COVID-19

My thoughts and feelings about the novel coronavirus, not that anyone asked.

Working in a hospital on a regular day is a risk. I am putting myself in danger everyday I walk through those doors. As many people panic over this new found virus I can’t say I’m that worried, yet. My boss called to inform me I had taken blood on the first patient who has tested positive for COVID-19 at the hospital where I work. As front line staff I am used to donning my PPE before entering a room with precautions. As long as I’m wearing appropriate PPE then I am fine. In this particular case I was wearing a gown, gloves and a mask including an eye shield. Being that close to the virus scares me but I followed protocol. That’s why PPE exsists. It bothers me to see careless others not wearing appropriate PPE. I can be as careful as possible but if others around me aren’t following the same procedures it kind of defeats the purpose. Many people claim they do not get the flu shot annually. This blows my mind. Especially if you work in healthcare, you understand the importance of vaccines yet you still feel invincible. Let me be the one to tell you, nobody is invincible. You might not be too affected by the flu but for someone like myself whose immune system is compromised a simple virus could be deadly. Just last year I was hospitalized for influenza which lead to pneumonia. The average person will be fine if they contract the coronavirus. It’s who they pass it on to that suffers. Your elderly grandparents don’t have a strong immune system like you do. The cancer patient who just had treatment. A transplant patient who relies on immunosuppressant medication. Pregnant women and anyone with an underlying health condition. These are the people most at risk. I live with this fear everyday that I could get sick. I’ve been so careful for the last 6 years that these new extreme measures are nothing new to me. Some people may have to self isolate for 14 days. Six years ago I was confined to a hospital room for 34 days. At least you have your health in this situation. You have your immune system to protect you, some of us don’t. So wash your hands. Maybe I should be a bit more concerned for myself. Everyone else in my life seems to be worried for me. The only thing that worries me is not being able to work. I don’t want special treatment because of what I went through. I don’t want people to see me as weak.I feel that once you beat something like cancer, you feel terrified but at the same time pretty invincible. Nothing could ever be as bad as that first day I was given chemotherapy. I will continue to go to work while taking extra precautions because this is what I chose to do. This is why I’m still here, to help people.