Episode 7: COVID-19 Second Wave and Vaccine

Meg:

December’s episode revolved around the second wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic, as well as advancements regarding the vaccine. We sat down once again with Dr. Neena Phillip (who made an appearance in our first ever episode of the podcast)! I was honestly so interested to see the differences between the first and second waves of the pandemic. I think something that interested me was definitely the preparation that came with the second wave. With the first wave, it was extremely difficult to obtain personal protection equipment (PPE) in vast quantities. However, as doctors and healthcare personnel have learned more about the virus, the approach to obtaining PPE has changed. Dr.Phillip shed light on the fact that now, in the hospital she works for, PPE is being located among various distributors as opposed to one specific vendor. Another aspect I was interested in was how Dr.Phillip explained vaccine distribution within the hospital she works for. I knew that there had been federal recommendations about this, but I did not realize that hospitals themselves could also decide on vaccine distribution within their premises. Dr.Phillip explained that in the hospital she works for, all personnel (including doctors, nurses, cleaning staff, etc.) in COVID units would have access to the vaccine before personnel (doctors, nurses, cleaning staff, etc.) in other units. Another extremely important takeaway I noted from this video was that Dr.Phillip explained that although there may be a vaccine, we still all need to practice wearing a mask and social distancing. In other words, this vaccine can help, but we still all need to do our part.

Eshaan:

With 2020 coming to an end, Meg and I decided to close the year with another episode with Dr. Neena Philip regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic as well as the upcoming vaccine distribution. When talking to Dr. Philip, it was interesting to see how differently she handled the second wave of the pandemic. For example, I remember Dr. Philip said how in the beginning of the first wave, they started to put patients on ventilators quite early on; however she learnt that many patients were not coming off of the ventilators and instead, put patients on the ventilators when they really needed it. This definitely helped save lives and this is something the hospital put into practice during the second wave as well. Dr. Philip also mentioned how Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is not a huge issue anymore, compared to the first wave, because the hospital is getting PPE from different distributors. When it came to vaccine distribution within the hospital, Dr Philip mentioned that healthcare workers in the COVID units would get it before healthcare workers in other units. This is how Dr. Philips’s hospital is distributing vaccines, and it could be different in other hospitals. With 2020 wrapping up and 2021 on the way, I wanted to take the time to thank all the healthcare heroes who have endlessly sacrificed their lives this year to help those suffering. When things got even worse towards the end of March and April, the healthcare heroes did not back down from fighting this pandemic; instead, they stepped up their efforts and other hospital personnel also helped! The year 2020 needs a hero with the way it was, and my heroes for this year are the healthcare heroes and I am so grateful for all you did for the world this year!

Even though vaccines are out, we all need to wear a mask and to practice social distancing! Stay Safe everyone!