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Volume 37
COVID-19: On the frontline Old Collegian, Kate Titheridge (2012), is currently working as a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in Central North London. There, she provides care for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients. “Working as an ICU nurse is very intense at a time like this,” said Kate. “The patients we are caring for are severely affected by the virus and need constant observations and care to survive.” This means that Kate, along with her fellow healthcare workers, is putting her own health at risk to assist others. “The pressure sores from the personal protective equipment are a real issue when wearing them for hours upon hours,” said Kate. “With 12.5 hour shifts, it’s difficult to get significant rest and relaxation from the frontline environment.” With the high demand and expansion of ICU wards, and a fast decline in the number of patient beds available, there is a concerning ‘number of patients to nurses’ ratio. An appreciative community is finding innovative ways to show its support for those on the frontline. Every Thursday at 8pm, people can be heard clapping and cheering for the National Health Service and essential workers, who continue to work despite the risks posed by the virus. “To hear so many people from next door and along the street showing their support and appreciation is heart-warming,” said Kate. In the long term, Kate hopes that the Government will put measures in place to protect nurses and healthcare workers. She also believes that this will be a learning experience for all communities. “Helping out your neighbours, finding new ways to brighten someone’s day, in fact, any acts of kindness are responses I hope will continue in the future,” said Kate.
Dr Brett Knight, current parent to three students, is Head of the Respiratory Medicine Unit at Ballarat Health Services. He has also been a Consultant General Physician at St John of God Hospital for 20 years. Dr Knight believes there are a multiplicity of changes which have affected the domains of ‘work, home and spirit’, sparked by the coronavirus. “Each day begins with putting on my uniform and preparing mentally for a war with special pathogen COVID-19,” said Dr Knight. Within Ballarat Health Services, Dr Knight’s team has assumed the role of the dedicated COVID Unit. The team is involved in the day-to-day triage, assessment and treatment of patients who may have acute COVID-19 infection. “It has been very challenging keeping across the sheer volume of new information coming through about COVID-19 infections,” he said. “A significant part of my recent work has been in guidance, reassurance and advice to concerned medical and nursing colleagues trying to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.” Dr Knight is in awe of the ways in which various sections of the community have responded to the challenges posed by COVID-19, although there is much uncertainty surrounding the long-term implications of the coronavirus on the community. These implications include adapting previous perceptions and experiences of ‘connectedness’ as humans, a stronger push for people to be vaccinated from viral diseases, and a need for doctors and patients to remain open to and aware of unusual patterns of disease in the future.
