SHREVEPORT, La. - March 9, 2020, marked a turning point in Louisiana history. It was on this day that the state confirmed its first case of COVID-19, setting off a chain of events that would dramatically alter daily life.
Now, five years later, the memories of those uncertain early days remain vivid.
Community in crisis
"There was a lot of fear," recalled Tim Magner, Greater Shreveport Chamber. of Commerce president. "There was fear because we didn't know what this virus was going to do to people."
Uncertainty and confusion were widespread as the highly contagious virus spread rapidly. Just four days after the first confirmed case, Louisiana's governor issued a statewide stay-at-home order, forcing businesses, schools, and public institutions to close their doors.
While many workers transitioned to remote jobs, essential personnel such as police officers, firefighters, doctors, and nurses remained on the front lines.
Former Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, serving as sheriff at the time, reassured residents that emergency services would continue without disruption.
"When you call 911, we're still coming," Prator said. "Your water is still going to be flowing through the pipes. Life as you know it is going to be normal from your city and parish services."
Education in uncharted waters
The sudden closure of schools posed significant challenges for educators, students and parents. Caddo Superintendent Keith Burton, then Caddo Parish School's chief academic officer, played a crucial role in developing a response plan.
"We called an emergency meeting and rolled this out, and in the back of our minds, we were thinking, 'Surely not,'" Burton said.
Within an hour of that meeting, schools were ordered to close, and students were sent home.
"It was almost like we were flying the airplane as we were building it going down the runway," Burton recalled.
When students returned to school in the fall of 2020, they did so under strict safety protocols, wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Some traditions, however, were lost. Burton shared a personal story about his daughter, a high school senior at the time, who missed her prom.
"So what did we do? We pulled five or six of her friends, and they had a prom in our backyard," Burton said.
Healthcare's struggle on front lines
Hospitals faced unprecedented challenges as they worked to care for an influx of COVID-19 patients. At Willis-Knighton Medical Center, daily meetings were held in a command center to assess and respond to the rapidly evolving situation.
"We had a situation where nurses had to work more shifts, and as a result, it was an incredibly stressful time," said Dr. Joseph Bocchini, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Willis-Knighton. "Not only were people afraid of becoming infected, but they also had to take care of really sick patients."
At the height of the crisis, COVID-19 patients filled nearly a third of Willis-Knighton's hospital beds. Elective procedures were halted, and hospital rooms were reconfigured to accommodate the growing number of critically ill patients, but still, they struggled.
"We experienced significant challenges trying to maintain adequate supplies of personal protective equipment and medications because of shortages due to supply chain interruptions and increased demand," said Bocchini. "When COVID testing kits became available, they too were in short supply. Our materials management personnel, pharmacists and laboratorians had to constantly reach out to multiple sources to maintain adequate supplies of these materials for personnel and medications for patients."
Delivering information in time of need
As the pandemic unfolded, the role of local news became more critical than ever. At KTBS TV-3, the traditional evening newscast format was scrapped in favor of extended coverage to provide vital updates to the community.
"What do our viewers want more than anything else?" asked George Sirven, KTBS general manager. "They wanted information about the disease, about the crisis. I remember working with the news department and telling them to throw out the format for our 6 news and do one-hour town meetings."
KTBS also dedicated its 9 a.m. newscast on KPXJ to addressing viewers' questions about local businesses and services, helping people navigate the restrictions and closures.
"People didn't know where they could go, what they could do, how they could do it," Sirven said. "Can I fill up with gas? What grocery store is open? Is a fast food restaurant open?"
On Easter Sunday, KTBS cancelled traditional programming and invited church pastors to share the remarks that they would have shared in person had church members been allowed to congregate.
"From 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., it was church after church after church sharing their message on the most important day of religion," said Sirven.
Long road to recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic officially ended in May 2023, leaving an indelible mark on communities across the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one million people lost their lives to the virus. In Louisiana, as elsewhere, no family, business, or institution was left untouched.
Looking back, the rapid development of vaccines played a crucial role in eventually controlling the virus. Less than a year after the first U.S. case was documented, the FDA approved vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna -- the fastest vaccines ever developed and approved in history.
"When we look back on this, it's the heroes we should remember," said Magner. "We should never forget the frontline workers who really stood up and put themselves at risk in order to make life bearable for the rest of us."