My Ultimate Warning based on personal Experience with COVID+ patients and co-workers.

Nurses COVID

Published

These are the Facts based on nearly 4 weeks of this Pandemic. I have been on the front lines. Read Carefully and heed my warning.

1) If you suffer from Asthma, Lung CA, COPD, and/or other chronic lung disorders, your chances of surviving COVID-19 are slim to none. This virus attacks the lungs hard, if your lungs are already weakened, your already on the losing end of the battle with the virus.

2) If your a chronic smoker, vape, or smoke marijuana, you too, are on the losing ending of this battle.

3) Patients with no past medical history can also get very sick or even die from this virus, I have seen it happen. Why this is is not completely understood at this time, but it could be linked to lifestyle choices if you look at #2 Fact.

4) If your Obese, you likely have a weakened immune system. You also likely suffer from HTN, DM II, CAD, and other chronic health disorders which weaken your immune system. You will likely develop a severe illness from this virus and potentially be put on a ventilator.

5) Many patients who survive and are discharged require oxygen at home. Yes, you will likely need oxygen support when you leave the hospital. For how long? It's not known, but I have seen patients who need an additional 1-2 weeks of O2 support after discharge.

6) Many patients are dying from the virus. Morgues are filled to capacity in the hospital. If your loved one is dead, they are likely in a refrigerated truck.

7) This virus will NOT vanish during the Summer months. If you look at countries with warmer climates like Brazil, Ecuador, Turkey, and Egypt, these countries have large outbreaks. Warm weather can possibly slow down the virus but it won't go away.

9. Many COVID+ patients I have dealt with are getting progressively worse. Very few improve. And many have been in the hospital for more than 2 weeks already.

10) Your healthcare Co-workers will get sick and die from this virus. Many at my facility have gotten sick from this virus and are now patients themselves.

My friends, the danger is very real. This virus shows no mercy. I personally do not think it's worth putting your life in danger for money. A job is replaceable, your life isn't. Think carefully of what you will do next. Will you quit? If you do, I don't blame you. There is little we know about this virus and not enough protection. You are the author of your destiny.

Stay Blessed,

Thank you for your post expressing your thoughts based on your experience. You said it was based on your experience. I kept that in mind while reading it and my take away was your saying to those who are overwhelmed and scared that it’s okay if you quit. Some people need that support of just someone understanding. It would be a hard thing to do but for someone like yourself staying on the frontline telling someone who just can’t that you understand means a lot. Actually shows great compassion for other nurses which is in short supply in this field.

Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.
On 4/9/2020 at 1:01 AM, Naturally Brilliant said:

Oh, come on. It's more virulent than the flu, but it's not Ebola, either. I'm not saying folks shouldn't take the Coronavirus serious, but it's not a coin-flip on survivability if you do get it.

You're right, this is not ebola. Covid19 has a higher Rnaught than ebola, meaning it's more contagious

The War in Iraq was very dangerous. Nearly 4,500 American soldiers lost their lives there. But you know how many U.S. soldiers served in Iraq altogether? More than 2 million. Do the math.

If we were military nurses, we'd have better benefits and lifetime healthcare-

Plus, you could quit your job and live Coronavirus-free until this crisis is over, then get hit by a car and die the very next day. Life is about risk mitigation, not risk avoidance. You can choose to manage risk, including caring for patients with Coronavirus, and that's what many doctors and nurses today are doing.

Yes, great answer. We should abandon all of our years of training, education and hard work because our government and for-profit healthcare system are completely inept.
Yeah that seems reasonable.....

23 hours ago, nxikkxi said:

I agree with what you said. And even if you recover from the coronavirus, you will never be 100% again, as research has shown. There are lingering effects...

I'm sorry but how can research say that you will never be the same again??? It hasn't even been longer than like six month of researching this virus and its effects. Yes, there are lingering effects but you cannot say that people will never be 100% again.

Specializes in Community health.
15 hours ago, nottheproblem said:

Thank you for your post expressing your thoughts based on your experience. You said it was based on your experience. I kept that in mind while reading it and my take away was your saying to those who are overwhelmed and scared that it’s okay if you quit. Some people need that support of just someone understanding. It would be a hard thing to do but for someone like yourself staying on the frontline telling someone who just can’t that you understand means a lot. Actually shows great compassion for other nurses which is in short supply in this field.

I agree that we need to have compassion for one another. My problem with this post is that the OP doesn’t write it as “here is my experience, it’s been tough, it’s been awful, I need support.” It is given as a “warning.” And it has a lot of “you” language like “you will get sick, you probably won’t survive.” Most of the warnings in the OP’s statement are not consistent with current info (such as “very few improve”) so I took issue with its apocalyptic tone.

She said she has been on the front lines for 4 weeks and from her view it probably seemed apocalyptic to her. She states in the title “My ultimate warning based on personal experience”

I read that then viewed the rest of the post knowing this is from her experience. Her experience must have been quite traumatic for her and she’s coming across as someone who really feels she needs to get this out. We all have our opinions and mine is that I have no issue with the post. I thank her for it and pray she stays well.

12 hours ago, socal212 said:

I'm sorry but how can research say that you will never be the same again??? It hasn't even been longer than like six month of researching this virus and its effects. Yes, there are lingering effects but you cannot say that people will never be 100% again.

My bad , what I meant to say was observation thus far based on the people who have contracted the virus. Lingering effects means people have not fully recovered , so far .

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I see the OP's post as much as a statement of the trauma he/she is undergoing as anything. Can we please be kind? Is that really too much to ask?

Yes, it is frightening to read an opinion piece like this one. If you are frightened, find support. The OP is suffering a different kind of effect from this virus and deserves us to say "I see you. I believe this must be intensely hard. How are you taking care of yourself? Where are you going for support? How are you debriefing from the things you have seen?"

NOT "You're wrong! You suck! You're just trying to scare people!".

This is HER reality. Let her have it and offer her support please.

Nurse SMS,

Thank you for your kind and wise words. We have to support each other no matter how we express themselves and deal with this situation. I left my job due to lack of PPE, but I am regrouping and buying my own PPE and hoping to return to bedside at some point to help. My impression that physicians are in a better position than nurses. Better PPE, much more kind to each other, free consults for emotional/mental health.

Someone has to step up or we will all die. Who will care for you if you end up in the hospital? You will expect the nurse and doctor to do so. Food for thought....

Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
On 4/10/2020 at 11:05 PM, nxikkxi said:

I agree with what you said. And even if you recover from the coronavirus, you will never be 100% again, as research has shown. There are lingering effects...

That is simply untrue. There is no evidence whatsoever that people who become ill from coronavirus will never be 100% again, ever. Some people who recover show lingering effects, yes. We don't know yet if that means those effects will never go away for the rest of their lives, since we're only 3 months into this!

39 minutes ago, FullGlass said:

That is simply untrue. There is no evidence whatsoever that people who become ill from coronavirus will never be 100% again, ever. Some people who recover show lingering effects, yes. We don't know yet if that means those effects will never go away for the rest of their lives, since we're only 3 months into this!

My bad , what I meant to say was observation thus far based on the people who have contracted the virus. Lingering effects means people have not fully recovered , so far .

41 minutes ago, FullGlass said:

That is simply untrue. There is no evidence whatsoever that people who become ill from coronavirus will never be 100% again, ever. Some people who recover show lingering effects, yes. We don't know yet if that means those effects will never go away for the rest of their lives, since we're only 3 months into this!

I forgot to put my technicality hat on

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