Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis

The peak of the omicron wave was three times higher than last winter’s surge, despite the widespread availability of vaccines.

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis joined “St. Louis on the Air” with an update on the ongoing pandemic — and shared what keeps her going in an incredibly challenging job.

The daily number of new coronavirus cases in the St. Louis region is reaching a level not seen since January. Hospitals also are reporting an increase in COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis was sworn in as the new director of the St. Louis Department of Health earlier this month. While the coronavirus is the infectious disease doctor’s first priority, she has plans to tackle the city’s other health problems.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones named Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, a national expert in infectious diseases, as the city’s health director. The coronavirus pandemic is the most immediate problem facing the city, Hlatshwayo Davis said, but she intends to focus on the city’s high rates of gun violence and sexually transmitted diseases.

When the coronavirus began spreading in the St. Louis region, Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis was about seven months pregnant. Like other doctors at the…