I left another forum because ever since the pandemic hit it has turned pretty ugly over there. I have no desire to argue about COVID. I would like to share what we've been through as a facility since this started. I will say that I hate this virus and what it's done to us as a nation. It has split everyone down the middle and it's sad that it continues to spread and kill. When they announced the virus on the news I had put on a mask and our infection control lady made us take them off. It wasn't until the CDC made the masks mandatory the following Monday that the hospital adopted the mask mandate. In March of 2020 myself and several other employees had come down with an upper respiratory infection that seemed to hang on for months after. At the time they were limiting the tests to those with certain symptoms. I didn't have a fever so I didn't qualify. I was out for 10 days and had to have a coworker pick up a bottle of steroid pills to open my lungs even after a steroid shot. It has been over a year and my COPD got worse after that infection. My lungs haven't been the same since. I'm suffering from several of the symptoms of brain fog. Once we adopted the mask mandate...it was only for those of us working in the public eye like the cafeteria. The folks in the offices and kitchen and depts out of eye sight didn't have to wear them. I never understood that but I wore mine anyway. I often feel that my religious mask wearing and distancing kept me from getting it. Although since I was never allowed to test I will never know for sure if I had it and just got lucky enough to survive it. Anyway...I wore my mask every day...stayed clear of everyone...went nowhere. Everyone around me was getting it because they weren't following ALL the rules. Only certain ones. One by one they went home with COVID. I was gonna wait on the vaccine until I could see if it was safe but when 2 coworkers who I had to work with most got it I went ahead and took it. Had no idea what they were sticking me with or what would happen to me. I have a fairly extensive list of medication allergies. I was so scared. But I took it. In the line that day outside the vaccine room we had people cut in front of us to get shots. That's when I truly realized just how selfish people had become. Then the whole uproar over the masks began. When a couple of coworkers caught the COVID at work the health dept. contacted them to get the details. The health dept. then contacted the hospital and informed them all employees had to be masked. CONTINUED...
At present time most of our staff either wears them under their nose or chin or not at all. According to the health dept. they are still to be fully masked. Now mind you this in a hospital where you would think you would be safe. *Rolls Eyes* Then 3 months of non-stop whining about wearing the masks began. They never did do anything about the 6 ft rule in the cafeteria so they were forced to deal with that when staff got it from the dining room. Then they didn't have enough seating so the nursing staff went to their employee break rooms and got more COVID. So then they had to open up more 6ft seating on the other side of the dining room. And still people were sitting in groups of 5 or more to eat lunch. Then they took half the chairs away and they were spaced accordingly. Still the staff pushed them together and continued on. We had certain doors designated to entering and exiting the cafeteria. The staff and visitors couldn't even honor that. Literally everything went to paper service overnight. We had new guidelines almost daily at the beginning. Then we had to start self screening. Some people were lying about their temps and other symptoms and coming to work with COVID. Then the feds stepped in and it became mandatory to put in screening kiosks which I've seen people walk right past without getting temped and answering the questions. I never see the doctors hit that thing on the way in ever. CONTINUED...
First we had to wear the paper masks and then we were running out of PPE so we were allowed to wear whatever fabric masks we wanted. I chose the filtered ones but for a bit I switched to the bandana ones but didn't feel at all safe so I switched back to filtered ones. Some of our staff got COVID from tray passing to patients when it was later discovered the patient had gotten COVID while hospitalized. One patient got it from a staff member and he got up got dressed and left the hospital. Can't say that I blame him. The employees paw their masks all day and touch everything in sight without handwashing so I basically try to make sure I'm preparing my own food or I ask them to change their gloves before serving me. I'm a bit of a germaphobe. LOL! They installed plexiglass at the registers to help protect us.
