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How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
For the past several weeks, I have been volunteering at the mass vaccination clinic at UNM's The Pit, a basketball stadium. The first week, I was a "greeter". I got a red and silver pompom and directed folks down a hallway to their vaccination stations. The second shift, I was a "runner" and made sure all the stations had supplies. Last time, I was a "scribe", and helped check folks in prior to their shots. Not gonna lie, I volunteered hoping there would be extra vaccinations at the end of the day. But the clinic was too efficient and there were no leftovers. I was really touched to see so many seniors coming to get vaccinated, and how much care their family members took to make sure they got their shots.
April 6, 2021
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Some people have described a sense of "pandemic fatigue." Is this something you, or those around you, have talked about or experienced? If so, what has that been like?
Pandemic fatigue is a real thing. It feels to me like "enough is enough!" Sometimes I walk out of the house for work without a mask--as if I've forgotten about the pandemic. Now I keep extra masks in my car. More worrisome for me is the potential for empathy fatigue. I haven't gotten there yet, but as a health-care provider it's becoming a looming danger. I've not experienced burnout in more than 25 years of professional work, but living through the same emotional turmoil as patients makes it much more difficult to maintain distance and maintain empathy simultaneously.
November 19, 2021