Then to Now: The Lasting Effects of COVID-19 in the Maryland Area

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The coronavirus pandemic has proven its lasting effects on society and although many aspects are negative, there are some positives.  Many of these negative aspects are outlined in my multimedia project, “The Widespread Effect of COVID-19 in Maryland.”  According to Michael Osterholm, an American epidemiologist and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, medical care has improved significantly following the COVID-19 pandemic.  The likelihood that there is a life lost in an ICU is at least one fourth of what it was in April of 2020.  These medical physicians have gained more knowledge and experience through increased hospitalizations associated with COVID and therefore learned how to better care for patients.

Osterholm’s weekly podcast, entitled the “Osterholm Update: COVID-19" serves as a way for others to receive updates on all different aspects of COVID.  In episode 27, Osterholm discusses COVID in the Nation’s capital – a neighboring district to Maryland.  One of his main concerns included individuals experiencing pandemic anxiety and the risks associated with returning to normalcy too soon.  Osterholm states, “I worry that humans are giving up a lot sooner than the virus ever thought about giving up” which speaks to the future of the virus being in the hands of the people in society.