Moore says that, in spite of the impact this pandemic has had on the world, one positive thing to come out of this is global discussion and interest in science. "A year and a half ago, I don't think people were aware of things like contact tracing and a lot of people did not know how vaccines work and or what viruses are and I think as tragic as this has been, I think it has also been a good public education on epidemiology and public safety, and overall biology." SEE THE VIDEO Misinformation: Debunking Facebook comments with local experts Misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines has been widespread since the start of the pandemic, but how do you know if the information you are reading is true or false? Simple, you need to find a credible source. "To have a credible source, you need to make sure that there's an author," said Morningside University Professor David Elder, who specializes in propaganda and misinformation. "You need to make sure that they have the right background in order to have some sort of opinion on this thing." Whenever we share a COVID-19 or vaccine-related story on our Siouxland News Facebook page, there are many comments with claims that aren't necessarily true. We decided to take some of those comments and debunk them with local experts. One of the most common comments is that the vaccine does more harm and isn't safe because it isn't fully FDA-approved. "Vaccines are safe. They do have some side effects like any of them do, but generally, they're very well-tolerated for most people." Dr. Jeffrey O'Tool is a physician at UnityPoint Health - St. Luke's. We didn't want to just take his word for it, so we asked MercyOne Family Medicine Doctor David Ensz the same question. "The thing with COVID-19 vaccines, even though it came out really quick, you know, within a year which it had to do because we're going through a pandemic," Dr. Ensz said. "These vaccines have been tested through hundreds of 1,000s of people, millions of people, and they are safe, they do prevent illness." Another claim that often comes across our page and many others are that if you are vaccinated and get COVID-19, it proves the vaccine doesn't work. Both doctors say that's not the case. "You can absolutely still get COVID-19 after having the vaccine," Dr. Ensz said in response to this claim, "but all that means is that the virus is in you." "I think generally the vaccine's working pretty well," said Dr. O'Tool. "People who have been vaccinated tend not to get as sick as those that have been vaccinated or may not have any symptoms at all with COVID-19." Immunologists say the vaccine's goal is to reduce your risk of severe illness, which it largely has done. Dr. O'Tool says that UnityPoint Health has seen some positive cases in people who have been vaccinated, "but a lot of our positive cases here recently have been in those that have not been vaccinated." How about another claim that's been around since the beginning of the pandemic. That masks make you sicker. With mask mandates being reinstated with the rise of the Delta variant, we asked Dr. Ensz, who wore masks as part of his job as a doctor before COVID-19, if this was actually the case. "There's that sensation that you're breathing through a mask, but it doesn't worsen any chronic breathing conditions or breathing in somebody who's healthy," Dr. Ensz said on this claim. "The theory is. "okay I'm so close to my breath, and I'm going to be breathing that in". But all the data show that there's no increase in respiratory illnesses, allergies any of that." Dubbed "anti-vaxers", the voices of those with distrust or hesitation in vaccines have gotten louder in recent months, but vaccines have been around for decades and have eradicated deadly diseases and viruses. Dr. Ensz listed several vaccines that kids need to have and several diseases eradicated thanks to vaccine science saying, "one of the reasons we don't hear about polio anymore is because everybody got vaccinated for polio, and we don't see it, We don't see, you know, kids who aren't walking because polio affected their legs. These vaccines work." "Vaccines are distrusted in this country, anyway," Elder said. "Again from a bunch of false information, but it's a belief that has taken over so adding one more step to the mistrusted vaccines isn't seen as that too far of a bridge." Vaccines aren't 100% effective at preventing any illness, and that's never been said by medical professionals. "Overall, the COVID-19 vaccines seem to be much more efficient than many other vaccines that people are getting all the time." Dr. Anni Moore is a microbiologist and teaches immunology at Morningside University. "Up to 95% effective. There's always that 5%, either the vaccine didn't work properly. Whether the virus has mutated a little bit so it didn't, it sort of slipped past your immune system. There are always these cases." "Generally speaking, vaccines will help," said Dr. O'Tool. "Nothing is perfect. Influenza successful years or 60% protective effect from an influenza vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine can be much more effective, probably in the high 90s, which has been reported all the way along." For those worried about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, our local experts say while these were developed quickly in a sense, "vaccine development itself is pretty complicated. However, because we have been doing that for about 200 years now, we do have the tools. We know what goes into it, and it's a much more seamless process, even