Coronavirus: Is it fair to show utter disregard for guidelines and health workers have to pay the consequences?

Mar 21, 2021 Dr Zulfikar Bux, Features / Columnists

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center

Kaieteur News – As our case numbers continue to soar, so does the occupancy rates at our hospitals countrywide. It seems like we are going head-on into a third wave of infections with the most callous of behaviour thus far. Countrywide, numerous recreational activities are lending to large gatherings and facilitating the spread of possibly, a new and more contagious variant of the coronavirus. On the other side, health workers are risking their lives to save the increasing numbers of sick patients and trying to avoid a catastrophe. What’s worse is the miraculous expectations from those that are irresponsible when they become infected. We are in a pandemic with an ever-changing disease and a health system that has been pushed beyond the norms. The more irresponsible we behave, the likelier we will fatigue our health system, and put everyone at risk of not getting the desired care that is expected in a normal setting.
What’s happening with guidelines?
While there are guidelines in place, adhering to them seems to be the bigger challenge. Throughout Guyana, persons are gathering in large crowds and have no regard for mask use. The irony is while science has figured out how to prevent the disease from spreading, us humans cannot use this science to our advantage against the COVID-19 war. We are aware of the danger, but cannot help but walking right into it in exchange for some leisure time. In this age, mask wearing and avoiding crowding spaces are not too difficult to ask in return for helping to save lives.
The effect of disregarding guidelines
While this may seem redundant, when we disregard guidelines, we put our lives and the lives of others at risk. What’s riskier is the fact that we are becoming part of the problem instead of being part of the solution. This virus needs as many hosts as possible to facilitate its spread and mutation. While the spread is costing lives, the mutation ensures the virus stays ahead of us by evolving into forms that spread easier, are deadlier, and evade vaccines and treatment. If we continue to behave irresponsibly, then we will be facilitating our worst nightmare; a virus that has mutated too often and has become a permanent, irremovable fixture in our lives.
What to expect if you get infected?
While everyone may understand what to expect if they are infected, it does not always go as planned with this virus, especially when there is a wave of infections. Some may have mild symptoms and recover, while others will have to be hospitalized and either recover with long lasting effects or unfortunately, die. What many do not know, is the mental and physical suffering that comes with being hospitalized. Can you imagine being hospitalized and all you see are health workers fully covered and tired but trying their best to keep you alive? You do not get to see your relatives and can die without seeing them or anyone else again. To compound matters, you are struggling for each breath like someone who is drowning slowly for days. Your last memory is with faces that you cannot see and being sad and isolated during indescribable suffering. This is the reality for those with the severe disease that was as a result of their irresponsible behaviour, of the irresponsible behaviour of someone else.
How is this affecting health workers?
As a health worker, it’s never easy to see your patient die, much less seeing them suffer slowly, begging for help, and knowing that you have done all you could have but the virus will win this battle. What’s worse is knowing that you have to come to work to see many more suffer in the weeks to come because of the irresponsible behaviour of many. It’s been a year of this and we are all tired of seeing our patients suffer. Heck, we are tired of so many of these bad memories in our minds and knowing there is more to come. Our work environment has been transformed into an area of suffering for all. We have to be so cautious, as a wrong move can put our lives or our patients’ lives at risk.
Please be responsible in your environment so that we can look forward to getting back our old working environment and save many more lives!