treatment plans we threw at it just in four weeks: IL-6 Inhibitors,
convalescent plasma, high-flow oxygen delivery, early verses delayed
intubation, etc. Some treatments we routinely used in the beginning
of the month fell out of favor before I even finished the rotation.
The fear of the unknown makes you feel powerless, with your back
against the wall. Finally, the ultimate fear after seeing such destruction
is whether or not you will be the next victim. Will you bring
it home to your family? Will it strike in the middle of the night?
Despite all these fears, your hypoxic patient becomes your priority,
and you don your PPE and answer the call into the unknown.
COVID-19 Resources
FEATURE
Hope: Amidst all the sadness and fear, at the end of the day
I was always brought back to a feeling of hope. Adversity often
finds a way of unifying people to overcome obstacles, and this
was evident in our fight against COVID-19. In the hospital, seeing
patients recover and be discharged was uplifting. We latched onto
those moral victories until our next patient improved enough to
be extubated. The camaraderie and working relationships between
specialties such as medicine, anesthesia, and palliative care – just
to name a few – were better than ever. We have seen inspiring new
and bright ideas in research and technology, which will continue
to grow and develop help in the future.
But I got the strongest sense of hope when I looked at the people
and the world around me. The amount of support in the form
of generous gifts and donations from people and businesses was
indescribable and gladdening. I saw people genuinely appreciate
human interaction and the quality of time spent with their families.
As humans, we learned for real, not only how to cherish our own
health and safety, but how to have genuine concern for the well-being
of others. COVID-19 has affected each and every one of us in
some way, but I firmly believe that it has changed us for the better
and made us more appreciative and unified.
When I got to the end of the rotation, my attending asked if
I knew what I wanted to go into for a career (secretly hoping my
experience convinced me to go into critical care medicine). I said,
“After this month, I am really looking forward to outpatient pediatrics.”
COVID-19 had not stolen my sense of humor entirely
away. In all seriousness, my experience of working in the ICU
during a COVID-19 peak was unforgettable. I’m sad for all of the
lives lost and affected. I’m fearful of society’s “new normal” and of
future recurrences. I’m thankful for my family’s health and safety,
and I appreciate every moment I get to spend with them. Finally,
enough cannot be said about the courageous work of all of the
health care heroes. As a society, the only way we can get through
this is together.
Dr. Justin Chu is a med-peds resident at UofL Hospital and Norton Children’s Hospital.
We are committed to keeping you informed
with the latest communication
and resources available regarding the
COVID-19 pandemic. Visit our website for
the most up-to-date resources
Sections include:
Local & National Updates
Patient Screening
Telehealth
Coding & Billing
Financial Relief for Practices
PPE
FAQs
Opportunities to Help
Media
glms.org/covid-19-resources/
JUNE 2020 35