COVID Misinformation/Ignorance

[GS ED RN]

How do you deal with ignorant family members/friends. I cannot deal with ignorant, misinformed people anymore - especially when it hits close to home w/ friends and family for some reason I take it personally and when they do not have any desire to learn and become better informed. 

My in-laws tried to tell me this influx of COVID cases could also be flu and the numbers are exaggerated - and as an ER nurse -- working in two ERs and having done some time in a COVID ICU, seeing all the horrors first hand, like many of you did - when people just spew absolute misinformation absolute BS- it infuriates my soul - it undermines all the hard-work we have done. It is so *** disheartening I cannot even begin to explain it. 

FIRSTLY- for the last 1 month both my ER’s as well as neighboring hospitals are running what we call a pandemic resp panel which checks for SARS-CoV-2 AND a slew of other possible resp viral illnesses Adenovirus/parainfluenza, influenza A/B, etc. SO saying these numbers could be flu is simply inaccurate. 

then … I mentioned how excited I was for my second COVID vaccine. Because I spent the previous night in a COVID room for hours with a patient who had a productive cough, who was gasping for breath just to stand and pivot to the commode. I’ve taken care of my own co-workers infected with COVID, which hurts my soul, and makes me realize I could be next. 

This is why I was excited for the part 2 of the vaccine— but don’t worry I was then compared to a heroin addict and asked if I was going to get the second injection in between my toes… followed by a bunch of comments of saying they aren’t going to get it … or “let’s see what happens to all these other people getting it” just a complete disregard for science, evidence and the fact that this vaccine is our our only hope for a return to normalcy… mind you one of these people is a teacher - I would like to think she believe in science and research- clearly not - she goes on to comment on how she doesn’t get the flu vaccine but all her students were mandated the flu vaccine how the *** is that even fair??? And she’s complaining that her job is strongly urging a COVID swab ???? What is wrong with knowing you’re negative- before you teach CHILDREN!!?? 

THEN … one of my best friends in the whole world — feel like I can’t talk to her about COVID anymore either … she’s against the vaccine due to “infertility claims” give me a *** break - whatever that’s your right but do some actual research first from RCT’s not BS… 

she works a desk job that happens to be in healthcare in the outpatient setting she is pissed about the lack of hazard pay and pissed about her lack of an N-95 yet she isn’t providing any patient care whatsoever- meanwhile a good portion of us were denied hazard pay, N-95's. 

I cannot do this anymore. I I drove to my night shift in the cold rain crying… which is a nice change from the chest pain I used to have months ago. No one understands the *** we go through. I’ve never felt so alone as a nurse, so undermined, so worthless and not cared about ever in my nursing career. This pandemic hurts so much. 

The hope I had for the new year … the hope I had for the vaccine is squashed by people’s *** ignorance.  I apologize for the length - its been a lot - thank you 

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

Why COVID Vaccines are Falsely Linked to Infertility

https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210112/why-covid-vaccines-are-falsely-linked-to-infertility 

[JVBT, ASN]

Seems like those eating with multiple people present in a breakroom are engaging in misinformation in action. How I wish there was a policy forbidding eating together inside clinics and hospitals. It nullifies all the work we're doing protecting patients.

[turtlesRcool]

16 minutes ago, JVBT said:

Seems like those eating with multiple people present in a breakroom are engaging in misinformation in action. How I wish there was a policy forbidding eating together inside clinics and hospitals. It nullifies all the work we're doing protecting patients.

Actually, at my hospital, this is our policy.  If there isn't room to sit 6 ft from someone, take your break later.  I don't think it's being actively enforced by management or anything, but there are signs up in every break room, and I've noticed fewer people taking breaks at the same time.

[JVBT, ASN]

Our break room also has enforcement-by-signage. Weak tea. People still eat and drink where they shouldn't. Managers sometimes walk around eating with their masks pulled down.

[SansNom]

1 hour ago, JVBT said:

Our break room also has enforcement-by-signage. Weak tea. People still eat and drink where they shouldn't. Managers sometimes walk around eating with their masks pulled down.

