FEATURE
A PANDEMIC WITHIN A PANDEMIC AUTHOR M . Onu Udoh , MBA , MS
As a nation , our communities have shared a common stress called the COVID-19 pandemic . According to the Cleveland Clinic , stress is merely a normal reaction that happens to all . This definition gently touches on the reality of how stress impacts both our bodies and minds . Currently , in addition to things like personal losses , natural disasters and a presidential election filled with vitriol and unprecedented violence , our country has weathered almost 500 days of this pandemic . In general , stress 1 can be healthy but these past two years are highlighting the impact of long-term stress .
Across all demographics , the consensus is that the pandemic has spared no one . In a Harris Poll of over 3,000 adults ( 18 +), nearly 8 out of 10 adults agreed that the coronavirus pandemic is a significant life stressor . In this same poll , a majority of adults reported that the current number of issues we are facing is overwhelming . These feelings are comparatively shared by our younger population . Teens identified as Generation Z ( 13-17-year-olds ) are reporting the highest level of stress compared to the other generations of boomers , Gen X and millennials . 2
In addition to this highly infectious mutant strain of a virus , the past two years have been a revolving door of storylines and drastic changes in our communities . This is evident from the myriad of jokes , prayers and curses associated with the year “ 2020 .” The current climate at minimum can be described as stress-inducing . This is the first time our younger generations have experienced heightened levels of civil unrest with the murders of Breonna Taylor and
George Floyd . Racism took center stage to the point in which the American Medical Association declared racism a threat to public health . 3 Politically , this pandemic and its media representation have driven our communities into division . 4 The pandemic has reached record levels with over 46 million US cases confirmed . 5 With baseless claims of vaccine side effects and vague conspiracies , we continue to face the struggles of growing vaccine hesitancy across differing communities . 6 Prior to the pandemic , technology had tip-toed a fine line between friend or foe , 7 but the new Zoom world has only exacerbated underlying issues .
However , this environment of stress is not too far off from the typical journey of becoming a physician . In some ways , there are only a few careers that prepare a person to sustain stress like medicine does ; this is our lane . We all remember , or dread , the long nights of studying , lack of sleep , revolving door of tests and boards , interviews , years of residency and stressful patient interactions . We have learned about the science of stress and have experienced the impact of stress first-hand . In a survey of 15,000 physicians , 42 % of doctors express feeling burnt out . 8 After 8 + years of school and 3 + years of residency , we not only understand stress , but we are also trained to endure and succeed within it .
With our backgrounds , physicians must empathize in new ways that many of us may not be accustomed to , especially with regard to the magnitude of the stress our patient population is facing . All people have different abilities to cope with stress . It is safe to say that not all of us , or our patients , are equipped to endure these high levels of sustained stress . As we come out of this pandemic , many people will have lost loved ones , relationships , jobs and gained several new anxieties . 9 The impact of this pandemic can have a
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