CHICAGO (CBS) — Former Illinois Division of Public Well being Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike stated tennis, yoga, prayer, and household dinners grounded her by way of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The primary main COVID problem for Dr. Ezike got here three years in the past Tuesday – as a affected person contemporary from Wuhan, China entered a Hoffman Estates hospital and have become simply the second official COVID affected person within the U.S.

Dr. Ezike sat down with CBS 2’s Chris Tye Tuesday to replicate on the scary days – and probably the most hopeful moments.

Ezike took away three huge classes from COVID. One was to guard probably the most susceptible first. The second was that schooling and knowledge must be stable to beat misinformation and disinformation. The third is that partnerships are life-savingly essential.

However there are two questions she will get above all else.

“‘How did you be taught to talk Spanish?’” Ezike stated, “after which the second was, ‘How did you cling in there so lengthy?’”

The long term of the COVID pandemic in Illinois started three years in the past at AMITA Well being St. Alexius Medical Heart Hoffman Estates.

The second COVID affected person in America checked in, and so did a military of docs – together with Dr. Ezike.

“I bear in mind everyone being there – a lot of huddles. Everyone was working their tails off,” Ezike stated. “Sure, we in all probability have been fearful as a result of every thing was so unknown – however we did not have time to deal with that.”

Ezike’s focus was following the information – and advising Gov. JB Pritzker on choices not everybody agreed with.

“Suspicious packages displaying up on the home; folks knocking on your home at 5 o’clock within the morning – sooner or later, truly having; actually feeling the necessity to have a State Police escort,” Ezike stated. “Sadly, that was the fact.”

And this occurred with Ezike’s household at dwelling.

“We had 4 children at dwelling on the time – actually tried to defend them from that. I imply, they clearly noticed the automobile out entrance and have been like, ‘Uh, okay,’ however nothing was regular at the moment,” Ezike stated. “They have been pressured to form of take care of what got here.”

Ezike was pressured to seek out brief moments in these tense days to maintain herself targeted.

“There have been lots of brief prayers all day lengthy,” Ezike stated. “I could not make it to the top of the day with out that.”

Within the three years since, some days stand out from the remaining.

“The concept of truly closing down the state – the place issues have been closing. I feel one of many issues was that the St. Paddy Day parade was not going to occur. That wasn’t inside the realm of one thing I might seen or considered earlier than,” Ezike stated. “There isn’t any playbook, there is not any blueprint – and right here I’m.”

There she was. By no means had extra eyes and judgements been made on the state high physician.

However the stress did not sap Ezike’s vitality. The truth is, she says it did fairly the alternative.

That helps her lead Sinai Chicago, the biggest non-public safety-net medical system in Illinois.

“I’m raring to go. I feel I am outfitted. I have been by way of the fireplace,” Ezike stated. “We are able to hold going by way of it. I am a dragon slayer.”

We must always be aware Dr. Ezike is the topic of an ethics investigation. The Higher Authorities Affiliation says what’s at concern is a state legislation coping with former state division heads who oversee contracts – and their future employers.

That Ezike works for Sinai Well being could or might not be in violation of that legislation, however the investigation into that matter has not wrapped up. Up to now, Ezike has not been discovered to have finished something fallacious.

All that being stated, on the virus entrance, Ezike believes Illinois is much extra ready for no matter comes subsequent – given what we went by way of these final three years.