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Full circle: An ICU doctor’s journey from first patient to vaccine

Hope in the ICU after a ten-month gauntlet
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OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — For nearly a year, Nebraska Medicine Intensive Care Unit director, Dr. Brian Boer and his team have been overworked and overwhelmed. Now Dr. Boer says the light at the end of the tunnel is here as he and his team get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Boer was one of the first to treat a COVID-19 patient in the state.

"Here I was getting this gal that nobody knew what to do with and we didn't understand anything about COVID really and it was so scary and unknown then. To now look back that many months and be like here I am getting a very highly effective vaccine is just incredible," he said.

On Friday, Dr. Boer got his COVID-19 vaccine. It was such a positive for him when November was such a negative — cases, hospitalizations and deaths were reaching new peaks. Dr. Boer worked over 20 days in a row taking care of patients.

"So many people died within the matter of a couple days. They were too sick and they died," he said.

But now after that tough journey, the hope is back. More and more frontline workers are getting vaccinated and in a few months the vaccines will be available for the general public.

“The morale boost from getting this vaccine has been huge. Because we know it’s effective, we know it’s safe and we know it’s a game changer. This could change the tide of things for everyone, not just healthcare workers," Dr. Boer said.

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