Springfield community, health leaders connect with public on ongoing COVID-19 issues

Public health officials and community leaders heard feedback regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Saturday during a "community conversation" at the One in A Million Resource Center in Springfield.

The community group, along with Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams, Jr. sponsored the event, which saw officials from Memorial Health and the Sangamon County Department of Public Health team up with state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder and Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Jennifer Gill to speak on how the pandemic has affected – and continues to affect – everyday life in the city.

Doris Williams, chairwoman of the One In A Million group, said the purpose of the event was to remind people that COVID remains a factor for many people in society and particularly those of color and those with pre-existing conditions.

"I was talking to my boss at SIU (Medicine) and I was telling her about this and what she said was, 'You know, just because we're done with COVID doesn't mean COVID's done with us," Williams said. "I told her then, 'I'm stealing it, I'm using it,' and if you saw our fliers (for this event), you saw (it) on our fliers."

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The panelists used the event to reflect on how the pandemic has changed the way they do business while also focusing on key issues that COVID has brought to the forefront, from air quality to politics to mental and physical health.

Gill said District 186 has made strides in improving the quality of air that people breathe inside all of the district's buildings, purchased a wide array of personal protective equipment – facemasks, shields, etc. – to assist students, parents and especially nurses, along with hiring more nurses and custodial staff. .

She also pointed out that the district was placing a greater emphasis on social-emotional learning for both students and parents as they navigate the ever-changing world brought on by the virus.

"When they were home on a computer – not interacting with their friends, not being able to see and talk with their teachers one-on-one – it was really hard," Gill said. "It was hard on families to find the space to do the online learning. We provided technology and hot spots for internet connectivity, but we know that it was a hard year.

"As we came out of that year, we knew that bringing everybody back together again was going to be really difficult, so continuing (to) focus on peer relations, social-emotional learning, rebuilding the relationships with families as a whole as well as individually was really important to us."

Turner lamented how the response to the pandemic evolved over the last two years to be the kind of political tribalism seen in many less-important venues. She shared the thoughts of those sponsoring the event regarding the need for continued caution despite a desire to move further away from the pandemic.

"We don't hear so much about COVID anymore, but just know that we are not out of danger," Turner said. "There were 4,700 new cases Thursday in the state. We are not out of this, so I would continue to implore people to be very cautious."

While the continued caution was a key theme of the event, the medical experts present made efforts to educate people on the importance of mental health as it relates to the pandemic. Cassie Delaney of Memorial Behavioral Health said the need for mental health became even more vital during the pandemic, as she cited a study saying that half of those surveyed had worsening mental health due to COVID.

"That's a lot of us that are going through negative feelings based on COVID," Delaney said. "One in five adults and one in six children have a diagnosed mental illness (and) we also know that there's many people that go untreated.

"Let's start having more conversations. Let's have conversations around the dinner table, let's talk about how we're feeling more (often). It's okay to not be okay."

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Her colleague, Lingling Liu, pointed out how more needs to be done to heal community scars brought on through the pandemic. An overarching factor that influenced much of the event came from the disparities of outcomes from the pandemic, with those of color receiving the brunt of it.

"Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian and Alaskan Native citizens in the U.S. experience higher rates of COVID-related hospitalization and death compared with white Americans," Liu said. "Even though Black Americans make up 12% of the population, 34% of COVID deaths are of that population. We're seeing a huge disparity in that community."

For everyone in attendance, a big emphasis was placed on getting vaccinated and boosted, with SCDPH promoting the ongoing vaccination campaign. With 64% of the population vaccinated, the department pointed out how many doses people can receive.

"The studies have shown that it is safe and effective," said Jen Withers of SCDPH. "Maybe after 4-6 months, that immunity is waning. That's why they recommend getting boosters to stay protected. Right now, you're only allowed to get a second booster."

For the mayor, he spoke of the continued need to focus on the issues that have developed as a result of the pandemic, while also building on the many things that Springfield has to offer to people looking for a pandemic-friendly place to work and live.

"Our actions proved correct," Langfelder said. "Now you're seeing what we need to take a look at is the entire picture, how the pandemic has affected not only those that are ill, but those who would go into the hospital. I knew someone who passed away (that) didn't get health care. I knew someone who lost their job and it didn't go well. They're no longer with us.

"History will show the impact that we've had."

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Community leaders connect with public on ongoing COVID issues