- [Heather] A grim warning

from the head of the Centersfor Disease Control Wednesday,

saying that, in the next three months,

the pandemic will get worse.

- December and January and February

are going to be rough times.

I actually believe they'regonna be the most difficult time

in the public healthhistory of this nation.

- The reason, earlierCOVID surges were regional.

This time, the rates are risingin all parts of the country.

Right now, the COVIDtracking project reports

more than 100,000 Americansare hospitalized with the virus

and 2,700 have died from itin just the past 24 hours.

- You just sit there and hold their hand.

They want you to limit15 minutes in the room,

but how do you walk awayfrom somebody that's saying,

"I just want to die"?

- [Heather] Operation Warp Speed

expects emergency authorization

for the first vaccine by December 15th.

Pfizer plans to release6.4 million doses that day,

with 12 million from Moderna

possibly available a week later.

States across the country

are preparing theirvaccine storage facilities.

- This will happen at hospital systems

or facilities equippedwith ultra-cold storage.

- [Heather] Virginia expectsjust 70,000 doses from Pfizer

in the first wave.

- We have plans in place fordetermining who goes first.

- [Heather] Governors and local leaders

will ultimately decidewho gets the vaccine,

but the CDC says thatnursing home patients

and healthcare workersshould be first in line.

There is fresh concern about mental health

for these frontline heroes.

In a new survey, 8 in 10 saythey're experiencing anxiety,

while 3/4 report exhaustion and burnout.

- Once worry transformsto anxiety or depression,

these things don't go away on their own.

- [Heather] Regent University professor

and therapist Danny Hollandworks with these providers

and says many do or will needcounseling to go forward.

For now, self care and empathy

from family members will help.

- Those things really can do a lot

to both kind of release some of the stress

and increase resilience.

- [Heather] That's good news,

not only for healthcare workers,but their patients as well.

Heather Sells, CBN News.