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Central Alabama healthcare workers manage series of challenges as flu, COVID-19 cases rise
Chip Scarborough
Anchor/Reporter
Central Alabama healthcare workers manage series of challenges as flu, COVID-19 cases rise
GAME LIFE. LOCAL LABOR SEEKING WVTM 13 NEWS AT TEN STARTS NOW. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. IT’S THE START OF A LONG WINTER SEASON FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES IN CENTRAL ALABAMA. FLU CASES ARE ALREADY AT HIGH LEVELS AND COVID CASES ARE ON THE RISE AS WELL. WVTM 13. CHIP SCARBOROUGH EXPLAINS WHY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS CAN’T SEEM TO CATCH A BREAK. TEN ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO FLU IN ALABAMA THIS SEASON. THIS LATEST MAP FROM THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SHOWS WIDESPREAD FLU ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, ADDING TO AN ALREADY EXHAUSTING THREE YEARS FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN OUR AREA. YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT FATIGUE. EXHAUST OFTEN FROM TAKING CARE OF SO MANY SICK PATIENTS FOR SO LONG. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE BEST WAY TO HELP WITH THAT IS FOR EACH PERSON TO TAKE THE PROTECTION THAT IS GIVEN TO US. DOCTORS AND NURSES HAVE NOT BEEN AS CONSUMED WITH COVID 19 CASES IN RECENT MONTHS, BUT THAT’S STARTING TO CHANGE. SOME. THE STATE’S COVID 19 POSITIVITY RATE IS UP TO 9.8%, MEANING NEARLY 10% OF ALL TESTS ARE COMING BACK POSITIVE FOR COVID 19. HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE ALSO BEEN ON THE RISE, WITH 246 PEOPLE IN THE STATE HOSPITALIZED. AT LAST CHECK, THE HOSPITAL’S ALWAYS THE THING THAT WE WORRY ABOUT THE MOST. WE WANT OUR HOSPITALS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF WHOEVER COMES TO THE HOSPITAL NEEDING CARE AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHERE WHERE IS A PATIENT GOING TO BE PLACED? WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF? SCHOOL NURSES HAVE CERTAINLY DEALT WITH THEIR SHARE OF COVID 19 PATIENTS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, BUT THE FOCUS LATELY HAS BEEN ON FLU CASES. SCHOOL NURSES HAVE FELT THE PANDEMIC PRESSURES JUST LIKE OTHER PROVIDERS WITH COVID, THERE WAS SO MUCH UNKNOWN IN THE BEGINNING, AND THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT SCARY AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER. WHILE THIS WINTER IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS BAD AS PREVIOUS WINTERS, WHERE COVID IS CONCERNED, HEALTH CARE WORKERS KNOW IT LIKELY WON’T BE A WALK IN THE PARK EITHER. BUT LIKE EVERYTHING, THEY’LL GET THROUGH IT. AND, YOU KNOW, AS EVERYONE HAS HAD DIFFERENT FEELINGS ABOUT COVID, THAT THAT’S BEEN DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE SOMETIMES AS A HEALTH CARE WORKER WHO SEES THE DOWNSIDES OF THE ILLNESSES DEDICATED TO HELPING OTHERS THROUGH HARD TIMES. BECAUSE IT’S THEIR PASSIO
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Central Alabama healthcare workers manage series of challenges as flu, COVID-19 cases rise
Chip Scarborough
Anchor/Reporter
It's the start of a long winter season for doctors and nurses in Central Alabama. Flu cases are already at high levels and COVID-19 cases are on the rise as well. Ten adults and three children have lost their lives to flu in Alabama this season. Data from the Alabama Department of Public Health shows widespread flu across the entire state, adding to an already exhausting three years for healthcare workers in the area."You hear a lot about fatigue, exhaustion from taking care of so many sick patients for so long," Dr. Wesley Willeford with the Jefferson County Department of Health says. "You know, I think the best way to help with that is for each person to take the protection that is given to us." Doctors and nurses haven't been as consumed with COVID-19 cases in recent months, but that is starting to change some. Alabama's positivity rate is up to 9.8 percent, which means nearly 10 percent of all COVID tests are coming back positive. COVID-19 hospitalizations have also been on the rise with 246 people in the state hospitalized with the virus right now. "The hospital is always the thing we worry about the most," Willeford adds. "We want our hospitals to be able to take care of whoever comes to the hospital needing care and not have to worry about where a patient is going to be placed. Where are they going to be taken care of?"School nurses have certainly dealt with their share of COVID-19 patients over the last three years, but the focus lately has been on flu cases. At the same time, school nurses have felt the pandemic pressures just like other providers. "With COVID, there was so much unknown in the beginning and that was a little bit scary as a healthcare provider," Oak Mountain Middle School lead nurse Amy Marvin says.While this winter is not expected to be as bad as previous winters where COVID-19 is concerned, healthcare workers know it likely won't be a walk in the park either. Like everything, they'll get through it though."And you know, as everyone has had different feelings about COVID, that has been difficult to navigate as a healthcare worker who sees the downsides of the illness," Marvin adds.She and other healthcare workers remain dedicated to helping others through hard times because it's their passion.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

It's the start of a long winter season for doctors and nurses in Central Alabama. Flu cases are already at high levels and COVID-19 cases are on the rise as well.

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Ten adults and three children have lost their lives to flu in Alabama this season. Data from the Alabama Department of Public Health shows widespread flu across the entire state, adding to an already exhausting three years for healthcare workers in the area.

"You hear a lot about fatigue, exhaustion from taking care of so many sick patients for so long," Dr. Wesley Willeford with the Jefferson County Department of Health says. "You know, I think the best way to help with that is for each person to take the protection that is given to us."

Doctors and nurses haven't been as consumed with COVID-19 cases in recent months, but that is starting to change some. Alabama's positivity rate is up to 9.8 percent, which means nearly 10 percent of all COVID tests are coming back positive. COVID-19 hospitalizations have also been on the rise with 246 people in the state hospitalized with the virus right now.

"The hospital is always the thing we worry about the most," Willeford adds. "We want our hospitals to be able to take care of whoever comes to the hospital needing care and not have to worry about where a patient is going to be placed. Where are they going to be taken care of?"

School nurses have certainly dealt with their share of COVID-19 patients over the last three years, but the focus lately has been on flu cases. At the same time, school nurses have felt the pandemic pressures just like other providers.

"With COVID, there was so much unknown in the beginning and that was a little bit scary as a healthcare provider," Oak Mountain Middle School lead nurse Amy Marvin says.

While this winter is not expected to be as bad as previous winters where COVID-19 is concerned, healthcare workers know it likely won't be a walk in the park either. Like everything, they'll get through it though.

"And you know, as everyone has had different feelings about COVID, that has been difficult to navigate as a healthcare worker who sees the downsides of the illness," Marvin adds.

She and other healthcare workers remain dedicated to helping others through hard times because it's their passion.