In 2020, America suffered lockdowns and other extreme measures implemented to prevent inundating our hospitals with COVID-19 patients. Federal and state governments had no plans for the surges in capacity when we were hit with COVID-19. Though some states were far better than others in responding to the crisis, we all lacked enough beds, ventilators, personal protective equipment, and staff.
Well, it's been quite a week... The COVID-19 news here in Macedonia just keeps getting worse and worse, with infection and death rates higher than ever. The "third wave" should crest within a matter of days, but the hospitals are already completely full.
The local newspaper reported that only 11,000 vaccine doses have been administered so far, exclusively to healthcare workers. Although there hasn't been a census in over 20 years, my guess is that there are between 1 million and 1.5 million people in Macedonia. So, 11,000 doses doesn't mean squat. And 33 deaths and 708 new cases JUST TODAY is huge.
Dr. Wainwright's story resonates with me. Her authentic voice is a compelling read for patients and physicians alike. I've been fighting COVID-19 in Stanford's ER and saw a lot of fear in the beginning. But I am grateful for the chance to heal patients.
— Dr. Vance Vanier
Dr. Vanier is an emergency medicine physician and clinical assistant professor at Stanford University Medical Center.
Sandra heals people holistically--physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. She relies on intuition as well as data.
— Michael J. Critelli.
Mike is the CEO of MakeUsWell
Dr. Sandra K. Wainwright, a MakeUsWell Charter Member, is with Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut. She has also taught at Yale University Hospital. Dr. Wainwright is a noted expert on hyperbaric oxygen therapy and its possible role in treating seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
MakeUsWell edited Dr. Wainwright's first-person story for brevity.
When it arrived, COVID-19 hit us like a tidal wave on our Northeastern shores. It was probably already here in early February 2020. The media had been reporting cases in Wuhan. Northern Italy was suffering. The Johns Hopkins website was tracking infections across the globe.