A shot in the arm: Mt. Lebanon coach vaccinated against virus
Mt. Lebanon boys basketball coach Joe David rolled up his sleeve and eagerly accepted his COVID-19 vaccination. He is scheduled to receive his second shot Feb. 19.
“Anything to get back to some semblance of normalcy,” said David. “That’s the whole idea.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, David is one of about 18 million people nationwide, or less than 6% of the U.S. population, who have received at least one dose of vaccine. Only slightly more than half of the 41 million doses distributed to the states by the federal government have been injected into arms.
David was vaccinated because he owns and operates a physical therapy and sports medicine center in Mt. Lebanon, not because he is a basketball coach.
For more than 30 years, David has served the South Hills and Pittsburgh as one of its premier therapists. In fact, he is celebrating 27 years of private practice after opening the David Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Center in Mt. Lebanon in 1994.
David said while the initial vaccination gives him 50% protection against getting or spreading the virus, it also gives him “confidence” to continue doing his job as a therapist and coach.
“I never felt uncomfortable because we have taken all the precautions,” said David of his facility. “We have never had any issues or had to worry about being shut down. We do all that we can.”
David, who said he is an acknowledged “germaphobe,” goes the distance at home, work and play in warding off bacteria and viruses. He consistently wipes down his seat and tray tables on airplanes. He also advocates for Purell hand sanitizer.
“I admit it. Those are all right up my alley,” he said with a laugh. “But you will find it’s become more common.”
David added the vaccination, “gives me more confidence because I am around people all day long.”
For David and his staff of 15, getting the Maderna vaccination administered by a staff member from Asti Pharmacy, located on Mt. Lebanon Boulevard, took minimal time and effort. David had no reaction though some staff members complained of chills, fever and/or lethargy.
“It’s a sore shot,” David warned.
“But,” he added, “it didn’t stop me from doing anything.”
David went home and immediately worked out. He lifted weights and did his obligatory 50 minutes on his go-to-piece of exercise equipment, the elliptical machine.
After his workout, he also adopted a routine he recommends to patients. He iced his arm down with a bag of frozen peas.
“Getting the shot is pretty simple,” David said of the process. “Go right in. They called you back. Get the shot. Sit for 15 minutes. I had no adverse reaction other than a sore shoulder.”
David recommended patients get the vaccination in their dominant arm, especially those prone to “frozen” shoulder issues.
Keep using the limb, he also advised.
“And apply plenty of ice,” he said of the injection site.
As vaccinations increase, David said he hopes by “sometime in the summer” the country can return to normalcy. It all depends on the distribution of the vaccine, he said. But, he is optimistic, particularly since the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a one-shot application, is nearing approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
“It’s pretty similar in effectiveness,” he said. “Whether it’s 94 or 92%, it gives us good protection.”
However, even after he receives his second shot, David said he will still be required to wear a mask for everybody else.
Lebo playoff bound
The Mt. Lebanon School Board adopted similar logic when it recently approved participation in the WPIAL postseason tournaments for all winter sports including basketball, wrestling, swimming, rifle and competitive cheer.
The school district adopted its policy to compete during the regular season while wearing face coverings and playing against only those opponents who shared the same philosophy.
“I’m happy for my players and excited they get an opportunity to see their hard work pay off,” David said. “Hopefully, we can make some noise in the playoffs.”
After a chaotic start to the season, the Blue Devils are 2-0 in Section 2, 6A and 3-3 overall after splitting decisions against Penn Hills and Trinity.
In the 52-48 win against the Indians, Jake Reinke fired in 18 points and Evan Sentner added 15.
In the 55-50 loss against the Hillers, Reinke again led the way with 23 points, while Michael Pfeuffer supplied 12.
“This is what we needed,” said David as the team returned to a routine.
The Blue Devils started the season with seven practices before being forced into a five-week layoff because of COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Gov. Tom Wolf’s office and the state department of health and education. Only last week did the Blue Devils enjoy four consecutive days of practice before playing back-to-back games.
“It’s a building process,” said David. “Before it was just patching things together and trying to catch up. Now we are returning to normalcy. We can reintroduce things at a slower pace and that can be beneficial.”
With a young team that only returned one starter from last year’s WPIAL runner-up team, the Blue Devils experienced “growing pains” during a 59-58 loss to North Catholic and 63-50 setback against McDowell, David said.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the Blue Devils have been unable to do off-court activities, like team dinners or tournament trips, that instill camaraderie. Yet, David said, the squad has bonded through mindful meditations introduced several seasons ago.
“They have done a marvelous job with everything. I’m proud of my guys and how they are withstanding and facing the obstacles, inconveniences and challenges they have encountered,” David said. “It’s not easy not being able to hang out together. Actually, it has been hard not to enjoy some of the things we have been able to do together in the past.”
David said Mt. Lebanon is not the only school going through this situation and he applauds his team and others for doing a “wonderful job” of coping with the limitations and regulations.
“This year is different. It’s the times we are in, a unique situation,” David said. “Everybody wants to win more games than lose them, but the fact is it’s about providing opportunities for these student athletes. We are all doing what we can to mitigate this virus so that these guys can compete.”