We've had to go to work every day and look death in the face because even though we were not doctors and nurses we were still exposed to patients...visitors and staff all day long. Every day we risked our lives just going to work. At the height of this thing here we were serving 35 patients with COVID a day and had at least 1-3 bodies passing us in the hall either coming or going from the morgue which is just down the hall from our dept. We had to cover sometimes 2 wks at a time for employees who were sick with it. We weren't allowed any vacation time because we were too short staffed. They made nurses come to work on a modified quarantine because they were too short staffed to let them stay home so they came to work with COVID and had to wear their masks and try to stay away from everyone. Another thing that made no sense to me. The CMO stated we couldn't close the hospital or ER down so this is what had to be done. In the beginning I questioned a lot of things and was treated poorly because of it. Didn't care. I went on questioning because I believe in doing the right thing. Although now it's clear no one gives a crap unless it's affecting them. I finally gave up. I'm looking out for myself as best I can. The visitors don't seem to care either. Sadly. continued....
We are tired. We are frustrated. We are still here. Although once things settled down some a whole slew of people from various depts. left. They all quit at once. We were 20 people short in our dept. I think we're still 15 or 16 short. No one wants to come off unemployment for a job. They even gave us a hefty raise to try to get us to stay. Things were bad enough in the kitchen that I've applied to work in the cafeteria only because I can no longer tolerate the drama in the back. A year or more of it has changed my perspective on things and what I want. They had 18 nurses quit on one of the floors. Our budget got blown to bits with this virus and all that was involved. We have lost money due to not allowing the general public to come in just for the food. We've had to deal with food shortages as well. It has been a rough year and a half for us in healthcare. So when I see people with no masks thinking it's ok to go run around without one because of a shot and because the government said they could...I have a hard time accepting that because in the back of my mind all I see is another surge and lockdown in our future. Especially now with this Delta variant. So as a healthcare worker I simply urge people to live on the side of caution because it's better to be safe than sorry.
Well the time of the evening has arrived. I've had to pop some anti-anxiety meds and made myself a mixed drink and I've got Enya playing in the earbuds. Gotta drown out the fireworks some so I can stay somewhat calm. Tomorrow will be worse so I might not be on. Goodnight everyone.
That sounds like an awful lot of stress, and I am glad that I didn't sign up for any of that. I would guess that I have worn a mask not much more than a dozen times since this all started, and most of them were in a few days while flying from Maine to Pennsylvania, then taking the train and bus back to Maine from Maryland. I credit my not getting the virus to my not wearing a mask or getting vaccinated. I have had the usual number of colds but nothing to worry about.
Interestingly enough other than that respiratory infection the March before last, I haven't been sick since. Just dealing with my COPD which went from mild to moderate after that last infection. It has been very stressful for all of us. And right now we're headed for another surge in a few weeks if even that long because of the Delta variant. If it's as bad as they say then this surge will be far worse than the last. I can't say I'm looking forward to that. I think that's why so many people quit all at once throughout the facility. @Beth Gallagher thankyou. I actually managed to get some sleep last night. Hopefully I can have as much luck tonight.
I play video games on the Nintendo Switch. I have one I'm particularly fond of called Animal Crossing. They have several different AC games and there's quite the following of users on Facebook and they have groups for us. So last night with the help of another young lady I went to my first treasure island where we're allowed to grab free stuff to help us with our stuff we build and to help decorate our homes and islands. I went to one that had a bunch of pink stuff. LOL! I'm designing a cute themed island. There's a kiosk in the game through the clothing store where you can look for codes for designers and designs to create things with. I have quite the list going. I'm excited. I have to get through some in game goals before the real work begins.
I'm having a bagel and then I will refill my coffee and head out to do some gaming. I have an island to design. *Grins* So far it's quiet again. I always pray for rain on the 4th of July. LOL! One year it did rain and they got washed out. The score is now people 9000 - God 1. Go God!!
how we holding up? it's not too bad here this evening. had a couple bombs go off. that seems to have stopped. having some more pizza. i've been looking at designs for my game and finding more groups to get into so that's been my day basically.
i have to say i don't miss that other forum one bit. this is much better. it's really too bad cuz they had something there at one time.
I was on that forum for a long while before I found this one. It used to be different but a lot of people left and a lot of people joined, changing the dynamic. I think it's almost too big now; too many people. And of course the new moderator was the last straw for me; no one that hateful needs to be a moderator so tootle-oo.
yup. when i first came it was rough starting out but i managed to make a few friends there. but after the pandemic hit...omg! it's just been a downhill slide since. it was getting so i would go to work mad just reading the posts! lol! and that new mod...of all people and to compare her to the other? nope. no thankyou.