COVID Misinformation/Ignorance

[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.