Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1273352
28 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE Healthcare workers confront toll of COVID-19: 5 quotes from the front lines By Kelly Gooch P hysicians, nurses and emergency medical technicians are now dealing with the physical, mental and emotional effects from their experiences on the front lines of the pandemic. ey have faced unprecedented circumstances: fighting a virus that is new and unpredictable, witnessing patients battle illness in isolation, and worrying about potentially infecting their own family members. Many of these healthcare workers told e Washington Post they are feeling lost, alone and unable to sleep following their experiences. Here are five quotes from the newspaper's interviews: 1. Brian Smith, paramedic for the Jersey City (N.J.) Medical Center: "I'll start sobbing, and I will have to gather myself because I can't let my kids see me like that. A lot of times, I'll scamper into the bathroom and clean myself up and see what they are doing. PTSD is no joke." 2. Brittani Holsbeke, RN, nurse at Beaumont Hospital in Farming- ton Hills, Mich.: "Certain moments trigger something that makes me really sad. I can be at home and be totally fine, and at bedtime, all of a sudden, sobs and anxiety kick in." 3. Christian Plaza, a nurse practitioner in Newburgh, N.Y., who returned to work to consult with patients virtually aer becoming infected with COVID-19, said his illness provided "a whole new level of insight" in terms of the anxiety COVID-19 patients experience. 4. Audrey Chun, MD, a physician in the geriatrics department of Mount Sinai Hospital (New York City): "ere's been so much pro- found loss. You have to try to find positives even through that death and sadness. … To celebrate their lives and remember who they were as people." 5. Marc Ayoub, MD, a resident physician at NYC Health + Hospi- tals/Elmhurst hospital (New York City): "Everything was happening so quickly. Everyone was dying so quickly. We had to go from one death to another and the next. I was imagining it happening to my family and being in a situation like that." n COVID-19 patients may not recover sense of taste, smell after other symptoms end By Anuja Vaidya T he CDC added a new loss of taste or smell to its list of COVID-19 symptoms at the end of April, and early data from recovered patients suggests that many may not recover those senses after other symptoms of the disease disappear, according to The Wall Street Journal. According to preliminary data from clinicians, about a quarter of recovered COVID-19 patients say they re- gained their senses of taste and small within two weeks of other symptoms disappearing. But long-term data is needed to determine when those who did not report an improvement in two weeks recovered their ability to taste and smell. It could take months, and some physicians say they may never recover those senses, the Journal reported. This may put up more barriers to full recovery for COVID-19 patients, causing emotional distress and anxiety. Matt Newey, a 23-year-old man who recovered from COVID-19 in March, told the Journal that he has lost weight because eating has become a laborious process. "I've gone a day-and-a-half without eating anything," he said. "Because my stomach isn't communicating anymore. It's been like that for a while now." Mr. Newey also said that not being able to smell has heightened his anxiety because of fears he may not be able to smell a gas leak or smoke at home, putting him in danger. Pamela Dalton, PhD, a chemosensory scientist and mem- ber of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, told the Journal that losing the ability to taste or smell can trigger negative emotions since there is less serotonin flowing to the brain, which can contribute to well-being and happiness. "So, what they're feeling is not just psychological," she said, according to the Journal. n "Certain moments trigger something that makes me really sad. I can be at home and be totally fine, and at bedtime, all of a sudden, sobs and anxiety kick in." - Brittani Holsbeke, RN, Beaumont Hospital