Dr. Alex Garza

Dr. Alex Garza is back from Kuwait and jumping into action co-leading the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, during a surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.

Dr. Alex Garza, leader of the St. Louis Pandemic Task Force, discusses his upcoming four-month deployment to Kuwait and pandemic matters currently impacting the St. Louis region.

For many, the dwindling of the coronavirus pandemic is a chance to reflect on a year of sickness and trauma. For Dr. Alex Garza, St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force commander, the last 14 months have offered unexpected lessons about public health. "A lot of the issues aren’t these scientific or medical issues," he said. "I think they’re more cultural and social."

Hospital leaders from the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force on Monday ended 14 months of weekly livestreamed briefings, citing falling coronavirus cases and hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19. They used the final briefing to encourage residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

As coronavirus cases spread and shutdowns got under way a year ago this week, few of us had any idea what to expect in the days and months ahead — nor would we have guessed the crisis would extend well beyond the year 2020.