HOUSTON — On March 4 one year ago, health officials announced a local case of COVID-19 for the very first time. It was a man in Fort Bend County who had traveled abroad.
Dr. James McDeavitt with the Baylor College of Medicine remembers that day well.
“Then it seemed like the world changed very quickly. The rodeo closed. The NBA shut down right behind that. Then it cascaded from there,” said Dr. McDeavitt, Dean of Clinical Affairs with Baylor College of Medicine. “I remember distinctly my wife and I had a conversation that day or close to that day where she asked me, how long is this going to go on? I said I think this is pretty serious. This could go on until July. Little did I know I might have gotten the right month, but I definitely got the wrong year.”
2020 was a year of hospitals stretched to surge capacity. Therapies and vaccines were tested and brought to market in record time. Dr. McDeavitt said we’ve made huge strides in fighting the virus, but he is not ready to tell people to take off their masks. He has doubts about Governor Greg Abbott’s announcement this week rescinding the state’s mask mandate.
“I truly know people have suffered economically. There is a real hardship people have endured, so there is a need to get things opened up. I think this move is premature," Dr. McDeavitt said.
However, he is optimistic. Dr. McDeavitt thinks people will be able to safely take off their masks and fill up a sports stadium later this year, as soon as enough people get vaccinated and COVID-19 numbers remain low for a sustained amount of time.
“I think we’re close to getting out. Now, in my view, close in the best of circumstances is July. I think more realistic may be the fall,” he said.