If you had asked me 5 years ago what I would be doing today, I could never have imagined the pandemic chapter of our lives. I remember exactly where I was when I realized the reality of the impending virus. Where were you when Mississippi had its first case of COVID? What were you doing when the vaccine first arrived in Mississippi? Regardless of where we were, throughout the pandemic, we were called to action in different ways. In the battle against COVID, all Mississippi physicians were at the frontline.
Before treatments and vaccines were readily available, the initial stages of the battle can be described as an effort to prevent transmission and respond to the sickest of the sick. As physicians, we navigated the complex belief systems and biases of peoples in our state. Physicians worked to teach simple strategies like wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart, and avoiding social gatherings. We spoke out at PTO school meetings, city halls, and rallied our churches. We gave statewide addresses, hosted podcasts, developed wellness programs. During the pandemic, we faced a dichotomy of criticism and praise.
In clinics, urgent cares, and emergency departments around the state, we fought for early diagnosis and protected our staff. For some of us, the battle was waged at a different front – once the illness took hold. We took care of those patients who failed conservative outpatient management. With the advent of vaccines, there was hope for a quick resolution to the pandemic. The vaccines arrived at our hospital as a joyful gift three days before Christmas.
Regardless of the stage in the battle, as physicians, we were always hopeful that the novel treatments would work, that the patient didn’t wait too long to come to the ER, and always hoping for survival with minimal long-term effects. We bravely donned the proscribed gear and entered into the unknown. We were determined to see this through and demonstrated unimaginable resolve. Throughout it all, we worked to find common ground among cultural difference. We fought and continue to fight misinformation, which ended up costing lives.
As the June/July 2022 issue of JMSMA was created, I frequently looked back at the first COVID special issue from 2020. It is like a time capsule. I think of what it felt like to live during that time. What started in January in 2020 was a chapter that is impossible to summarize in one word, one sitting or one thought. This issue has been a joy to prepare. Every article in this issue is original content that was developed by a Mississippian and meant to convey the Mississippi experience with COVID. This issue is structured to give a snapshot of each level of COVID experience. From the physician, clinic, hospital, state department of health, my goal is that we have captured some memory of what happened.