How a small craft distillery produced thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer for its local community
Written by Genevieve Pentecost
Alongside the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic came a looming uncertainty for small business owners like Van Hawxby, founding partner and owner of DogMaster Distillery. When Columbia first announced shelter-in-place orders, small businesses were forced to offer curbside or delivery services or even halt operations temporarily. Some entrepreneurs met this challenge by filling new niches, while others have met the harsh reality of closing their doors permanently. The partners at DogMaster Distillery stayed true to their name, forging against uncertainty and inspiring good within their community by shifting production from spirits and cocktails to hand sanitizer.
…
How one community leader works with the homeless community during the COVID-19 pandemic
Written by Colbey Ricklefs
Photos by Kyle Jones
For many, the governmental recommendations to “stay at home” during the COVID-19 pandemic have been manageable, albeit inconvenient and tiresome. But for Columbia’s homeless population, “staying at home” is, by definition, impossible. For leaders like Elizabeth Modde, a live-in community member at the St. Francis House, the pandemic has forced her to redefine how to create and maintain an ‘intentional community’ space while simultaneously mitigating health risks.
St. Francis House is a Catholic Worker house in Columbia, MO, established over 35 years ago. “It’s basically a space where we have ‘intentional community’…
Applying public health principles from the Ebola outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic
Written by Colbey Ricklefs
“When we first had the outbreak, the response was inadequate,” shared Dr. Ifeolu David, a Fulbright Fellow and Ph.D. student in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Missouri. But Dr. David is not referring to the current COVID-19 pandemic; instead, he reflects on the outbreak of Ebola from 2014–2016.
Dr. David is a general practice physician from Sierra Leone, where he had only been working as a clinician for a year after medical school when the Ebola outbreak struck parts of western Africa. “We lost a few health workers in the hospital,” he said…
What about our fertility patients? One physician’s view on the March 2020 ASRM Guidelines Regarding COVID-19.
By Nicole Kagan and Albert L. Hsu, MD
As Americans become homeschool teachers, zoom experts, and amateur micro-biologists, it is evident that COVID-19 has affected all facets of life. While social conventions and cultural norms are rapidly adapting to this pandemic, one corner of healthcare remains in the shadows: conception and infertility. How has COVID-19 changed fertility treatment in the United States?
On 17 March 2020, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) published COVID-19 Guidance for fertility specialists. The ASRM stated that they…
How one MU student lends her textile talents to fighting the COVID pandemic
Written by Colbey Ricklefs
Original interview by Jasraj Marjara
The COVID-19 pandemic hit close to home for Lida Aflatoony, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Textile and Apparel Management (TAM) at the University of Missouri (MU). During the early international spread of the virus, a member of Aflatoony’s family was diagnosed with COVID-19. “She works as a physician on the frontlines of the pandemic in Italy, and it took her more than 20 days to recover,” she said.
“The main reason for what has happened is that in Italy is a lack of protective gear in hospitals.”
Courage In COVID
We are a group of medical students in Missouri sending out positive vibes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
