Three local healthcare workers share what life is like in the era of COVID-19
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CLINICIAN
Alison Montgomery works as a laboratory technician and has for the past 15 years. Sometimes she draws blood from patients but generally runs diagnostic tests on patients’ blood. The COVID-19 virus requires additional protocols, more awareness, planning, preparing and of course conserving of materials. She’s fortunate to work in a hospital that is part of a much larger medical system that has passed on helpful information to their smaller facilities. Drills help her prepare for possible emergency situations the COVID-19 virus might cause.
One of Alison’s greatest concerns for medical facilities in our area concerns citizens overrunning clinics and hospital emergency rooms with panicked behavior by seeking medical intervention for mild symptoms and using resources needed by patients with more serious issues, like heart attacks. She also worries about running out of much needed protective gear. She explained that a major concern for her involves, “People not taking it (the COVID-19 virus) seriously.”
As a mother of four, her concerns surrounding the virus extend to her family as well. After proactively sanitizing herself before leaving work she takes extra precautions when she goes home. Italian physicians have recommended to medical personnel here in the United States to take coats and shoes off in the garage before entering the home, and so she does this. She also immediately changes her clothes and puts her work clothes in the washer. She said she isn’t “super concerned,” about transmitting the virus to her family, but does worry a bit when she has to draw blood.
Alison said she, unlike many nurses she knows, is fortunate that her husband can work from home and her children are of ages they can pretty much take care of themselves. She knows nurses, especially single parents, who are having a much more difficult time getting childcare. While Alison works eight hours shifts, nurses are working longer hours and having a harder time finding people to watch their children.
Working in the medical field often requires dealing with emotionally charged issues as well as diseases and the current COVID-19 situation exaggerates that work condition. Alison says she stays off of social media and turns off the television to keep fear and depression at bay.
When asked how the community can best aid healthcare workers she said, “By staying home, being patient and trusting your doctor.”
NURSE
Speaking anonymously, a local nurse explained how her work environment has changed and become more strained. During a 12-hour shift, employee temperature checks take place twice. Not only employees but patients now wear protective face masks, a challenge because they feel hot, make breathing more difficult and cause communication problems. Family visits also used to include temperature checks. In-person visits are no longer allowed except in rare cases of impending death. She spends a large amount of her shift running back and forth with a facility cell phone to keep families and friends connected to patients. When cell phones aren’t available because they’re already in use or needing a charge, patients and those calling in can become quite irritable. However, staff work hard to “keep it light” she said.
As a single parent who still has to perform everyday tasks like shopping, catching and then spreading the COVID-19 virus via community spread is her greatest concern. She’s counting on community members not traveling, quarantining themselves for 14 days if they do, and staying home if they aren’t well. This is how she can stay healthy, keep her child healthy and continue working in her critical job.
PHYSICIAN
Dr. Megan Vigil believes not having firsthand knowledge of the COVID-19 virus makes it really hard to understand its gravity. She said it’s similar to parents who don’t vaccinate their children against diseases like pertussis because they haven’t been around the disease and haven’t experiences how dangerous it can be. She said it even took a while for her to comprehend just how serious the COVID-19 virus had become.
Vigil’s schedule now includes many more meetings (via tele-conference) as local facilities learn and comply with CDC guidelines, discuss equipment conservation and plan for a possible surge in patients suffering from the virus. She thinks the local medical system is well prepared and that larger institutions outside our community have been valuable sources of information. Colleagues working in environments more heavily impacted by the virus have expressed fears about not having enough equipment to protect themselves and their families.
Nearly half of Vigil’s practice now takes place using tele-medicine. Triage processes screen patients prior to an office visit so she hasn’t had concerns about contracting the COVID-19 virus at work since symptomatic patients receive curbside screening. However, she does know healthcare workers who are separating from their families due to potential exposure from patients.
She believes a lot of people are following the guidelines regarding nonessential trips outside the home but she said it only takes a few symptomatic people not taking distancing recommendations seriously to keep the virus numbers growing. If you aren’t feeling well and need to go out in public, she said, “Find someone else to do it if you aren’t well.” It’s of concern to her that community spread is taking place in the counties directly north and south of here.
Vigil reminds the community to continue to look after their health by taking care of chronic problems like high blood pressure, COPD and diabetes. These issues don’t just go away. She thinks some patients are avoiding seeing their physicians out of fear of getting the virus.
While taking care of our physical health is important, Vigil understands there is mental stress caused by the current distancing from family and friends. “I know this is hard. I am personally struggling,” she said. She encourages everyone to go outside and walk, take a break from the news, your phone, social media. She often hears from patients they don’t have time for exercise. She said, “Now they have time to exercise for their physical health and mental health.”
