You're listening to Well Now, Sleyts Podcast on Health and Wellness. I'm Kavita Patel.

And I'm Maya Feller. Four years ago this week, public health around the globe changed forever.

WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we're deeply concerned both by the alarming

levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction.

The World Health Organization named the coronavirus a pandemic

and the world as we knew it began shutting down.

To unleash the full power of the federal government in this effort today, I am officially

declaring a national emergency.

This morning, California, with its 40 million people becoming the first state in the nation to order a virtual lockdown.

Businesses across the country forced to shut their doors already leading to absolutely stunning

increases on employment claims.

Across the country, at least 21 million kids,

now home from school.

The coronavirus affected virtually every part of our lives.

Hospitals were overrun, businesses shut down and let go of workers, schools went remote, and major gatherings were postponed.

And after about two years, more than a million Americans had died.

While it seems that much of America has moved on from the pandemic, here well now, we're taking

the next two weeks to explore how the coronavirus transformed our sense of wellness as individuals and as a nation.

And Kavita, I want to start this episode by asking you about the moments in your pandemic experience,

specifically what stood out for you as a physician and also as a person.

Well Maya I have to tell you two stories one which has actually a wonderful ending

early on in the pandemic because of some of the roles that I've had in the past

...