TLDR: If your symptoms are so severe that you can't possibly drive yourself to the ER then yes come in. Otherwise don't bother. Wear a surgical mask over anything else.
Disclaimer: I am not giving any true medical advice because I am not a doctor. Take what I say with a grain of salt.
Hello friends, while writing this in December, the pandemic is reaching all time highs in the US because we have this need to be number 1 in everything or else it isn't American. This blog serves as both catharsis for myself and an unfiltered opinion of what I see in the hospital. Most of my devoted readers(mom, dog, shrimp and fish) all know that I've been an RN for 5 years, a psych nurse for 2 and an ER nurse for 3. I'd like to believe that I know a thing or two about nursing and promise you dear readers that I'm not here dramatizing anything because my dachshund looks down on chasing clout. So with that said, let's get started!
I honestly thought this pandemic would have come to an end by the end of this year.
With less than 3 weeks to go, people are still out there not wearing masks, thinking that it's some sort of government conspiracy for control. What's worse is the governor in California who was recently caught eating at an indoor restaurant with his goons without a mask. So now we have these politicians thinking they're above the law trying to tell people what not to do. It baffles me. I had high hopes for Newsom but now he's just another dirty politician. As if Los Angeles wasn't polarizing enough. Then we have Dr. Mike who's a real MD by the way with a huge following on Instagram who was caught partying without a mask...Bro if you're going to do something illegal and suspicious at least cover your tracks. Rookies for sure.
People cared about COVID in March to May, stopped for a while and now are caring again...
Oh yeah like COVID just stopped all of sudden for all these political rallies and protests going on this year. Remember also when we had fires started from baby showers? Not going to lie those blue/pink colored airstrike memes were dank af. 2020 has been super strange for sure...
Most, if not all healthcare workers are jaded, disenfranchised, and tired of everyone's bullshit.
I used to get so bothered when I see people on social media and also in public not wearing a fucking mask. I used to judge harshly when people cover their mouth but not their nose and consider it "wearing" a mask. It used to bother me so much when patients didn't want to wear a mask when checking into the ER even though it is mandated in the hospital. Now I'm just indifferent and laugh about the whole situation. It's already been proven to me that adults don't know how to follow directions while bitching and moaning about not being able to breathe in their DIY masks. Us healthcare professionals know how uncomfortable wearing masks all day can be, hell we wear at minimum a surgical mask during the entirety of the shift. Having an N95 on for a couple of hours will leave a nice mark and cuts on your face. So yeah shut the fuck up and wear your damn mask for safety of yourself and those around you.
We're all busting our assess everyday to make sure people don't die in general. Now that COVID is wrecking havoc our work load exponentially increased. We feel just as exhausted as you do except you get to stay home and feel tired. It feels like no one wants to stay home to self-quarantine when they test positive. Actually, it seems like no one wants to stay home at all. Sometimes I wonder about people who want to check into the ER for the most minor-est of the minor problem ever fathomed just so they can step out the house and catch the Rona. I get that it can be boring watching the same shows on Netflix, spending time with your loved ones or trying to homeschool your kids but I personally think it's a lot better than getting a tube down your throat. Do you think because I work in the hospital that my judgement of when or when not to come in is better or do people just lack common sense? I'll make it super easy for you all when deciding if you have to come into the hospital: If you can't drive yourself to the hospital because you feel like you're dying and/or can't breathe then yes you should probably come. Otherwise you're technically super spreading based on your idiocrasy.
Not going to lie when the world was on lockdown and we weren't as knowledgeable about COVID, I felt extremely stressed and on the edge. I went to work everyday thinking it would be my last because I thought that when I catch it that I'll develop the symptoms and then eventually die. Looking back sure I was being a bit too dramatic about it but that fear felt so visceral to my stomach. I suppose it's the same feeling people get when asked to wear a fucking mask. I'm running on the belief that I am still relatively young, I eat clean, train dirty, sleep well and try to keep the stress as low as possible so when I catch COVID19 I'll be ok. That or I've probably already caught it and have be asymptomatic. Until the antibody testing is much more accurate I'll consider getting tested.
Originally in March I really had high hopes in humanity. As the months progressed, people got lazy and stopped giving two shits so did my hopes of this ever coming to an end. Now my tolerance of humanity is non-existent and I honestly feel apathetic inside although I still try to keep a chipper attitude on the outside. I've already had a feeling that Americans don't like to listen to anyone. It probably served us well in many other instances but definitely proves to be the crux in quelling the rising numbers. There are mini-outbreaks all across the hospital I work in. I'm hopeful that no one will die if they catch it. The ICU was hit hard as we were informed that 12 nurses tested positive. That's right, 12 RNs who need to sit out for 2 weeks. I've also been told that the ER is preparing to possibly keep COVID patients until beds open up in the COVID floor. Then that makes me wonder are we going to be like Italy when they had to pick and choose who was going to get the vent and who doesn't? Scary times.
