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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Well we are being told we are past the peak, and that we have flattened the curve.

I've been working in a medical unit and CoVID admissions, and even though we have had enough of the recommended PPE so many of my colleagues and friends have been ill its been very scary, and you have to question the level of protection we are using

It's been a really tough couple of months and I have to be honest I think I'm more anxious about what comes next than I was going into this thing.

The impact of this virus both physically and emotionally has been huge, exhausting.

So just "checking in" to say hi, how are you all doing and hoping that you are relatively unscathed

Sending you all hugs (appropriately socially distanced of course)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Wonderful to hear from you, sorry you have had to go through this.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I would send something more substantial if I could, a bottle of wine or gin.

As I am retired and have underlying issues I am classed as high risk so could not volunteer but my wife still works - like you, very front line. Strangely we too have had a couple of flu like illnesses this year but no Covid. 5 of my wife's colleagues have had similar symptoms but only one tested positive.

I too worry that we will see a second wave and even possibly a third wave next year.

There is a great documentary on BBC iPlayer called "The Flu That Killed 50 Million." Well worth a watch as it gives some historical context and also shows how easily pandemics can recur and what can happen with second waves.

Also see here; https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence

Sorry, very morbid I know but as George Santayana said in 1905, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Take care and stay safe.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.
31 minutes ago, GrumpyRN said:

I would send something more substantial if I could, a bottle of wine or gin.

As I am retired and have underlying issues I am classed as high risk so could not volunteer but my wife still works - like you, very front line. Strangely we too have had a couple of flu like illnesses this year but no Covid. 5 of my wife's colleagues have had similar symptoms but only one tested positive.

I too worry that we will see a second wave and even possibly a third wave next year.

There is a great documentary on BBC iPlayer called "The Flu That Killed 50 Million." Well worth a watch as it gives some historical context and also shows how easily pandemics can recur and what can happen with second waves.

Also see here; https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence

Sorry, very morbid I know but as George Santayana said in 1905, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Take care and stay safe.

Not morbid at all, I think its what we are all feeling and after yesterday my worries are so much higher.

Our ED was so busy with drunk aggressive people, I expect within 14 days we will see the impact this behaviour has on an aggressively contagious virus.

Oh and gin would be great ? ???

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Specializes in Critical care.

We’ve coped so far, the surge we had wasn’t as bad as expected and while we were stretched at points we’ve got through it. It has calmed down an awful lot, but I do wonder what’s going to happen next.

I've heard from a number of friends across the UK that emergency departments got a pasting on Friday night, including our own. I don’t have the energy to get angry about it anymore. We will see what damage it has caused in a week or two.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Good to see that the 4 nations of the UK are united in how to proceed with the lockdown ?

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
18 hours ago, XB9S said:

Good to see that the 4 nations of the UK are united in how to proceed with the lockdown ?

Oh well, if nothing else the devolved nations will see what happens and get an idea if they have been too careful. We will also see if England opened for economic reasons rather than sound infection control reasons.

For what it is worth, I really hope I am wrong and we are being too careful and everything goes well.

Should add that according to Boris he fully discussed this, but according to Nicola she found out from the newspapers.

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I'm in community. I'm completely convinced covid was in my area back in January/February, possibly even late December. We had a huge spike in end of life patients, many of them with respiratory symptoms and they didn't follow the usual gradual deterioration which we normally see with patients in their own homes.

By the time we got sorted with PPE and all the other changes we brought in for covid; (I think) we were already starting to come out the other side.

We did have several members of staff test positive and off sick. I was a bit poorly (nothing dramatic) before testing came in. I'm now curiously awaiting my antibody test results.

The things we found most difficult was the constant changes and reorganisation which at one point seemed to happen on a daily basis. Staff were much more stressed due to this than actual covid itself. We had lots of staff redeployed to help us and it often caused more problems than it helped. We did eventually find our groove and hopefully will be better prepared if that second wave hits.

All in all we got off lightly and it didn't really hit us as badly as we were expecting.

My hat goes off to those working in ICU, ED and covid wards.

(my news is that I'm starting my SPQ DN in September so that will be exciting!)

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