COVID-19

This spring in the U.S., there were widespread delays in elective health care procedures and screenings. Hospitals, in observance of federal guidelines, were, for a time, conserving beds and protective equipment in preparation for a surge in COVID-19 admissions. And, perhaps on a more prolonged basis, patients in many areas of the country stayed away due to anxiety over catching COVID-19 from other patients or their health care team.

The development of the vaccines, monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs that ultimately will defeat COVID-19 wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the unflagging and selfless efforts of a global army of research nurses, laboratory personnel, recruiters and other staff.

In March, Vanderbilt University Medical Center leaders established a command center on campus to address the myriad issues that the Medical Center would face in the coming days, weeks and months as the COVID-19 pandemic encroached on Tennessee, then Nashville and finally on campus.

“It’s a tradition for us as well as for the Medical Center. We wanted to bring that same holiday cheer this year.”

Vanderbilt LifeFlight has transported more than 220 Covid-19 patients since the pandemic started with the numbers rising dramatically in the last few weeks.

COVID-19 has been linked to cases of new-onset diabetes, diabetes-related emergencies and a higher death rate among diabetes patients.

Many Tennessee parents are not wearing masks consistently to control community spread of COVID-19, despite recommendations from public health officials, according to new a poll conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy.