Erin Morrill, public safety coordinator for Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College, has been almost solely focused on combatting COVID-19 on both campuses since the onset of the virus in March 2020.
A member of Bemidji State’s COVID-19 contact tracing trio with Carol Hess in Human Resources and Eric Sand, head athletic trainer, Morrill has been the university’s main point of contact with local and state public health officials. She has managed frequent updates and constantly shifting guidance to ensure the entire university successfully navigates the pandemic. After contracting the virus in November 2020, Morril is now glad to be vaccinated against the virus.
“I contracted COVID-19 and it was an awful experience. I was sick for the entire ten days of my isolation and continued to deal with side effects for a few months after,” she said. “Every day simple tasks like laundry left me winded and exhausted. It’s not an experience I would like to revisit any time soon, which is one of the reasons I decided to get vaccinated.”
The decision to become vaccinated came easy to Morrill until she found out she was pregnant not long after contracting the virus.
“Once I found out I was pregnant, I was admittedly less sure about receiving the vaccine,” she said. “However, I did some serious research and had numerous conversations about my concerns with my doctor. In the end, I determined it was the right decision for me and my child.”
On April 29, Sand, Hess and Morrill received the Outstanding Contribution Award at Bemidji State’s employee recognition event for their efforts to combat COVID-19 on campus.
“I received the Moderna vaccine, which is a two-dose vaccine. The day after my first dose was rough, but my symptoms were not nearly as bad as they were when I actually had COVID,” she said. “My second dose went much better, other than some tiredness and mild body aches, I had no adverse symptoms. Despite how my first dose went, I would still get vaccinated without hesitation! I would encourage anyone who hasn’t gotten vaccinated to spend some time researching the vaccine, as well as having a conversation with their doctor.”
2021-B-172