By Janice Lucas | Executive Director
The Delta Variant of COVID-19 coupled with vaccine hesitancy has resulted in a surge of COVID cases that exceeds the last peak in Bay County, FL. Hospital administrators are reporting capacity in the ICUs and need for more equipment and staff. Thus far, the most effective means of convincing people hesitant to get the vaccine is experience--getting COVID or having someone close to them get the virus. Equally as effective is a trusted messenger. The LEAD Coalition seeks to employ and train additional Community Health Connectors to be those trusted messengers.
Each Saturday, we host a Zoom Forum simulcast on Facebook Live and feature local people telling their stories. Recently, a sister and brother who lost their father to COVID-19 shared their experience of him refusing to get vaccinated and wear masks until it was too late for him. His daugher pleads, "Take the shot; give yourself a 50-50 chance."
Utilizing Trust Networks established last Fall and other volunteers, the Community Health Coordinators have coordinated the vaccine events and have distributed Covid-19 monitoring kits. Having more trained Community Health Connectors, we can increase the dissemination of factual, objective information by trusted individuals. The numbers of people taking the vaccine is rising each week, along with the numbers of people needing to take a test.
Since the recent surge caught the community off guard, the demand for testing has outpaced availablity. The LEAD Coalition is partnering with the Bay County Health Department and Frost Medical Supply to offer testing in the Glenwood Community, the historic African American neighborhood in Panama City, FL. More than 300 have scheduled testing through LEAD and our partners in Reslient American Communities Bay Cunty. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Fred has caused cancellations, resulting in more people unable to ascertain whether they have COVID-19.
Community Health Connectors are making a difference. Please, Help us to Help Others!!
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