■ A year of COVID-19,

Be safe, follow the 3W’s and get vaccinated as soon as you can.

Piedmont Healthcare treated its first COVID-19 patient on March 9, 2020. As I reflect on all that was accomplished, and all that was lost, within the past year, I know there is still a great amount of work to be done if we are to reach a brighter future and an end to the pandemic.

We have just come out of a third surge of COVID-19 patients at hospitals throughout the country. For many of us, this last surge was the largest we have seen and the most emotionally demanding in terms of acuity levels for patients and deaths. The numbers began to increase after Thanksgiving and steadily climbed as people celebrated the holidays and New Year’s together. The surge was expected, but it didn’t have to be that way. These were preventable deaths. As I talked to patients and families recently affected by COVID19, I continually heard “we have been so good since March and just wanted to see family for the holidays” or “we just wanted to feel normal.”

I know it’s important to feel human and find normalcy, and you can! First, we have to keep vigilant with the 3W’s: wear your mask, wash your hands and watch your distance. Secondly, get vaccinated when you are eligible. In fact, even if you are vaccinated you must continue with the 3W’s. That is because more scientific research is required to determine whether vaccinated people can spread COVID-19 and, while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines offer 95% and

94% protection, respectively, it remains possible to contract what would likely be a milder case of the illness. Lastly, as the weather warms up, participate in more outdoor activities while still watching your distance and wearing a mask around others outside your household.

While there is no cure for COVID-19, people who have tested positive for COVID-19 may be eligible for a monoclonal antibody infusion within the first 10 days of the onset of symptoms. This has been shown to keep the disease from getting worse and prevent hospitalization for those likely to suffer from complications from the disease. Piedmont has five hospitals with monoclonal

antibody clinics. with more planned. If you test positive for COVID-19, talk to your primary care provider to see if you are eligible for this treatment.

While there are countless stories of outstanding care from our health care teams and amazing recoveries from some of our patients, I have seen a lot of heartbreak in the past year. One thing that is particularly heartbreaking is families and loved ones not being able to communicate with severely ill patients and not knowing what health care decisions their loved one would have made regarding their own health. I encourage everyone, young and old, to talk to their families about what’s important to them, and especially if

they get ill. For instance, what does quality of life mean to you, and who is the medical decision maker if you cannot speak for yourself ?

One patient I encountered this past year made a book for his wife and family, which had all of their bank account information, log-ins and passwords, account information for bills and credit cards, and anything else she needed to know if something happened to him so she could keep their home running. In the book, he also had other legal documents that discussed what kind of medical care he wanted in certain situations. He told me, “I don’t want my family to have to guess what I want if something happens to me and the doctors

can’t do anything to cure me. That’s my gift to my greatest love. They know exactly what I want and just have to honor my wishes.”

There are plenty of reasons for optimism as we head into spring, but I urge everyone to continue to take COVID-19 seriously until we can put the disease firmly behind us. Be safe, follow the 3W’s, and get vaccinated when you can. We will be able to return to a sense of normalcy when everyone plays their role in being a part of the solution.

Neha S. Shah, M.D., specializes in hospice and palliative care medicine and infectious diseases at Piedmont Fayette and Piedmont Newnan hospitals.

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP Syringes filled with Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are loaded into a cooler in a hospital pharmacy. Even with the vaccines being ramped up, a year after the initial outbreak, it is vital that people continue to take precautions against the coronavirus.

Neha S. Shah