There's (hopefully) about a week left of the Modified ECQ (Enhanced Community Quarantine) that was imposed here at the Metro. I would think that things have "stabilized" a bit. Relaxing the measures has helped a bit, as more people are now able to return to work, and the streets look a lot less lonelier.
Make no mistake, I still, and will always advocate for proper social distancing measures, frequent hand-washing, wearing of masks out in public, and other interventions that have stemmed the tide of this pandemic thus far. I'm not a fan of people going out and being stupid just because, and I feel that those people (who do something stupid without cause) deserve whatever infection they manage to get if they are irresponsible about it.
I'm just so tired of everything. Yes, as a front-liner, I do get to go out daily instead of being cooped up at home, but as what I have said in a previous post elsewhere, being on the front lines does not exempt you from being afraid for your life, or the lives of the people around you who are dear to you.. I have taken measures to make sure I minimize the risk I bring home to my family, even once doing laundry in the middle of the rain just so that my dirty clothes will be properly disinfected before anyone else gets to be exposed to them (I prepare a bleach soak when I get home, and we have an open laundry area). Despite all the disinfection routines I do, I'm still fearful because at the back of my mind, any lapse, any breach, any careless moment, could still hurt my family in ways I do not want to imagine.
Taking stock of the recent numbers that I find here, the numbers have appeared to have stabilized somewhat, and that is in spite of increased testing capabilities, so hopefully the numbers will be more reflective of the actual situation on the ground.
180 new cases in the face of an average daily increase of 200+ is not exactly a total win, but I'll take what I can.. Number of new COVID deaths is in the single digits.. Still not good since people are still dying, but I would say its' a little better than the peak of 50 mortalities last April 13..
Everyone is getting tired of this, especially the people at the hospitals.. I could see it in the faces of the nursing staff, the training fellows, and even the consultants. Despite their smiles, there is a palpable sense of weariness, and a desire to see the end of all this.. Our colleagues at other institutions have already taken strides to reopen their other services in order to serve the greater part of the population who are suffering from ailments other than COVID. These efforts are commendable and are very well thought-out and inspiring. We actually hope to be able to resume other services soon also, to introduce some hint of normality into our institution that has underwent massive changes in order to accommodate the patients with the disease. I just hope there isn't another surge, because even though we are still functional and healthy, a second wave could very easily break the spirits of everyone ...
I mentioned that I was cautiously optimistic, and still I remain so. I guess it helped a lot that I was able to enter a mall again to get stuff other than groceries. It was also refreshing to see other stores and stalls open again, and am hoping for everybody's sake that things will only get better from here on in.
Training has been going great, and we have streamlined certain new procedures as we adjust our way of doing things. These measures are not exactly the most efficient, but I guess getting something done is better than nothing. I just hope I will be able to complete the required census of patients before the training year ends..
Our center has the dubious reputation of being a COVID referral center, and it would be understandable if patients have apprehensions of coming in for consult. as things get better though, we can show everyone that everything is under control, and things could get back to the way they are (for the most part anyway).
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