Health workers still feel COVID's impact 5 years later
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It has been five years since the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Michigan's .
The impact of the pandemic is still being felt by frontline workers, including those who work for Corewell Health in Grand Rapids. They tell News 8 they will never forget the pandemic, from the lives lost to the emotional toll it has taken on so many in their profession.
'It is hard to believe it's been five years. We still talk about COVID like it was yesterday,' said Renee Gummere, a respiratory therapist for the hospital system.
'On and on': How COVID-19 defined high school for Class of 2023
Gummere said the patients she treated are forever etched in her memory.
'During COVID there weren't a lot of visitors allowed and so we were the support system for a lot of those family members that were allowed to be there. So you know, it's been five years and I still remember faces, names and room numbers that people were in. Those are things that I probably will never forget,' Gummere said.
The number of patients and their conditions were things Renee never expected to encounter when she studied to become a respiratory therapist.
'I never thought I would see a pandemic like we saw at Blodgett, specifically, we had two makeshift ICUs beyond our regular ICU so we had three ICUs going at once,' Gummere said.
She said working through the pandemic helped the team learn to work together to care for the increase in patients.
'This is an impossible task to care for all these people, all of these critically ill people,' Gummere said. 'We did the best we could with what we had at the time.'
Until antivirals were created, there were not many treatment options other than providing supportive care.
ArtPrize entry reflects on COVID-19 losses in disabled community
'It was really hard because there was no specific criteria for … the type of patient that was going to die from COVID. I've seen 20-year-olds all the way up to 96-year-olds pass away from COVID. Athletes, police officers, ex marines, it doesn't matter who you were, COVID affected everybody,' Gummere said.
In addition to the toll the virus took on patients, healthcare workers continue to feel the impact.
Jennifer Kaiser, nurse scientist and magnet program director with Corewell Health Grand Rapids Hospitals, completed a study on the years after the height of the pandemic.
'Nurses have experienced a sense of moral injury because the conditions of the practice environment didn't allow them to be the nurse they wanted to be,' Kaiser said. 'My study was on nurses' professional identity which is just not just doing nursing but what it means to identify as a nurse to be a nurse to have that as part of your self-concept.'
The pandemic also had an impact on staffing turnover for hospitals across the country.
Families reflect on confusing time, losing loved ones early in pandemic
'We lost over 100,000 nurses throughout the pandemic, leaving the profession entirely, and that number does not include nurses that went to a different care setting so maybe they didn't want to work in ICU or inpatient anymore,' Kaiser said.
Respiratory therapists like Gummere, who stayed with the profession, know the impact healthcare workers made to save lives and the trauma they saw firsthand seeing the patients who did not survive.
'It's going be something that effects healthcare workers for the rest of our lives,' Gummere said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Preliminary data shows opioid deaths dropping big in Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says its latest data shows opioid deaths continue to drop across the state. Nitrous oxide abuse up more than 500% in Michigan Provisional data from MDHHS says overdose deaths likely dropped by 34% from 2023 to 2024 — approximately 1,000 fewer lives lost. The agency called it 'continued progress' thanks to investments to combat oversdoses, both financially and in effort. Since 2019, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office has worked to secure more than from several drug manufacturers and retailers, providing funds for state treatment, recovery and prevention programs. 'The progress we are seeing in combatting the opioid epidemic proves what is possible when real investments are made in treatment and prevention,' Nessel . 'My office will continue working to hold those responsible for this crisis accountable to ensure the health and well-being of residents are put ahead of corporate greed.' 'You can do it': Woman who beat addiction aims to inspire others According to MDHHS, more than 1.3 million naloxone kits have been purchased and distributed, and nearly 34,000 have reportedly been used to reverse overdoses and save lives. Michigan's , which is powered primarily by opioids, has steadily climbed from 2000 to 2021. The MDHHS notes a rise in opioid prescriptions starting in 2000, a rise in heroin use starting in 2010 and the emergence of fentanyl in 2013. In Michigan, overdose deaths took a sharp rise in 2013, from 1,300 to 1,535. By 2017, the number was up to 2,686. Numbers dropped before another surge sparked in 2019, going from 2,354 to 3,096 in 2021. Since then, deaths have trended down. The state recorded 2,998 in 2022 and 2,931. The preliminary data recorded just 1,045 deaths from January through June of 2024, on track for roughly 2,100 for the year. Sign up for the News 8 daily newsletter Lauren Rousseau, the president of the Northwest Wayne County Chapter of Face Addiction Now, says there is still a lot of work to do. 'White overdose deaths have declined significantly, due in part to the increased accessibility of Narcan, nonfatal overdoses remain high,' Rousseau said in a statement. 'Sustained funding, community engagement and a continued focus on reducing stigma are essential to turning the tide on the opioid crisis for good.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Epoch Times
an hour ago
- Epoch Times
Healing Shingles Naturally: How East Meets West in Fighting Viral Pain and Brain Risk
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection that causes a painful, blistering rash and often affects older adults or those with weakened immune systems. But since the COVID-19 pandemic, shingles has been appearing in unexpected age groups—raising new concerns about immunity, stress, and long-term health risks. Without timely treatment, this condition can lead to serious complications, including persistent nerve pain and even cognitive decline. In an episode of the 'Health 1+1' program, Jonathan Liu, a Canadian professor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, discussed both Western and TCM approaches to treating the infection, along with immune-boosting medicinal recipes that may help reduce the risk of shingles. The Importance of Early Treatment The primary treatment for shingles involves antiviral medications such as famciclovir or valacyclovir, which are typically taken orally. In more severe cases, intravenous acyclovir may be used, particularly in hospitalized or immunocompromised patients. Liu emphasized that early intervention is crucial. Ideally, antiviral therapy should begin before blisters appear. The medication works by suppressing viral replication rather than repairing tissue damage; therefore, starting treatment more than three days after the onset of blisters may significantly reduce their effectiveness.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut.
