Health care workers faced one of the most pivotal points in their careers this year, and although vaccines have arrived on the SouthCoast, the battle is still not over. I don t think any of us woke up on Jan. 1, 2020, thinking we would be faced with a once-in-a-century pandemic that would change everything, said President Keith Hovan of Southcoast Health.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 caused the nation to shut down, resulting in unemployment, shortages, illness and death. Hospitals were overflowing with sick patients and field hospitals were required to accommodate the rising number of cases. Personal protection equipment (PPE) was sparse but needed everywhere, especially in health care facilities.