by: hayley dodunski and
justin steiginga
when covid-19 started a year ago in march, we were scared. we were told that our acute medicine floor for geriatrics at the queensway carleton hospital would now be accepting patients of all ages and would be turned into the designated covid-19 unit. now, we hardly remember what ace (acute care of the elderly) was before it was turned into a covid unit.
we knew nothing about this horrible illness. we did not know if it was going to be a normal flu, or if it was going to be much worse. no matter: we do not think anyone could have expected that, a year later, we are still battling this nasty illness. in many ways, it is much worse this time around than it was at the beginning.
it was a huge change in our practice, but we were ready to step up to the plate.
a year later, we are treating patients younger than ever before. some of them are in their mid-twenties, just like us.
we are seeing sicker patients, who are fighting hard against this awful illness. we’re treating younger and younger patients; people need to realize that covid-19 can happen to anyone and at this point nobody is invincible. we can listen to all the statistics about how young people do not get sick with covid-19, but to someone who is alone in a hospital, on oxygen, fighting for their life, this is clearly not the case.