Five years ago, the world turned upside down
It was March 2020.
We were looking for an economic boom in Daviess County.
New building projects, big conventions, more sports tournaments.
And then, we started hearing about a deadly coronavirus that started in China and was sweeping the world.
Could it happen here?
Then, on March 13, a 63-year-old Henderson woman became the first person diagnosed with coronavirus in the region.
And our world changed.
Everything was put on hold.
The Messenger-Inquirer sent reporters home to work until it was over.
A few weeks, we thought.
But it was May 2021 before we returned to the office.
Those first few weeks, we didn't know what to expect.
Would it be like one of those movies about viruses killing people in the streets?
Soon, shortages were popping up everywhere.
We began hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
The pandemic fear had really reached us on March 1, 2020, when masks began flying off local shelves as we began stocking up in case the pandemic that was sweeping the world reached us.
The first case reached Kentucky on March 6 — in Lexington.
By March 9, sanitizer was in short supply all over the country.
Two days later, nursing homes had stopped allowing visitors to come in.
On March 11, the governor asked churches to go online and not have in-person services.
And schools closed for what they said would be three weeks.
We thought we'd have the virus under control by then.
But it was months before kids sat in the classroom again.
Sports, conventions and festivals were being called off.
On March 13, Owensboro Health restricted visitation for fear of spreading the disease.
Three days later, restaurants and bars closed.
Hotels saw bookings plummet.
Child-care centers closed.
And the primary election was postponed until June.
On March 17, gyms and movie theaters closed.
Hundreds lost their jobs.
By March 20, we had five cases in Daviess County.
Three days later, Owensboro Health saw its first patient with COVID-19.
Local distilleries started making hand sanitizer.
Funerals were limited to a small number of mourners and drive-through visitation.
We reserved the Owensboro Convention Center for an overflow of patients from the hospital.
Fortunately, that was never needed.
Some said wear masks.
Some said don't wear masks.
We were afraid to touch anything away from home.
And we learned to stay 6 feet apart, bump elbows or just wave.
By 2021, we had vaccinations for COVID-19.
Some were glad to get them.
Some fought against them.
That light at the end of the tunnel seemed to be getting closer.
And then, we learned about variants.
Greek words like Delta and Omicron.
Things got worse again and we got booster shots in the fall.
And there's a new booster every year now.
By June 2023, the state reported that 39,485 Daviess Countians had had the virus.
And 472 had died.
We've come a long way in the past five years.
Here's hoping that's the last pandemic.
But it probably won't be.
Keith Lawrence, klawrence@messenger-inquirer.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Migratory birds develop antibodies to bird flu, officials say
(WAVY) – Wildlife officials are keeping a close eye on the spread of avian influenza after along the North Carolina coast earlier this year — most of them brown pelicans. The outbreak has since been linked to the H5N1 strain of bird flu, a virus that continues to mutate and occasionally jump to other species, raising concern among experts. Miranda Turner, a wildlife health biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, said the area is a prime wintering ground for birds — making it easier for disease to spread. 'When you bring a lot of animals together and you have them traveling from different locations, it's a really good way to transmit diseases,' Turner said. In Hampton Roads, bird flu outbreaks aren't new. Lisa Barlow, president of T recalls treating sick and dying Canada geese during a 2021 outbreak on the Lafayette River. 'We dealt with about three to four dozen Canada geese that came in sick and dying,' Barlow said. 'Only six survived the flu, and even those had to be euthanized due to severe neurological symptoms.' Barlow described birds arriving unable to hold their heads up, their beaks caked in mud. Many died within 24 hours. As the virus continues to affect wildlife, it's not just birds at risk. , including seals, cats and even cattle. Experts say it's mutated at least several times since it was first identified. 'I mean, anything that can do that — it's kind of frightening, but amazing,' Barlow said. Despite the concerning spread, health officials emphasize the risk to humans remains low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 human cases have been reported nationwide, including one death. Most infections have been among people with repeated exposure to infected animals, such as poultry or dairy farm workers. 'There's really low risk,' Turner said. 'Still, it's a good idea to clean bird feeders regularly and wear gloves or a mask if you handle injured wildlife.' Barlow also urges caution for those who come across sick birds. 'If you do want to help, wear gloves, protect yourself,' she said. 'Common sense goes a long way.' Meanwhile, as migratory birds continue to interact and spread the virus, some are developing natural antibodies, according to Turner. 'They're bouncing back and creating herd immunity,' she said. Last week, the Associated Press reported the in funding meant to support Moderna's development of a bird flu vaccine. The vaccine, which uses mRNA technology similar to the COVID-19 vaccine, had shown early promise in clinical trials. For now, wildlife officials say they expect to see more outbreaks in the years ahead, especially during peak migration periods. 