COVID-19 one year later: Medical workers recall treating first-ever patient

Jan. 20 marked one year since medical workers in Snohomish County started treating the country’svery first COVID-19 patient.

It was at 9 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2020, that the U.S.’s first-ever patient with the new coronavirus arrived at Providence Medical Center in Everett.

Since the minute he arrived at the hospital, medical workers said their lives have never been the same.

>> First case of COVID-19 confirmed in Snohomish County

“(The year) has gone by so fast,” commented Providence Nurse Sarah Wilkerson. “I feel like I blinked and the year was gone.”

“It was a pretty quick transition from a relaxing time, to all-consuming,” added Dr. George Diaz.

When America’s first-ever COVID-19 patient came into Providence Medical Center, both nurse Wilkerson and doctor Diaz were thrust into one whopper of a hypothesis.

After all, no other medical worker in North America had ever treated a patient for something called “coronavirus.”

>> Coronavirus in Washington state: A timeline of the outbreak through March 2020

“There was the shock … and then, we realized we knew what to do,” Nurse Wilkerson said, adding that medical workers at Providence had just undergone training to deal with a massive disease outbreak.

When those drills happened in early January, nobody could’ve imagined that the “real deal” was only weeks away.

By the time patient number two arrived at Providence a month later, medical workers had developed a game plan.

In the process, staffers said they went through more Personal Protective Equipment than all 50 other Providence hospitals combined.

“Thankfully, we had those partners in our health system that could provide us with that support,” said Dr. Diaz.

“Support” that was eventually needed on the emotional front as well.

By mid-March, Providence workers watched in horror as the virus called “COVID-19” ravaged and devastated families across the country.

>> Health officials: First Washington coronavirus patient fully recovered

“It’s a huge struggle,” Dr. Diaz said. “It’s emotionally tiring for our staff to have this on their plates, day in and day out, for a whole year.”

“Luckily we have the beautiful Northwest to go and enjoy and try for a few minutes to get some fresh air,” Nurse Wilkerson said.

And that leads us to now.

Currently, when new COVID-19 patients arrive at Providence, they meet a team of seasoned COVID-19 pros who have literally saved the day.

“There’s a lot of pride in our hospitals for having risen to this challenge,” Dr. Diaz noted.

The first-ever COVID-19 patient spent five weeks at Providence Medical Center.

Like so many other people, he eventually fully recovered.

To this day --- the man’s identity remains a secret.

Read all of KIRO 7′s complete coronavirus coverage from the early days of the outbreak at this link.

Cox Media Group