Post-COVID-19: Lessons learned from the pandemic

WMJ Double Issue Features Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

December 21, 2023 – The Wisconsin Medical Journal (WMJ) has published a special double issue on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring original research, editorial content and artwork from more than 120 Wisconsin health professionals, researchers, students and artists, the issue explores themes of patient care, COVID’s impact on the workforce, public health approaches and inequities related to COVID-19.

“As health care providers, we found ourselves not only fulfilling our professional roles but also navigating the intricate web of complexities that come with being essential employees, managing careers, caring for isolated patients, and serving as ‘experts’ sought after by friends and neighbors as they grapple to comprehend the unprecedented events unfolding worldwide,” wrote members of the issue’s advisory board, Fahad Aziz, MD, Tripti Singh, MD, and George Morris, III, MD in their editorial. “This special edition serves as a testament to the intricate interplay of the effect of COVID-19 on individuals, patients, and health care professionals alike.”

The issue features more than 30 papers on a wide array of clinical, public health and education-related topics, including the following:

• COVID-19 Mortality by Usual Occupation and Industry in Wisconsin
• Incidence of COVID-19 and Worker’s Compensation Utilization Among Food Manufacturing in Wisconsin
• Feasibility and Functionality of SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Testing in K-12 School Health Offices
• Perception of Burnout and Its Impact on Academic Hospitalists During COVID-19 and Institutional Strategies to Combat Burnout and Improve Wellness
• Effects of COVID-19 on Overdose Risk Behaviors Among People Who Inject Drugs in Wisconsin
• A Milwaukee Syndemic? Penetrative Injury and COVID-19
• Pediatric COVID-19 Hospitalizations During the Omicron Surge
• COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance or Refusal Among US Nurses
• Trainee Experiences During COVID-19

“All of the reports in this issue – and the artwork interspersed throughout – help to illuminate the multifaceted nature of the challenges we faced during the pandemic and the imperative to address these challenges within the broader context of health care delivery,” concluded Aziz, Singh and Morris. “The intersection of research, health care access, and the unique needs of specific patient populations underscores the need for comprehensive and equitable strategies to fortify our health safety net and enhance health care outcomes for all.”

WMJ is a peer-reviewed, indexed journal owned jointly by the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Media inquiries: Contact Kendi Neff-Parvin, WMJ Managing Editor, wmj@med.wisc.edu, 608.263.2758.