The Trump administration has declared an end to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people, and health experts have a warning: This is a threat to Black communities. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced the decision on May 27 and said vaccine guidance would now focus solely on adults over 65 and those with high-risk conditions, effective immediately. By June 3, Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos stepped down from her role helping lead the agency's COVID-19 vaccine advisory group, saying she could no longer support decisions that put pregnant people and children at risk. Before the changes took effect, COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for anyone 6 months and older. Kennedy did not offer a scientific rationale for the new recommendations. For Black Americans, the policy shifts are more than bureaucratic changes, according to Oni Blackstock, a physician and founder of Health Justice, a racial and health equity consulting practice. 'These new guidelines don't exist in a vacuum,' she said. 'Limiting booster eligibility risks further compromising the already fragile health status of many Black Americans.' Black Americans are 1.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19 and four times more likely to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Research from the Center for Primary Care at Harvard Medical School found that Black children are more than five times as likely to die from the virus. An estimated 165,000 to 220,000 Black Americans have died from COVID-19, according to data compiled by the APM Research Lab. According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 32% of Black Americans who contracted COVID-19 also experienced long COVID symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited a lack of evidence that annual boosters are needed by healthy, low-risk adults. However, Blackstock, a primary care and HIV physician, said the policy change marks a significant departure from past years when vaccines were broadly recommended and federally funded. 'This contradicts recent CDC data showing that the 2024–2025 boosters benefit people 18 years and older, especially early after vaccination,' she added. Blackstock noted that many Black Americans already struggle with health care access due to systemic barriers like a lack of insurance and residential segregation. 'When these combine with more restrictive vaccine guidelines,' she said, 'it becomes even harder for Black Americans to get boosters and worsens existing health disparities.' These barriers also deepen historic mistrust in health care, said Jerry Abraham, a family and community medicine physician. Abraham, who is director of the CDU-KEDREN Mobile Street Medicine program in Los Angeles, said the history of medical racism and continued treatment disparities fuel skepticism toward public health. Even as boosters offer real benefits, he said, many remain hesitant or disconnected from resources that ensure protection. 'If children and pregnant women are no longer recommended for vaccination, will grandma still go to CVS and get it herself?' he said. Abraham added that in an era where health care professionals can no longer trust the updated guidelines from federal agencies, it's deeply concerning and a reminder that Black communities must once again rely on themselves. For answers about what comes next, read on. Aisha Harris, a family medicine physician in Flint, Michigan, told Capital B that limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines for healthy adults exposes high-risk groups like seniors and those who are immunocompromised. 'Reduced protection in healthy people increases their risk of being infected by COVID and of being a carrier,' said Harris, who owns the direct primary care clinic Harris Family Medicine. 'When more people are contagious, with or without symptoms, they have a higher chance of infecting others around them, including in their household or those they are taking care of as caregivers.' She warned this undermines community immunity. Without widespread coverage, even eligible groups face elevated risks. FDA officials say the new approach mirrors those taken by Australia and several European nations that limit vaccines to older or high-risk adults. But some critics argue the shift ignores U.S. disparities and bypasses standard CDC procedures. You can pay out of pocket, but it could cost up to $200. If the CDC doesn't recommend vaccines, Abraham said health plans are much less likely to cover them, since insurers typically follow CDC guidance. Yes, COVID-19 vaccines have already undergone extensive clinical trials before being authorized for public use. The FDA says it will require longer clinical trials before approving updated shots for healthy kids and adults, with studies lasting at least six months, likely delaying fall approvals. The CDC's vaccine advisory committee is expected to vote on fall vaccine recommendations in late June, but it's unclear how much influence it will have over the newly announced changes. High-risk conditions for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility generally include chronic kidney disease, chronic lung diseases, asthma, diabetes, immunocompromised states (from cancer treatment, organ transplant, HIV, etc.), heart conditions, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, sickle cell disease, smoking, and stroke or cerebrovascular disease. Yes. Studies show COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters, reduces the risk of severe illness and may lower the chances of developing long COVID symptoms after infection. The post Black Kids Are 5 Times More Likely to Get Severe COVID. Now Vaccines Are Being Cut. appeared first on Capital B News.
