The truth behind the mask

In just a short time, life has gone from “normal” to the “COVID” life. With so many changes, uncertainty, myth versus truth, fact versus politics, it is hard to believe what you hear. Honestly, I am unclear on what to believe as fact versus fiction as a health care professional at times. What is the new norm? What are the long-lasting effects of COVID-19?

This is not an article about COVID facts, it is about the sad facts, the truth behind the mask of COVID-19. What are the words that you would use to describe the feeling behind COVID-19 with you?

Look at how life has changed. Just turn on the TV and see the empty stands, high school sports postponed, the masks in public and the lack of social gatherings. What about the price of loved ones not seeing family, dying alone in the hospitals and nursing homes, and restrictions placed on hospital visitors?

My daughter is expecting her first child soon, and gone are the days when the family is patiently waiting in the lobby for the news. The fact is one person can stay with her and no one else. Everyone else must wait until she is discharged to see the newest member of our growing family. This is the sixth grandchild for us and the first that we cannot be there shortly after the birth. Our first pictures of her will be over the internet.

The effects of isolation, social distancing and inability to see your loved ones have had a negative effect on the mental health and well-being of many people all over the world and may have a direct impact on you as well. One of the most disappointing facts of being in the health care field is the difficulty of access to mental health services and resources. Despite the difficulty in access, there is help in the form of hotlines, websites and your local mental health services provider. Still in the face of COVID, this is very disappointing and frustrating.

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