Roughly every 5 minutes, another eight to 12 patients receive a COVID-19 shot every day in Sioux Falls in the Sanford Health Imagenetics building that was recently converted into a vaccination clinic.
Terri Carlson, director of family medicine at Sanford, said the clinic treated more than 1,460 patients on Wednesday, including several students and Augustana University staff – a sign that vaccines for those in the south may be in lesser categories Risk classified will be more readily available to Dakota.
Carlson said it was important that college students living on campus be vaccinated because they share living spaces, bathrooms, and common dining areas. So the state health department directed health officials to vaccinate this population next.
“There really is a glimmer of hope that we will reach the people,” she said.
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One of the college staff who got his first shot on Wednesday was Brandon Barkus, head football coach, who got his shot early that morning with no problem.
“Everything went well,” said Barkus. “It changes everything because now there is some level of protection. I will still wear my mask. I will still take this virus very seriously. But at the end of the day I think it’s great that we can be protected a little better. “
The pandemic was “terrible” for Barkus, he said. As a coach, it was “terrible” for him that his fall season and the final spring season were canceled when the pandemic hit the state. He also lost income in the summer when he couldn’t train camps and clinics.
“As more and more people get vaccinated and the curve is getting a bit smaller, we have an opportunity to do some things with the competition this spring,” he said. “That has rejuvenated our student athletes. There is real excitement and positive energy in the air now. “
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Barkus’ daughter, Jillian Barkus, who is doing sports training in Augustana, also got her shot on Wednesday. She said after recovering from COVID-19 in November, the vaccine means a lot more to her.
“I’m just looking forward to our future,” said Jillian Barkus, looking forward to visiting family members and going on vacation again.
Beth Boyens, an assistant professor of English at Augustana, said she was looking forward to seeing the family too.
“Being on the way to a full vaccination means I can hopefully hug my father,” she said. “I am so concerned that the rest of my colleagues and students will be vaccinated so that we can return to a more normal way of life and interactions in Augustana.”
The pandemic kept her from several vacations, including stays abroad with students last spring. She also missed simple things at work, like talking hallway with co-workers or when students walked into her office, she said.
“In a world pandemic, there is only so much that can be done to help,” said Augustana student Tatum Barstad.
Barstad is also looking forward to seeing her family again and attending a Luke Combs concert in the future. She wanted to see the artist perform last year but the concert was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns like many others.
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Augustana fellow student Logan Swanson said he looks forward to seeing plays and shows at the Washington Pavilion and concerts like Lollapalooza when fully vaccinated.
He’s also missed normal parts of his life, including his part-time job as a wedding DJ, he said. Many couples were postponed to 2022 while others had mass weddings or cut the capacity in half and confined them to the immediate family, Swanson said.
“I had to quarantine after every event,” Swanson said of the wedding business.
He also missed playing and practicing as a full team with the football players and teaching in Harrisburg, not behind a plexiglass barrier and mask.
Swanson said he was also excited to hang out with family members he couldn’t see because they were considered high risk.
I’m “especially (excited to see) the family who are at high risk and not worried about giving it to them,” he said. “Nothing would have made me feel worse.”