From highlighting an Army Reservist called to duty to treat COVID-19 patients in New York City to featuring a psychiatrist who created a free mental health hotline for physicians, The DO’s 2020 COVID coverage shined a spotlight on some of the thousands of DOs who jumped into action to respond to a crisis.

Throughout COVID-19’s heartbreaking progression in the U.S., The DO has worked to provide up-to-date news, compile helpful resources and speak with as many osteopathic physicians and students as we can who are either on the front lines or supporting those who are. Looking back at these stories serves as a way to contextualize 2020 as it comes to an end.

If you are a physician and would like to be featured in an interview as we continue writing COVID-19 articles in 2021, please email [email protected].

The following is a chronological list of notable articles from The DO’s COVID-19 coverage in 2020.

February

Feb. 26
COVID-19: What you need to know
FAQ for health care professionals and patients

In our first story about what was then most commonly referred to as the “novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” we compiled a comprehensive overview of the beginnings of the American outbreak. As the world’s understanding of the virus progressed, so did our coverage.

March

March 4
5 things to know about COVID-19 this week
A roundup of the latest COVID-19 developments as cases continued to grow in the U.S. and abroad.

You might notice that in the first few of these news roundup-style articles, we led with the most updated infection and mortality statistics. On March 4, the CDC was reporting just 129 cases and nine deaths in the U.S., with the New York Times reporting marginally higher numbers.

March 11
COVID-19 updates: What to know this week
The WHO officially declared the virus a pandemic, while The DO discussed the situation with a family physician who focuses on infectious diseases, Tom Moorcroft, DO.

March 18
The U.S. socially isolates as pandemic spreads
Everyday life across the country had dramatically changed as cases skyrocketed. The DO spoke with an infectious diseases specialist in Oregon, Christopher Cirino, DO, about his observations.

By this week, most areas in the U.S. were under some level of pandemic-related lockdown restrictions. 

March 25
Nonpracticing Kansas City DO will rejoin the clinician workforce to battle COVID-19
“There’s a real need to have people come back and help battle this thing,” said Jeff Dunn, DO, MBA.

March 25
Cases skyrocket as Americans continue to self-isolate
The DO spoke with an emergency physician on the frontlines of the pandemic, Chris Giesa, DO of the Philadelphia area.

April

April 1
Emergency departments continue to prepare for surge of cases
“The vibe in the ED is definitely different than I’ve ever experienced,” said Alexis Cates, DO, an emergency physician in Philadelphia.

April 8
In Memoriam: DO ER physician and Medical Economics contributor died from COVID-19
Frank Gabrin, DO, 60, treated COVID-19 patients prior to falling ill himself.

April 15
California DO set up testing sites in underserved areas
“We were at the forefront of the wave of giving people an opportunity to get tested early, and then quarantining them to try to flatten the curve,” Eugene Allen, DO, said.

April 22
Tales from New York City
DOs and osteopathic medical students working and volunteering in the American city with the worst initial COVID-19 outbreak shared their experiences.

April 29
How 2 social media stars provide the evidence-based pandemic info Americans are craving
Doctor Mike and Jen Caudle, DO, talked about the importance of vetting information and shared advice for DOs on breaking bad news.

April 29
5 things to know about COVID-19 this week
An experimental drug, remdesivir, showed promise, young patients suffered devastating strokes and toe lesions emerged as an unusual symptom of the disease.

May

May 6
What it’s like to be a DO working at the CDC right now
“The scope of this outbreak and the impact on our country is unprecedented,” said Lauri Hicks, DO, the director of the CDC’s Office of Antibiotic Stewardship, who was deployed to the agency’s COVID-19 response effort.

May 13
COVID-19 updates: DO starts volunteer mental health support line for fellow physicians
Mona Masood, DO, founded the Physician Support Line as an outlet for physicians struggling with the mental health toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.

June

June 3
Pandemic stress, fatigue lead some physicians to reconsider their role
DOs discussed the mental health challenges of practicing medicine in the time of COVID-19, ways to reduce stress, and the pros and cons of transitioning to a nonclinical role.

June 5
DOs develop DIY guide to creating respirator masks with a 3D printer
The design allows health care professionals to print their own 3D respirator shells for P100 filters.

July

July 15
5 things to know about COVID-19 this week
The first vaccine tested in the U.S. moved on to the final phase of testing, high demand for COVID-19 tests was causing lab delays, and the CDC officially urged all Americans to wear masks.

July 21
What we know about COVID-19 immunity
While much remains unknown about COVID-19 immunity, a renowned DO immunologist shared the best information we had at that time.

July 29
Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks to the AOA’s House of Delegates
Dr. Fauci shared the latest updates on possible treatments and vaccine development.

August

Aug. 26
For this DO, isolation was one of the most difficult parts of having COVID-19
“You always wonder, is this the day it’s going to go south?” said Brian Rogers, DO, MPH, a family physician in Dallas.

September

Sept. 30
‘Tremendous fear and uncertainty:’ Geriatric care in the time of COVID-19
A New Jersey geriatrician shared the lessons learned from battling a nursing home outbreak in the early months of the pandemic.

October

Oct. 7
How a DO is helping a Native American reservation navigate a COVID-19 outbreak
“I feel a moral and ethical obligation to get these people through the pandemic as unscathed as possible,” said Larry Dean Smith, DO, the clinical director for two Indian Health Service clinics in Washington state.

Oct. 21
Father-daughter DO team at Cleveland Clinic research COVID-19 inflammation and immunology
Since the pandemic started, Leonard Calabrese, DO, and Cassandra Calabrese, DO, have been working together to research the inflammatory phases of and immune responses to the virus.

November

Nov. 18
DOs answer patients’ FAQ on celebrating the holidays safely during COVID-19
As COVID cases skyrocket, a family physician and a DO in public health shared their advice for guiding patients to mitigate risks during the holidays.

Stay tuned to The DO for more COVID-19 content in 2021.

Related reading:

All COVID-19 stories in The DO

All COVID-19 Q&As in The DO