LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Thursday marks three years since the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Kentucky.
On Dec. 14, 2020, five front-line healthcare workers from the University of Louisville Health received the commonwealth's first vaccines. Those Kentuckians were Dr. Jason Smith, Dr. Valerie Briones-Pryor, Dr. Mohamed Saad, Beth Sum, RN and LaShawn Scott, RN.
All five received a Pfizer shot in the arm, marking a pivotal moment in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It doesn't seem that long ago, but it also seems like a world ago depending on where we were at, what we were doing, what we were dealing with versus what we are dealing with now," Smith, chief medical officer for UofL Health, added. "For the first time, we had a tool to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in a significant way."
Smith said the vaccine demonstrated "the best of medicine and our commonwealth's collaborative spirit." He remembered how when the vaccine was released, many in the healthcare industry saw it as one step closer to the end of the pandemic.
He keeps the empty vaccine vial inside his office as a reminder that there's always hope, even when things are very difficult.
"Science and health care workers, in particular, were able to get through this and remind folks that we're here for you and there will be an end in sight," Smith said.
Louisville COVID numbers
According to Smith, Louisville has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, but nothing like what doctors saw before.
"When we saw a spike in COVID numbers this time three years ago, it was hundreds and hundreds of patients coming through the health care system," Smith said. "You know, you talk about the difference the vaccine makes of making this a less severe disease in patients and that's the factor that people forget."
UofL Health said it is currently treating 30 patients with the virus, four of whom are in the intensive care unit.
Doctors still encourage residents to continue getting their vaccination, as COVID-19 is still around years later.
"I think the information of the vaccine stopping the spread of COVID is probably not there, but it does keep people from dying from the disease, and ultimately, that's the most important thing we can do right now," Smith said.
He said COVID is slowly settling into a seasonal pattern, similar to the flu, and believes in the future COVID will continue to evolve into a less severe form of illness. But even with that, he said there are still a lot of unknowns.
"They mutate a lot, so is there a chance it could mutate into something strange? It's always there," Smith said. "People just have to remember to take the precautions to keep their families safe."
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