Three Years
Reflections & dreams (in triplicate) as we mark the 3rd anniversary of the COVID public health emergency
Three years. Three years ago.
Three years ago today — shutdowns in the United States began. And darkness (full of fear, a failure to listen, and pride) started to creep into our lives. The thought of two whole weeks at home felt like an eternity.
I was optimistic at the start of the shutdown.
Like many of you, I thought we could flatten the curve quickly (remember the hashtag #flattenthecurve?!?!). I hoped that each individual would get COVID only once and then it would be over. I assumed that we were prepared (as humans and as the public health community) and ready to weather the challenges that would come with a new viral disease spreading quickly around the world.
I never imagined that I would go months and months without seeing my parents or dear friends. I never imagined having to teach remotely and celebrate the successes and milestones of my student via zoom. I never imagined having to decorate a home office that would be seen by 100s of 1000s of people when I was on TV.
I never imagined how my life (both professionally and personally) would be changed by a single virus. I never imagined adding Exclusive Contributor (to a TV station) to my resume. I never imagined that grocery stores, law firms, elected officials, small businesses, and huge corporations would come calling asking for epidemiological advice.
I never could have imagined…
But here were are. Three years later.
Today, I am celebrating — that I taught all of my classes in person today, that during the past months, I’ve been able to attend yoga, go to the ballet, and watch a few sporting events in person, and that my classes are full of students who are thinking about, planning for, and dreaming of healthier communities with me.
Today, I am grateful for — my health, my family, and my friends.
Today, I am dreaming of — creating a healthy community for all, educating and empowering others to redefine health, and traveling with my family.
Today, I am remembering three important lessons I learned during the pandemic.
I must continue to remind myself that —
You are needed.
Your public health mind, your knowledge of diseases, and your understanding of science and statistics are valued. The labels of nerd, geek, and bookworm are to be treasured. Your years of study, hours spent coding in SAS, and the endless revisions of journal articles and books will be rewarded. Everything you did, read, listen to, worked on, and contributed to is bringing you to a life-changing moment. You will be needed by your community. Keep pursuing excellence and never stop learning and being passionate. Be yourself. Accept yourself. Value yourself. You will be needed in ways you cannot imagine.A health threat anywhere is a health threat everywhere.
In a world where individualized medicine and personal wellness are prioritized, speak up for community health. Never forget your calling to “CREATE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES!” Teach your students and use your voice to make community health a part of everyone’s health narrative. Too often you teach/talk about the successes of public health (because of your passion) that you forget that overpopulation, climate change, racism, lack of access to care, and an animal spillover of disease could cause a shift from chronic diseases causing the most mortality and morbidity in your community to an infectious disease being the leading cause of death. We are just one bat disease, increase in global temperature, or disease mutation away from the next pandemic. We are a global society, and our health here in Pennsylvania is intimately tied to the health of our friends on the other side of the world. Local health is global & global health is local.
Though the risk factors and diseases will continue to change and challenge our understanding of public health, the science of epidemiology remains the primary tool used to understand the determinants and distributions of disease.There is a lot to learn from Legos!
There are a handful of new(ish) floral Lego sets. My daughter built one for me and I have it in my office. These sets include Lego pieces from other sets (read: the leftover or reject pieces) to create beauty.
The leaves on the flower stem pictured here are actually the wings from a pterodactyl set. It is amazing, right?
Each time I look at this beautiful bouquet of flowers,
I am reminded that beauty does come from ashes (or rejected Lego pieces).
It also reminds me that I need to be open to the new opportunities (and even the challenges) that come my way. Though I may think I am designed for one specific purpose, I could easily be repurposed in order to bring beauty to the world in expected and amazing ways. I need to be open to creating (new) beauty in my life — maybe from the ashes, maybe from something that is yet to be, maybe from something that I have long overlooked. But I need to be open and willing to explore, create anew, and try to put the previously unconnected together in order to create more a beautiful world around me.
It’s been three years. Three years since COVID turned our worlds upside down.
What are you celebrating today? What are you grateful for? What are you dreaming of? And what lessons did you learn?
Share your thoughts, prayers, dreams, and lessons learned here.
Today is a new day — COVID does not threaten us the way it did three years ago. We have vaccines, at-home tests, and treatments. We have so much to be grateful for.
And this is just the beginning of the next three years.
May we all commit to —
I will always remember what comfort you (and David) provided every Monday evening during a big chunk of this period. We were and are so incredibly fortunate to have you among us. Thanks again, for everything.
I'm grateful for you.