By the way checking your temperature like this is just as accurate as putting your hand on the person's head to assess whether or not they have a fever. They're both GROSSLY INACCURATE.
At this rate, it seems more likely that we'll all develop herd immunity and whoever dies dies right?
Sorry Newsom, at this point it's just easier to automatically assume that people are still going to get together on Christmas and New Years, not to mention all the other little underground or not so underground parties on the weekends. I'm forecasting huge PRs in cases and deaths up until the end of January to be honest. Nobody cares that the ICU beds are almost full and that there probably won't be enough beds in general. Nobody seems to care about your friends or family who work in healthcare and their well being.
Assuming you do genuinely care about the well being of others during this pandemic let me give you some advice from an ER nurse:
Again, take it with a grain of salt because I'm not a doctor remember?
Unless your DIY cloth masks are made well I still believe surgical masks are the most cost effective and breathable of them all.
I've yet to wear a DIY cloth mask that is as breathable as a surgical mask and I honestly don't trust DIY cloth masks at all. DIY cloth masks range from just being cloth to having a small filter inside of them if you're lucky. Surgical masks typically have a few layers in between them. In fact, I always give patients a surgical mask once I take care of them and sell it to them that it's generally more breathable and reduces transmission better(which it does).
Cute for the gram but bad for utility.
Surgical mask. Blue on the outside!
N95s are bougie and unless you come into constant contact with COVID patients like me then it's really not worth the money.
Going back to buying some surgical masks and calling it a day. N95s are pretty damn uncomfortable and most people honestly don't need that amount of protection unless you're coming in very close range(like face to face proximity) on a daily basis. The one thing people are kind of good about is keeping distance from each other. 2 people wearing a mask and keeping distance is actually pretty damn effective.
There are many types of N95s out there. This one looks like the ones used for painters or those in construction. No need for this type of protection unless you're cleaning asbestos or starting IVs on COVID positive patients.
Face shields are cool but if it came down to it, masks > face shields.
Please don't be the idiots who wear a face shield but no mask thinking that it'll help reduce transmission.
Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Have hand sanitizer available at all times. Gloves are optional.
I say gloves are optional because I still see idiots wearing gloves who touch their face, phone, car, and everything around them. So I think it's probably better to just keep hand sanitizer on you at all times.
Improve your health by eating better and staying active.
They say obesity and type 2 diabetes are the two main comorbidities that greatly increases the mortality rate if you catch COVID19. It makes sense since your body is already working in overdrive by being extremely overweight coupled with a huge reduction in healing because of diabetes. A normal person who gets a small cut on their body will probably scab over and heal within a week or two. A person with type 2 diabetes takes months to heal that same wound. Now think about it when COVID19 wrecks your lungs. A normal person would still have some scarring in the lung tissue but who knows when the diabetic who catches COVID will completely be done healing? That in itself asks for constant reinfection. So now your lungs won't be able to heal as fast while trying support a body that is barely supporting itself. So the good old eating clean, training hard and never giving up does wonders yet again. I'd like to thank nursing school for allowing me to connect and understand the dots now but not when I needed it for exams.
Check in with your friends and family who are health care workers. They're all stressed the fuck out.
March, April and May was definitely the most stressful months for me. Like I said before, I really thought I was going to catch it and my 2 week countdown to my eventual death began. I constantly felt tense, overwhelmed and held in much of my pent up fears. I didn't want to already scare my family and loved ones around me even though inside I was really scared of dying. I'd say now my stress is pretty much well managed because I've made peace with my mortality and again I'm banking on the fact that I'm still a relatively young, physically active male who eats clean that have probably already caught COVID19 but has been asymptomatic. I can't tell you how many times I've triaged or come in close contact with COVID positive patients who didn't test positive until a couple hours later. Call it delusion but that's the lie I want to believe. Probably the lie I'm telling myself to keep myself sane until this is all over.
Thank you all for taking the time to read what I have to say about all of this craziness. This was definitely a very different blog than what I'm used to writing. If you guys enjoyed these nursing related ramblings then please let me know! I'm hopeful that we're all going to get through this, with or without a vaccine.
With that said, I'll see you guys in the next one!
Sincerely,
Joseph L.
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