It's been five years since COVID-19 started spreading throughout Ohio, forcing a government stay-at-home order and stressing hospital systems.
Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts was there when it all started and still leads Columbus Public Health today.
Debbie Holmes: Let's return to five years ago. How did you learn what was happening with COVID -19 in our area?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: Well, we got our first call on Friday, March 13 from the state health department, informing us that we had our first case of COVID-19. And that was a Friday evening, so it was after 5 p.m., and I immediately started calling all of my colleagues and texting them, saying that we needed to talk, and we needed to figure out what our next steps were, as well as informing the mayor's office so that we could let the community know that we had our first case here.
Debbie Holmes: What steps do you think helped our community then to deal with this?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: Well, first of all, I think here at Columbus Public Health, we were prepared. We had been working since January to make sure we knew how to respond and what to do. We had been in what we call incident command structure to organize ourselves, making sure that we would be able to quickly move. I think what things helped us here in our community, obviously, is my team here at the health department. I think that the assistance and support we got from our elected officials from the mayor's office to city council to even the governor's office helped us. And then I also believe strongly that our strong hospital system and the relationships we have with our four hospital systems.
Debbie Holmes: Did you ever reach a moment where you worried about the trends in deaths?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: Yeah, I was very worried about the trends in death. You know, fortunately here in Columbus and Franklin County, we didn't see the number of deaths that we saw in other places. We didn't need trucks to hold bodies, but we were constantly in communication with our hospitals and our coroner's office to make sure that we were prepared for whatever might come. There were other communities here in Ohio that did need to use some of those trucks, but we were fortunate that we did not have to use them here. I got very concerned about the deaths and how it was disproportionately impacting people of color in our community, but I never worried about how we were gonna handle the bodies of those who had died.
Debbie Holmes: How many deaths have there been among Columbus or Franklin County residents because of COVID -19?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: I can tell you from the beginning of the pandemic until February of this year, there were a little over 3,000 deaths in Franklin County. Of those 3,000 deaths in Franklin County, about 2,100 were here in the city of Columbus.
Debbie Holmes: And do you have any idea of the ages? Were there any certain age groups in particular?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: Yeah, that's a great question. It was pretty much 50, well, more females were impacted than males. The average age for the cases was 0 to 111. I don't have the average age for the deaths.
Debbie Holmes: Where do vaccinations stand today and are those still recommended for everyone older than six months?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: For COVID-19, vaccinations are recommended for everyone over six months of age. Since the vaccines went back to being privatized, we don't offer the vaccines here if you have insurance. And so, people now have to go to pharmacies to get them. And so, I think the uptake of those vaccines has decreased a lot since the height of the pandemic. And we're seeing that now with ERs, our primary care providers are being overwhelmed by people coming in with flu as well as COVID.
Debbie Holmes: Moving forward, what should people keep in mind to stay safe since the strains of COVID-19 still exist?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: So moving forward, I think everyone should get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 annually per the recommendations. If you have not been vaccinated against the flu or COVID this season, I would encourage you to go get vaccinated now. Again, all of our pharmacies in town have this vaccine. Most of them will take you as a walk -in. Make sure you wash your hands. Make sure you encourage your colleagues to stay home if they're sick, and your family members to stay home if you're sick. That not only includes work and school, but also social activities.
Debbie Holmes: Are you concerned at all if we had any situation like the pandemic, what the response would be from the Department of Health and Human Services on a national scale?
Dr. Mysheika Roberts: Well, again, I think our community's response is going to be the most important response. And I'm confident of the beliefs and the values of this community and the leaders in this community that we will respond with the resources we have, and we will request resources if we need them from the federal government to help us respond quickly to protect the health of our residents.
