Page 57 - Care-for-vulnerable-populations-during-COVID-19-pandemic

Fear During Pandemic

As for my family, they were very worried if I should continue to work and my daughter would
even ask me every time I go to see patients, if there is really a need for me to go out and if I can
just stay home. What I did was to call them five minutes before I reached home, so they would
prepare everything including the towel and the soap so that I would be able to bathe outside
before entering the house. I have also even considered renting a room outside, fearing that I
might spread the virus to my loved ones.

At times, I might get up in the morning, I will do a self-check (body temperature) of my own
health. The positive aspect of this fear is that it made me more diligent and more careful. It
reminds me to use the hand sanitizer, to use double gloves. In fact to wash hands frequently. For
our medical team, I would say that it's a nightmare for frontliners, as we are afraid. We are also
aware that many healthcare workers have lost their lives, and we try to avoid contact with our
family members until we go home and shower first before we even talk to them. Some of the
patients and family members do prefer to do videoconferencing and calling them instead of
physically visiting them and the reason is because the patients are immunocompromised and the
family members do not want us to increase their risk of COVID-19 as well.