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A Year of COVID-19

COVID vaccine brings home health worker some hard-fought stress relief

Nancy Gallegos says she’s endured debilitating job stress, but the San Antonio nurse has managed to find a few silver linings during the pandemic. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast.

by Alana Rocha, Todd Wiseman and Justin Dehn

Nurses prepared to enter a COVID-19 unit at the DHR Health in McAllen in 2020. Because of the risk of exposure to COVID-19, health workers are required to wear personal protective equipment.
Because of the risk of exposure to COVID-19, health workers are required to wear personal protective equipment. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune

For the past year, front-line workers like Nancy Gallegos, have faced a heightened risk of contracting COVID-19. The registered nurse cares for home health patients in San Antonio, and she says the constant worry that she’ll infect a client or bring the virus home to her family made her contemplate changing professions.

That was until Friday, when Gallegos received her final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast.

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Information about the authors

Alana Rocha’s staff photo

Alana Rocha

Director of News Partnerships

Todd Wiseman’s staff photo
Justin Dehn’s staff photo