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The first person vaccinated against COVID-19 in Estonia is resident doctor at the Ida-Viru Central Hospital Jelena Rozinko (24) who has been treating coronavirus patients since September and finds that her specialization as an infectious diseases specialist is nothing short of fate. A total of 55 doctors and nurses who work with COVID-19 patients were vaccinated at the hospital’s Kohtla-Järve Medical Center on Sunday.
Rozinko said after receiving the shot that her adrenaline was so high she did not even feel the prick of the needle.
The newly renovated health center has been invaded by a few dozen journalists from various publications. Rozinko says that she did not know to anticipate this level of attention. Estonia’s first COVID-19 vaccination is carried out by Dr. Anna Aleksandrova.
Rozinko who is originally from Jõhvi graduated from the University of Tartu earlier this year and is working as a resident at the Ida-Viru Central Hospital’s communicable diseases ward. She has been treating COVID-19 patients since September 22. She says that the pandemic has been a very difficult time. “There is immense workload and it pains me to have to limit my contacts with my parents and grandparents because I work in a hazardous area,” she says.
Talking about the pandemic, Rozinko says she is bothered when people fail to take safety precautions. “We are trying to stay on top of the situation as medics, while a lot of people make no effort whatsoever, ignore rules and defy the odds,” the young doctor says. “I hope that now that we have the vaccine, people will allow themselves to be immunized and all will be well.”
What does an ordinary day entail in the life of a resident doctor during a pandemic? Rozinko is currently caring for 11 patients. She gets in by 8 a.m. at the latest for a staff meeting and an overview of the night’s events and new problems.
Next, she tends to patients who need urgent attention – check whether there are any extraordinary developments. Rozinko then enters the infectious zone where she spends the next three hours. That is followed by writing reports. Any extraordinary matters will have to be addressed on the fly. While her day usually lasts eight hours, she often stays in much longer.
“Yes, I have also lost patients – eight since September. All cases are different and some have deteriorated very quickly, while others progress more slowly. It depends on the patient, their chronic conditions and how long it took them to arrive in the hospital. The age of patients also differs, with my youngest patient just 19 and oldest 97,” Rozinko says.
She admits there was no way for her to predict the pandemic when she decided to specialize in infectious diseases. “But it is very interesting,” she says, adding that she has yet to regret her choice and that few people are as experienced dealing with COVID-19 than she is.
Why was Rozinko picked to be the first to be administered the vaccine? Dr. Anna Aleksandrova who is about to administer the shot says that it is because Rozinko is a young specialist with fresh knowledge of the disease. “Because I work in the epicenter of it all,” Rozinko offers.
Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs Maris Jesse tells Postimees that the vaccine has been greatly anticipated and was finished sooner than manufacturers initially hoped. “This is a groundbreaking moment in Europe. The fact medical workers are the first to receive the vaccine will render our hospitals more reliable and society more robust.”
What does the deputy secretary general think about how Estonia has handled the crisis so far? “We did very well in spring. Since fall, we have managed to retain close to normal life compared to many other countries. This shows we have done well. The winter months are critical in Estonia when it comes to viral infections and we need to hold out for another month or two,” Jesse says.
Chief of medicine for the Ida-Viru Central Hospital Toomas Kariis said that his hospital was picked as the first site of vaccination because Ida-Viru County sports one of the highest case rates in Estonia. “Naturally, protecting the medics here is a key priority,” Kariis said.
Kariis says that Rozinko worked as an assistant doctor at the hospital even before graduating from medical school. “She is a local and has worked as an assistant doctor with us before. She decided to specialize in communicable diseases and as fate would have it landed in the middle of COVID-19. Because there was a steady increase in the number of cases, Jelena was soon forced to treat COVID-19 patients, while it is also a brilliant opportunity. I believe that a young doctor has stumbled upon brilliant training and a wealth of knowledge here,” Kariis says.
The chief of medicine believes that COVID-19 will provide us with something to talk about and study for years to come.
A further 130 employees of the Ida-Viru Central Hospital will be vaccinated this year that makes up just 10 percent of staff. Chairman of the board Tarmo Bakler said that many more would like to be vaccinated.
The Ida-Viru Central Hospital has treated a total of 350 COVID-19 patients and is treating 65 at present.
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