Sooooo.......because a precaution doesn't work 100% of the time or is not being rigidly enforced then it is a useless concept? Terrible rationale. We may as well never wear seat belts, or helmets, or gloves in a patient room, or a plethora of other other things that aren't full proof but DO help mitigate a problem.

[T-Bird78]

I lost an uncle to COVID in late December. My aunt and two cousins (their sons) still refuse to wear a mask because “they” said masks don’t work. If my uncle had worn one, he’d still be here with us.

I have a medical assistant I work with who is refusing the vaccine because “it gives people HIV”. I asked her to elaborate on that claim and she showed me a video from an Australian news channel where some small pharmaceutical company was doing their first clinical trial. One person showed a false positive HIV result on their labs, because a component of the vaccine had something derived from HIV in it, so they d/c that trial.  I told my coworker that 1) it’s in Australia and not the US, 2) the person did not actually contract HIV, 3) they d/c that drug on the side of caution, and 4) it’s not one the vaccine options offered here anyway. 

I work ENT, so my doctors are having to trach people because the ventilator alone isn’t helping them breathe. I have had so many patients come into the office and argue with the front desk, the clinical staff, and even the doctors about wearing a mask. One stood outside the front door with his mask in his hand so he didn't’ have to come in the door with it on. He’s one of those “it’s just the flu” people, and when I told him his doc was having to see a COVID pt for a trach (bedside ICU too), I got the hand wave and “ah, they’ve got other health problems” and a snort. I’ve been called an idiot and stupid and a sheep, I’ve been hung up on by pts, I’ve been called a narcissist on social media, and I’m tired of people. I’ve seriously thought about seeing if my local bank is hiring. 

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

4 hours ago, T-Bird78 said:

I lost an uncle to COVID in late December. My aunt and two cousins (their sons) still refuse to wear a mask because “they” said masks don’t work. If my uncle had worn one, he’d still be here with us.

I have a medical assistant I work with who is refusing the vaccine because “it gives people HIV”. I asked her to elaborate on that claim and she showed me a video from an Australian news channel where some small pharmaceutical company was doing their first clinical trial. One person showed a false positive HIV result on their labs, because a component of the vaccine had something derived from HIV in it, so they d/c that trial.  I told my coworker that 1) it’s in Australia and not the US, 2) the person did not actually contract HIV, 3) they d/c that drug on the side of caution, and 4) it’s not one the vaccine options offered here anyway. 

I work ENT, so my doctors are having to trach people because the ventilator alone isn’t helping them breathe. I have had so many patients come into the office and argue with the front desk, the clinical staff, and even the doctors about wearing a mask. One stood outside the front door with his mask in his hand so he didn't’ have to come in the door with it on. He’s one of those “it’s just the flu” people, and when I told him his doc was having to see a COVID pt for a trach (bedside ICU too), I got the hand wave and “ah, they’ve got other health problems” and a snort. I’ve been called an idiot and stupid and a sheep, I’ve been hung up on by pts, I’ve been called a narcissist on social media, and I’m tired of people. I’ve seriously thought about seeing if my local bank is hiring. 

People have and continue to act horribly over this pandemic. I don't understand how masking is a violation of anyone's rights during a public health crisis with an airborne illness.

In my area, the LTC, SNF, ALF, group homes, have been decimated by this virus, and yet people tell me all the time, even had a manager where I work say "Well, they're old, they're gonna die anyway.", I'm a pretty dark and twisted individual, and I believe in quality versus quantity when it comes to living, but many of the patients I've seen die still had a good quality of life, some were still vital and had few co-morbidities, does that mean we shouldn't care when they die or make the attempt to prevent their deaths? In group homes the residents are dropping like flies and yet I see people say "well they were disabled anyway". The apathy towards people during this pandemic has sickened me, and that apathy should be alarming to us as a society. I realize it's probably been present for a long time, but the pandemic has certainly laid it out to bear. 

[JVBT, ASN]

10 hours ago, SansNom said:

Sooooo.......because a precaution doesn't work 100% of the time or is not being rigidly enforced then it is a useless concept? Terrible rationale. We may as well never wear seat belts, or helmets, or gloves in a patient room, or a plethora of other other things that aren't full proof but DO help mitigate a problem.

