Apologies about my original Day/Post 3 update - which I subsequently deleted.
I realized putting out such a HUGE amount of information not only is counterproductive (since most people are not going to read it in it's entirety), but it also takes away from my updates of what is going on at work. I was tired and not thinking straight.
From now on, I will separate my posts into topics to make it more easily digestible. Day/Post 3 will focus on social distancing, it's ripple effects, and how masks work. Day/Post 4 may or may not include stuff I had already posted in my original post. Here goes:
Day/Post 3: It is weird living in New York City right now.
It's weird living in one of the most energetic cities in the world and watching it become quieter and quieter day by day... except for the car outside of my apartment window who, not too long ago, was coincidentally blasting the new rap song about Coronavirus. I'm being serious - my friend Misuzu sent it to me earlier. It's NSFW so DM me if you want me to send the video to you 🤣🤦🏽♂️.
And by the way, people - HUMOR IS ESSENTIAL AT THIS TIME 🙂.
With talks of a city-wide shutdown looming, this could stress the people of this city to the breaking point, especially for those 130,000 in the hospitality industry who are mostly paid by the hour and many who live paycheck to paycheck. Scary times for so many.
"Social distancing does not have to mean social disengagement." - US Surgeon General and fellow anesthesiologist Dr. Jerome Adams
Social distancing has led many people to self-isolate to protect themselves and others from viral spread. This can lead to resultant feelings of boredom, loneliness, and/or depression, and it is something many of my non-healthcare friends are currently struggling with. I say non-healthcare friends because the situation we healthcare providers are in places us in the exact OPPOSITE scenario where we constantly risk exposing ourselves and others to the virus, but at least we get consistent social engagement at work! 🤷🏽♂️🤣
Parents are struggling to balance their work from home life (if they are fortunate to be able to work from home) with their new responsibilities as teachers, while also trying to stay cool and collected handling children who may be bouncing off the walls with extreme boredom. See the little girl above as a model example 🙂.
In both cases, find ways to engage with others while still practicing social distancing. It is possible as many people around the world have demonstrated on social media (the GOOD of social media).
Though the quote from our US Surgeon General made sense as a segue into my previous talking points, he actually said the quote as part of a larger quote pleading for us to go and donate blood.
There is fear that a massive blood shortage is coming soon. Blood drive cancellations have resulted in over 86,000 fewer donations to date as a result. Yes, COVID-19 is scary. But people, PLEASE don't forget that there are many other sick people out there who desperately need your blood to survive. If you are feeling well, PLEASE donate. There are strict measures being taken in collection centers to minimize your exposure risk, AND there has never been a reported case where a strain of Coronavirus (including SARS or MERS-CoV) was transmitted via blood transfusion. Don't let there be an additional health crisis on top of what we're already going through. Please.
And instead of pleading for people to stop buying masks and supplies out of panic, please buy in moderation so everyone else has an opportunity to do so as well. I'd like to stop reusing masks to ensure I am protected to the best of my ability in-between cases and avoid risking spread of the virus unknowingly via soiled protective devices. Please and thank you.
If you are sick, STAY AT HOME! But if others are around you, especially if you need to go out, wear a simple surgical mask to protect others so you do not accidentally spread droplets from a cough or sneeze to others.
The N95 respirators healthcare providers use help filter out any bacteria or viruses we may breathe in, and are therefore essential to our protection, especially anesthesiologists and other providers who instrument the airway where a sick individual could spray a host of respiratory droplets directly at our face at any time. And even though this Coronavirus has been found to be smaller individually than what these respirators can filter (an N95 respirator, when worn correctly, filters out 95% of particles larger than 300nm, hence the 95), the viruses travel in large quantities in these droplets so many do get filtered out as a result.
Many of my fellow healthcare workers across the nation are working under the mindset we have already been exposed to COVID-19 (as the ones who are working are asymptomatic), and therefore we are taking as many precautions as possible to keep our patients, loved ones, and ourselves, safe.
COVID-19 is impacting healthcare workers across the country, and there is a fear of mass shortages of healthy workers to combat against the wave of new COVID-19+ patients. Resources are scarce. ALL physicians, including those who have absolutely experience in an ER or ICU, may be called upon to help out. This could become a disaster moving forward.
It still hasn't gotten crazy yet. But we know this is likely going to be an ultra-marathon. And man, I hate running. Ugh.
As always, stay safe.