when we don't have these pandemics going on. There is a lot of research going into vaccine developments all throughout the world." "There's been millions and millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine given around the world," said O'Tool. "We all hear reports of side effects and things like that. But those are a very, very small number compared to the total number of doses have been given." "You know, honestly, that's something we don't know at this point," said Dr. Ensz. "You know the one thing we do know is that we're going through a pandemic right now and this virus is still killing people. It's killing healthy people, it's killing ill people. And the best defense we have against it right now is this vaccine." Doctors say that even if you have had COVID-19, getting the vaccine is still recommended. As medical professionals work tirelessly to treat COVID-19 patients and make improvements to the vaccines available, Ensz and O'Tool have one final message for Siouxlanders. "Bottom line is if you're on the fence about getting the vaccine. My recommendation is to absolutely do," said Dr. Ensz. "So that's the only way we're going to get rid of this pandemic. We're already seeing the mask mandate come back in certain states. If you have questions about it, ask your healthcare provider, ask family members who have received the vaccine." "It's been a long year and a half here. And the sooner we get more people vaccinated," said Dr. O'Tool. "Hopefully, we're less likely to get more variants that could eventually have a variant that the vaccine doesn't work for. And then we have to start over again." SEE THE VIDEO They say family is more than just blood relations. "I like to go swimming with her because she is an excellent swimmer too, and I go play with her in this swimming pool a lot. Right?" For the Edlunds, Building Blocks Daycare and Preschool has become their family and blood... their lifeline. "Recently my youngest daughter Lorelei was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia," mom Erin Edlund said. "Lolo was in the hospital for almost a month and a half and our kids could not visit because of COVID. And so Evelyn was really looking for a way to try to do something to channel her energy and to make use of a tough situation." Evelyn has partnered with Building Blocks to host a blood drive in her sister's honor. At just 5 years old, Lolo has had four transfusions already. "It's very important to me because I feel like when she was in the children's hospital, I couldn't go sit with her," Evelyn said standing beside her sister, "and I feel like one way to help her is to help with this blood drive." This drive also comes at a time where blood donations are falling short of the need. "There is not a lot of blood in hospitals because of COVID and things," Evelyn said of the other reason why she wanted to host this drive. "So it's important that we're donating blood to the hospitals so that they have it for people who need it." "I think we're all trying to find ways right now to cope with this and so one of the things that we talked about was the fact that there are blood shortages all over the country right now," Erin said of the drive. "Lolo happens to have one of the more rare types, she's O-negative. And so knowing that there are shortages out there is pretty scary for our family, especially because we never know when she may need blood again." So the Edlunds approached Building Blocks to help host the drive. "At Building Blocks, it means the world to us. We've been open since 2004, and a lot of people look at us as just childcare, but really we're a family and so it means a lot to me." For Building Blocks, hosting this event was an easy choice. They had been thinking of hosting one already when Evelyn and the Edlunds brought up the idea to them. "And it dug deep, I guess and we just need to take care of each other and have each other's back," said Building Blocks owner Stacy Eldridge, "and if anybody out there needs any sort of blood then I think anybody should give. So when it hit home, you have to act." For Erin and Jeff, watching their kids rally around each other has helped them all get through it together. "I couldn't be more proud as a mom to see my kid, finding a way to overcome tough things," Erin said, "and to be gritty and really try to make something good out of something that's maybe really hard and tough." I think that they just showed remarkable resolve," Jeff said of his kids. "I can't imagine trying to understand it at 10 and at five, still trying to process. As an adult and as a parent." Lolo recently finished in-patient treatment and still has a few years of treatment to go for her leukemia. "They say that it takes a village to raise a child and I think having a child who's going through cancer and going through what our family is going through, it takes many villages," Erin said. "And we are fortunate to be connected to a lot of really great people and villages who have had our backs." "It's been humbling," Jeff said, "the support that we've had from the very get-go has been remarkable and emotional and wonderful. We couldn't have asked for anything better." The Edlund's say that while they have only been a part of the Sgt. Bluff community for three years, they've been welcomed with open arms, especially during this challenging time. "The community has really rallied around us," Erin said. "I can't say enough about how lucky we are to live in a place like Sergeant Bluff because the community has supported us in so many ways. And when