OK, so. When you put up a sign and expect it to do the trick of getting people to, in the words of Michael Osterholm, stop swapping air, I do not consider that effective management. I don't consider it effective when the manager herself walks the hallways with the mask down, eating. The point I was trying to make is that it's hard to get people to keep their masks on, but it's the only solution right now and also the break rooms themselves are the problem and truly should be closed. At least as my facility (you be you, I'm gonna be me).

[SmilingBluEyes]

There is ignorance and there is willful ignorance. The latter is what frustrates me.  And all those working in healthcare are sick and tired of it.

What can we do? As nurses we educate but those willfully deciding to remain ignorant, we can do nothing about.

I hope this vent helped; I sure don't have a lot of advice. Hang in there and don't forget to breathe and let go of what you cannot control yourself.

(((hugs)))

[SmilingBluEyes]

8 hours ago, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

People have and continue to act horribly over this pandemic. I don't understand how masking is a violation of anyone's rights during a public health crisis with an airborne illness.

In my area, the LTC, SNF, ALF, group homes, have been decimated by this virus, and yet people tell me all the time, even had a manager where I work say "Well, they're old, they're gonna die anyway.", I'm a pretty dark and twisted individual, and I believe in quality versus quantity when it comes to living, but many of the patients I've seen die still had a good quality of life, some were still vital and had few co-morbidities, does that mean we shouldn't care when they die or make the attempt to prevent their deaths? In group homes the residents are dropping like flies and yet I see people say "well they were disabled anyway". The apathy towards people during this pandemic has sickened me, and that apathy should be alarming to us as a society. I realize it's probably been present for a long time, but the pandemic has certainly laid it out to bear. 

THIS is disgusting and yes, it's always been the attitude about elderly and/or handicapped and infirm in my lifetime. A LOT of our elders have a great quality of life, voluteering, visiting, enjoying family  or hobbies or what-not. My husband's grannie and my gramps were active volunteers in various positions up til 90 or so. Great Grannie came to stay when my babies were born, well into her 70s, and was a great help.

So I am disgusted and dismayed at our attitude that COVID is somehow more deadly the the elderly/vulnerable and that's OK.  I guess we are leaning more like this as time passes and this disease strains our resources. We are becoming so callous as a nation. (USA). This disease only highlights this fact.

[SmilingBluEyes]

21 hours ago, JVBT said:

Seems like those eating with multiple people present in a breakroom are engaging in misinformation in action. How I wish there was a policy forbidding eating together inside clinics and hospitals. It nullifies all the work we're doing protecting patients.

It is basically where I am. But I am in a clinic, and we stagger lunch. We can't eat together because our table is very small. No more potlucks, boo.

[SmilingBluEyes]

16 hours ago, T-Bird78 said:

I lost an uncle to COVID in late December. My aunt and two cousins (their sons) still refuse to wear a mask because “they” said masks don’t work. If my uncle had worn one, he’d still be here with us.

I have a medical assistant I work with who is refusing the vaccine because “it gives people HIV”. I asked her to elaborate on that claim and she showed me a video from an Australian news channel where some small pharmaceutical company was doing their first clinical trial. One person showed a false positive HIV result on their labs, because a component of the vaccine had something derived from HIV in it, so they d/c that trial.  I told my coworker that 1) it’s in Australia and not the US, 2) the person did not actually contract HIV, 3) they d/c that drug on the side of caution, and 4) it’s not one the vaccine options offered here anyway. 

I work ENT, so my doctors are having to trach people because the ventilator alone isn’t helping them breathe. I have had so many patients come into the office and argue with the front desk, the clinical staff, and even the doctors about wearing a mask. One stood outside the front door with his mask in his hand so he didn't’ have to come in the door with it on. He’s one of those “it’s just the flu” people, and when I told him his doc was having to see a COVID pt for a trach (bedside ICU too), I got the hand wave and “ah, they’ve got other health problems” and a snort. I’ve been called an idiot and stupid and a sheep, I’ve been hung up on by pts, I’ve been called a narcissist on social media, and I’m tired of people. I’ve seriously thought about seeing if my local bank is hiring. 

I am so sorry for your loss.