Good afternoon everybody.

This is standing and unprecedented story continues to evolve.

We are dealing with a challenge and a crisis that we have never seen in our lifetimes.

We know the hospital surge is coming and has only just begun.

COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic.

Hi everyone, I'm Katie Kurek and this is next question.

This week we're recognizing a sobering anniversary.

The coronavirus pandemic one year later.

One year ago mid-March, I actually genuinely felt almost almost panic, almost real genuine

worry, which for an AR doctor like me is extremely unusual.

I could recognize right away that a US epidemic and a global pandemic was just going to be

an all-hands-on-deck kind of a thing.

So the first time I really felt like I was entering a period where I had no idea what

would come next.

In retrospect, I feel sort of lucky that I got sick when I did.

I think I would have been much more distraught if I knew then what I knew now.

On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic.

After watching the slow, tidal wave of infections, deaths, and fear consume most of Asia and

Europe,

Americans finally felt COVID's impact at home.

This totally unknown novel virus took root and completely upended our lives.

Remember when we were wiping down groceries like milk and even bags of potato chips and

...