I started my part-time contract, post-retirement job 21 months ago on March 9, 2020, two days before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. It is hard to believe almost two years have passed!
The staff at our hospital decorated their respective units for the holidays. The Overflow Unit had several interesting displays including this holiday tree made of inflated gloves. The unit was opened to accommodate the surge of patients during the initial waves of COVID and it never closed. This is the reason my contract position, which was to expire in December 2020, has been extended several times. There still are many job vacancies in local hospitals, particularly in critical care units.
This week we have three COVID-positive patients in the hospital. The numbers have been decreasing every week which is a big relief. Surgeries are getting back on track and clinics are gradually reopening to in-person assessments.
COVID continues to impact staffing in other ways. Hospital workers cannot report to work if they or other household members have any COVID symptoms until they or the family member receive a negative test result. Most days we find out that at least one coworker cannot report to work because of a child having some type of respiratory symptom which usually is just an ordinary cold. Yesterday, over half the nurses on my unit called in sick for the day shift. It was a very busy day!
My contract position will become a permanent part-time position in the next few weeks and I will have to decide whether to apply or just stay in the casual work pool. I don't want to take jobs from younger people, but I do love the work and having a purpose during this long pandemic. So far, we have not seen an increase in COVID cases due to the Omicron variant, and we are hopeful that this variant will cause mild symptoms only, particularly in vaccinated people. Christmas will be a critical time where the spread and severity of Omicron will be more obvious.
A friend sent me a link about a special antimicrobial face mask that is being marketed. I commented that the best mask is one that is worn properly and consistently. A clean surgical mask or KN95 mask is all that is needed when out in public. I would imagine that most transmission of illness occurs when people are unmasked in groups or family units. We would be wise to take extra precautions this month while we mingle with different groups of people over the holidays.
I have one good news story about a COVID patient I wrote about six months ago today. I walked through the Airway Clinic two days ago and heard my name called. The patient, who went home using 15-25 litres per minute of oxygen, was there with a family member for outpatient testing. In June, I participated in an online assessment with the lung transplant team at Toronto General Hospital concerning this patient who had severe pulmonary scarring from COVID pneumonia. A lung transplant was offered but the patient and family asked for six months to decide if this is what they wanted.
The patient has gained strength, is no longer frail, and is using supplemental oxygen at a flow of only 2 lpm. They will likely get off oxygen altogether. The patient and family are so grateful for the care received during the six-month hospitalization. The therapy team worked hard to mobilize the patient before discharge and success stories like this make our jobs worthwhile. This recovery also demonstrates how our bodies can heal, even after a devastating illness. I still have a couple of patients who remain bed-ridden with multiple medical issues months after contracting COVID-19. Their rehabilitation is progressing at a very slow pace but I hold out hope that they will improve too.
The blue glove tree is somewhat disconcerting to me. I don't know if the hands are reaching out begging for help, or if the inflated gloves represent the caring hands of staff who work with sick patients every day. Perhaps the hands are poised for applause because everyone I work with deserves applause for enduring this endless pandemic.
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