you're being supported like that it feels so critical to give back. Even though right now, I don't mean that feel like we have enough capacity, we really do want to do something like this. This helps Lolo and it helps kids all over the country and adults all over the country who need blood." While Evelyn can't donate herself yet, she's hoping this drive can help save others' lives, like Lolo. "It's something that should come and do because while you're helping not only the whole community," she said, "but you're also helping kids and other people who are hurt or sick that need the blood." "It's easily the hardest thing that we've ever gone through in our lives," Erin said, "and I think that as a parent, one of the most important things that we can teach our kids going through a hard time like this is to not let something like this break you, but let us help you bounce." The blood drive already has over 30 Siouxlanders signed up with more spots available. If you would like to sign up, you can do so at the link here. SEE THE VIDEO This summer is looking a lot different than last for most Siouxlanders as events, concerts and other activities return following the pandemic. One year ago, the Siouxland District Health Department was full steam ahead working to slow the spread of COVID-19. This year, it's a different message. "You know the number of new cases has dramatically decreased," said Director Kevin Grieme. "When we're looking at the comparison from a year ago, to what it is now I say everything looks pretty good." Woodbury County's positivity rate is sitting around 2% with just a handful of new cases reported each week, 37 total so far in June. The focus now is vaccinations. "I think the one step that we're really at is just really concerned about residents seeking out the vaccine," Grieme said about residents' hesitation to get vaccinated. "And I think that's the next phase of the education and support we need to put together." While the health department is no longer holding mass vaccination clinics, there are still several ways to get your shot, like pharmacies and primary care providers, Grieme says. "We're just really trying to educate the community about the aspect of it is safe, it is functional, it's probably the right thing to do." Grieme says that as Siouxlanders return to their pre-pandemic activities, it's important to remember that if you don't feel well for any reason, it's best to stay home. "If you don't feel well and have slight symptoms. Our recommendation is please don't go," Grieme said. "Don't go to those mass events. You don't know what it would be, whether it could be COVID even if you're vaccinated, there's a small percentage that may contract it, but the reality of it is any illness that you have just stay home." After the last 18 months, Grieme and the team at the Siouxland District Health Department can now breathe a little easier. "I think we've eventually known this was going to happen and we kept seeing little glimmers of light in the tunnel, but I think right now to be where we're at, I said we have to be quite happy with the prospect of summer coming up, and we're just hoping people take the right choices." There are also some positives to come out of the pandemic. "There are many more organizations that understand the impact and the relevance of public health to the work that they normally do," Grieme said. "And when something, a disease of virus such as COVID-19 gets out of hand, the real impact it could have. And I think one of the things that we see as an organization is we want to continue the partnerships will establish continue to build upon those or to do put into parameters and aspects that protect the health of the public." According to the Iowa COVID-19 dashboard, more than 32,000 Woodbury County residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. SEE THE VIDEO In March of 2020, the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, arrived in the tri-state region. Now one year later, we look back on the impact this virus has had on Siouxland. A GLOBAL TIMELINE: On December 31st, 2019, the World Health Organization received the first report of a viral pneumonia in Wuhan, China. Just 9 days later, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus, COVID-19 was confirmed. The first death of this new virus was reported on January 11th and just 20 days after WHO first learned of the virus, it appeared in the U.S. By February 3rd, the U.S. had declared a public health emergency and by March 11th, the WHO had declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. President Trump declared a national emergency two days later. On April 4th, 1 million cases were confirmed worldwide. Come the end of May, the United States had documented 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 and reached 2 million confirmed cases by June 10th. On August 17th, COVID-19 had become the 3rd leading cause of death in the nation. September 28th brought a grim global milestone: 1 million lives lost. The world reached 40 million confirmed cases by October 19th and by mid-December, the FDA had approved the first two vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. On January 1st, 2021, the country reached 20 million confirmed cases. By the 10th of January, 90 million confirmed worldwide. Just 5 days later, 2 million people were dead. By March, millions had been vaccinated and a third vaccine option, Johnson & Johnson, was approved for use: one year after COVID-19 was declared a national emergency. THE NUMBERS: Here in the tri-state, we've seen more than 652,000 people test positive for COVID-19 in the last year. Nebraska:
