Fifth anniversary of the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — March 11th, 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic.
The effects of the pandemic can still be felt in the Cape Fear a half decade later.
The Cape Fear region saw its first COVID-19 case five years ago in Brunswick county.
New Hanover county, however, was hit the hardest.
There were more than 65-thousand cases… And more than 450 deaths reported from the start of the
pandemic until May of 2023.
Residents used drive-thru sites for vaccinations.
New Hanover county public health director Jonathan Campbell says the county is now better prepared for future pandemics.
The pandemic also led to a surge in mental health cases.
Therapist Joseph Rengifo has seen a large increase in cases among children and working adults.
“An increase that is beyond 50 percent of the population. So if we were seeing, let’s say 50 people in a day, we’re talking about 100 people come into counseling.”
Rengifo says there’s also been an increase in the number of people who show symptoms of ADHD.
Physically, some residents saw benefits as Novant health expanded in-home care. The “hospital at home” program recently celebrated its first anniversary.
Sarah Rivenbark is Novant’s manager for the Community Paramedic Program.
She says the program grew out of a need to care for patients who can receive treatment at home.
“There were hospital at home programs that existed before COVID okay, but they weren’t as popular. I think what you saw is when COVID happened, the pandemic happened, we had a surge of people that needed to be cared for differently. And that really kind of changed our perspective and helped us figure out how to operationalize things and deliver care at home.”
Rivenbark says the hospital at home program now serves nearly two hundred patients, offering care in the comfort of their homes.