'Because this virus is so common in migratory birds, it is likely that we will continue to see cases here and there every winter,' Turner said. As of right now, there have been no confirmed human cases of H5N1 in Virginia and although the risk remains low for humans, for birds it can be extremely deadly – leading to large die-off events like the ones we saw near Cape Hatteras. 'Unfortunately, this was the first kind of major large scale mortality event… while it looks really bad at that small scale of seeing 300 brown pelicans die – it's not impacting their population as a whole or the species as a whole,' adds Turner. Turner also explains that the surviving pelicans are still there, 'The brown pelicans that did survive that event were still nesting on that island successfully and are doing well. So really, it's a short scale kind of scary looking event, but nothing that raises alarm for biologists in the long term.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
New coronavirus discovered in China ‘only small step' from infecting humans
A new coronavirus discovered in China is only a small step from mutating and causing another global pandemic, experts have warned. Scientists believe the variant, called HKU5-CoV-2, may infect a broader range of animals than Covid-19 – which caused millions of deaths – and may have more potential for jumping between species. US researchers fear that HKU5-CoV-2, found in China, in February, could also infect humans, leading to a widespread outbreak. The new study, published in Nature Communications, looked at a lesser-known group of coronaviruses called merbecoviruses, which includes HKU5 and MERS-CoV, which is responsible for the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The team from Washington State University looked at how the new pathogen interacts with human cells. They found that a small change in the virus's spike protein could allow it to attach to human ACE2 cells in people's throats, mouths and noses. HKU5-CoV-2 can infect and replicate inside human cells in both the airways and gut. According to the World Health Organisation, about 35 per cent of people infected with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome die. Since 2012, some 27 countries have reported cases, leading to 858 known deaths due to the infection, which spread from camels. But when HKU5 was discovered in February, scientists warned against exaggerating the risks because it does not enter human cells as readily as Sars-CoV-2, which caused Covid-19. HKU5 was first detected in bats by scientists from the Chinese laboratory where some say Covid originated in 2019. Prof Michael Letko, a virologist who co-led the study, said: 'HKU5 viruses in particular really hadn't been looked at much, but our study shows how these viruses infect cells. 'What we also found is HKU5 viruses may be only a small step away from being able to spill over into humans.' When Covid-19 emerged it was widely blamed on markets in China where different breeds of wild animal are kept caged and often slaughtered close to other animals. Meat is sold at the open-air stalls. Critics said the markets were the perfect breeding ground for new zoonotic diseases – those that spread to humans – to emerge. The scientists, whose experiments studied how the new pathogen interacts with human cells, believe the virus would have to carry certain mutations if it were to infect humans. 'These viruses are closely related to MERS, so we have to be concerned if they ever infect humans,' Prof Letko said. 'While there's no evidence they've crossed into people yet, the potential is there and that makes them worth watching.'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Should Massachusetts keep religious exemptions to vaccine mandates?
BOSTON (WWLP) – Passionate testimony rang out in the State House on Friday from parents, children, and physicians on both sides of the vaccine mandates for school children debate. The State House's public health committee heard testimony on multiple vaccine bills, including an extremely contentious piece of legislation that would eliminate religious exemptions to vaccine mandates in schools. Proponents of this bill see it as a way to close a loophole and keep kids safe in schools. Will you be able to get a COVID-19 shot? Here's what we know so far One doctor told 22News that she wants to work with families to ensure they feel comfortable with vaccines, while still pushing to ensure all children are protected. 'We know that children need a cocoon of immunity around them, whether they're infants, or in kindergarten, or in sixth grade,' said Dr. Mary Beth Miotto, a pediatrician. For every enthusiastic advocate for getting rid of the religious exemption, there was an equally passionate advocate to keep it. These parents and doctors testified that disallowing parents from choosing to exempt their children from vaccination is a violation of their freedoms, and only serves to keep deserving children out of school. 'Public health policy should support and empower, not harm and humiliate,' said Dr. Sylvia Fogle, a psychiatrist. Those speaking against the bills say the total harm of their passage would far outweigh their speculative benefit. Those who testified pro-vaccine say that claim is based on misinformation. The conversation around vaccine exemptions is especially relevant as the federal Secretary of Health and Human Services has voiced consistent support for getting rid of mandates. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