NEBRASKA: Nebraska was one of the first states in the nation to house people in quarantine for COVID-19 following a cruise ship outbreak. More than a dozen people were brought to Nebraska Medicine in Omaha on February 17th to spend two weeks in quarantine after an outbreak on the Diamond Princess. A handful had tested positive and receive treatment at the hospital. It wouldn't be until March 6th that the first confirmed case specifically in Nebraska was reported. Here in Siouxland, Dakota and Madison County saw major outbreaks of COVID-19 after the virus spread through meatpacking plants in Dakota City and Norfolk. IOWA: It was a Sunday night, March 15th, when Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds made an announcement no other governor of the state has ever made before, closing schools across the state for four weeks. Classes would never resume for in-person learning for the 2019-2020 school year. March 17th, Gov. Reynolds closed gyms, fitness centers, theaters, casinos, bars, restaurants and many other businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus in the state. The state reached a grim milestone on August 19th, with 1,000 Iowans dead from COVID-19. SOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakota was one of the first to report a major outbreak of COVID-19, putting the Rushmore state under a national spotlight. The state reported its first cases and first death linked to the virus on March 10th, and just a month later, an outbreak was confirmed at the Smithfield Foods pork plant in Sioux Falls. This outbreak was one of the first to hit meatpackers last spring. The plant shut down on April 11th and the CDC was brought in to investigate its mitigation measures before the plant could reopen. Governor Kristi Noem would host President Donald Trump for a July 4th celebration at Mount Rushmore and then in August, tens of thousands of people flocked to Sturgis for the annual motorcycle rally. Throughout the pandemic, Governor Noem encouraged civic responsibility instead of stay at home and mask orders, urging South Dakotans to use personal responsibility to help slow the spread of the virus. By December 2020, Avera Health, a major health system in the state, reported that South Dakota had the highest mortality rate from COVID-19 in the nation. COVID-19 vaccine phase updates in the tri-state RETURN TO LEARN: Many schools in the Siouxland area released "Return to Learn" plans ahead of the 2020-2021 school year. These included various learning scenarios for students and teachers in case of a virus outbreak in the district or community. Siouxland News spoke to many of these districts ahead of the new school year, which you can find those stories here. The Sioux City Community School District had three learning plans: in-person, hybrid and online. The district was one of the few large districts in the state of Iowa to remain in-person this school year. Siouxland News Anchor Diana Castillo sat down for an exclusive interview with Superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman to look back on the last year, the success of the Return to Learn plan, and what he'd do differently if he had the chance. Watch the full interview below or click here. SIOUXLAND DISTRICT HEALTH: They've become a household name over the last year. The team at the Siouxland District Health Department had to quickly adjust to ever-changing protocols from health officials and questions from the public. Our Vivian Rennie sat down with Director Kevin Grieme and Deputy Director Tyler Brock for an in-depth discussion on a year they won't soon forget. Watch the full interview below or click here. A YEAR FIGHTING COVID-19 INSIDE UNITYPOINT HEALTH-ST. LUKE'S This virus has changed a lot of lives, but for those who work at Unity Point Health Saint Luke's, they came face to face with an enemy no one could predict. READ MORE: Vivian Rennie spoke with health officials and nurses at UPH about the last year and COVID-19. LOCAL BUSINESS IMPACT: Businesses across the country, Siouxland included, are no stranger to the negative impact of the pandemic. It's been tough and those businesses made a lot of sacrifices in the last year. But, they've also seen growth and development that wouldn't have emerged otherwise. READ MORE: COVID-19's impact on the local economy READ MORE: Sneaky's Chicken says they are struggling but surviving the pandemic READ MORE: A look at how the pandemic has impacted a Siouxland tire and auto repair shop READ MORE: Tyson Events Center gets creative during the pandemic SPORTS IMPACT:After the coronavirus canceled spring sports all across the tri-state, Iowa was the first to attempt high school sports over the summer and for the most part, it went off without a hitch. But people were more skeptical about the fall, a time where close contact sports were inevitable. Our Andrew Rogers breaks down the numbers from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota to find out how much the virus played a role in sports cancellations. Read his story here and watch the video below. MEATPACKING OUTBREAKS: They are a key element in our nation's food supply and became one of the hardest-hit industries early on. COVID-19 outbreaks spread quickly through meatpacking plants nationwide. In the Spring of 2020 meatpacking plants across the midwest became the first hotspots for COVID-19 in the country. SMITHFIELD - Sioux Falls
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