MEMPHIS, Tenn.– On March 8, 2020, COVID-19 landed on Shelby County’s door step.
That Sunday morning local leaders delivered the news. Coronavirus was here.
“We have an important update, having found a case of Coronavirus in Shelby County,” said Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
To protect the person who had contracted the illness, they didn’t give many details.
“The test came back from the state lab yesterday. That lab specimen will be sent to the CDC for additional confirmation, but we do not anticipate any changes in the result,” said Alisa Haushalter, Shelby County’s Health Director at the time.
We later learned Baptist Hospital Cardiac Monitor Tech Marilyn Davis was that first case. She would later talk about her COVID fight and encourage others.
“It is just a blessing to sit here and tell this story. Cause it could have went the other way,” said Davis.
Davis was put in a special wing of Baptist as doctors went to work on her treatment. Dr. Stephen Threlkeld was one of them.
“She was afraid I was afraid, we were all afraid of the time, we could see what had been going on in other countries and, indeed, even in New York City,” he said.
But he said watching what happened in New York allowed them to get ready.
“Building an entire wing of the hospital with negative pressure rooms, to really force that air outside and not into the hallways from underneath the doors of the rooms,” Dr. Threlkeld said. “Maryland’s pretty tough lady, and she did well, despite being quite sick for a while.”
Current Health Director Michelle Taylor said health care workers did what they are trained to do.
“We have some amazing scientists some amazing epidemiologist some amazing experts from across the globe who brought all of their training to bear to bring that vaccine online now over a year ago,” she said.
And with levels going down, she said COVID is now more endemic than pandemic.
“Meaning that it will be with us, but because we have a safe and effective vaccine, there will be fewer and fewer people who will suffer from severe outcomes from having COVID-19,” Dr. Taylor said.
The Health Director said more than 3,000 people in Shelby County lost their lives to COVID.
