my motto for every aspect of life in the coming year

I realize that it has been a solid few months since I wrote anything about COVID-19. Frankly, after dealing with it all day long, I am weary. Tired of witnessing the anger, disbelief, grief of families. Worn down by the stress I see in my team mates. Fatigued by the inability of people to take the virus seriously. Devastated by the staggering number of deaths. Realizing that no matter how hard I try, my ability to make a difference is small.

Many of you are likely feeling the same. No matter how I twist and turn and walk and write and bake and knit, I can't escape this vortex of badness. In Kansas City our numbers of hospitalized patients are higher than they have been at any point thus far in the pandemic. At my hospital we have outgrown 1 full ICU of COVID patients and have expanded into an additional ICU.  We are at risk of running out of hospital beds in the Kansas City area.

The only positive thing to report is that patients who get sick with COVID and are hospitalized, are not staying in the hospital as long as they were at the beginning of the pandemic. They also have a lower chance of dying from the disease now, than they did back in March. We have learned from ongoing studies, which medications and interventions are providing the best outcomes. Some scientists have also speculated that the amount of virus during an exposure may have been lessened by mask wearing, leading to milder cases of the disease. 

My purpose in putting this out there today is to inform and thereby help keep our community safe. It is hard to get my mind around the entire Kansas City area only having around 100 available hospital beds and 20 ICU beds - right now. This has limited our ability to accept patients in transfer from outlying community hospitals, it may well lead us back to a place of stopping elective surgeries. 

I am hopeful the transition in leadership in our country will help present a united message about how we should be conducting ourselves in a pandemic. 

I purchased a copy of the print below from Lynn Giunta (CollageGirlKC) on Etsy this month. I think her work is amazing, and I love that she is from Kansas City.

It is my motto for every aspect of life in the coming year.

Helpful links: CollageGirlKC Etsy shop.

Comments

[Claire Kiehle]

I truly wish people would not complain about the mask thing and just do it! And do it right! I hate to say I remand left Hopkins at the right time, but even people in administration roles at my old workplace are struggling. Thank you for the nudge!

[Carol]

Claire, I keep hoping we can all fall in line and do our part for the good of the whole... but we are a country of individuals. Fingers crossed.