The 24/7 nurse in charge of following the Covid-19
Johanna Acevedo Romo (41) is the head of the Department of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health, and heads one of the key units for the health emergency. Lead a team of 30 people.
It wasn't just any birthday., as it won't be, Maybe, for much of the citizens. In the midst of the Coronavirus emergency, everyday life has changed for everyone, especially for those who are above the virus tracking, those in the medical area, those who analyze it, study it and "pursue" it, to know how to stop it.
The recent March 15 Johanna Acevedo Romo turned 41. That day, despite being Sunday, it was intense. The Coin announced the suspension of classes, after an agreement with mayors of the Metropolitan Region and its committee of experts, where Acevedo was just, head of the Department of Epideomology of the Ministry of Health.
Nurse at Catholic University and Master in Epidemiology, Acevedo is responsible for tracking the impact of coronavirus in Chile. Coordinate with the seremis cases in each region, and before the pandemic escalated to these levels, was the one who gave a tracenity to the disease.
Both in the Ministry of Health and in the circle of its close friends, she is classified as a worker. Today he lives practically within a video conference, explain who has spoken to her. His days depart at 7 a.m..00 and they end well past 22.00. "Professionally it is excellent and is an ant to work with", says a person who worked with her for many years.
She was Executive-UC Coordinator of Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS ) and central coordinator of the "Maule Population Cohort Study". She was also Project Manager and researcher of the project "Prevalence of Pylori Helicobacter and Gastric Cancer".
Air rescues
Although she is currently in charge of coordinating the work from the office, is recognized for being a nurse who goes to the ground. "She always worked as a nurse at pediatric ICU, in areo rescues, always with stressful work, high-demand; she would transfer premature babies by helicopter and take them to Calvo Mackenna Hospital. She was that kind of nurse., it made the hardest jobs and made them perfect", account of a nearby one.
It was in September 2018 that he arrived at the Ministry of Health, marking a milestone in the department that today leads. So far, only doctors were the heads of Epidemiology.
Acevedo, married and mother of two, leads a team close to 30 people, who are all day focused on the Covid-19. However, it's not the first health crisis facing: as soon as he arrived at Minsal he had to review the measures that had to be made in the face of the environmental emergency of Quinteros-Puchuncavi, being the litmus test for your office, admit some of their colleagues. Today, is the Covid-19.