The untold human cost of COVID19

I’m a “front line” healthcare worker.

I work in an ER in a metro. I’m present at cardiac arrest codes, intubations, and everything else that goes along with working in an ER.

It’s what I signed up for. I love being at the front and using my skills and knowledge to their utmost maximum.

After months of COVID, I’m fatigued. It’s not like the work is too hard; I’m very good at what I do and love it. However, it bleeds into normal everyday life and impacts what is supposed to be “downtime” so I can revitalize my mind and spirit.

My parents are old. Like, >20% mortality from COVID old. I’m terrified I will catch the virus and spread it to them unknowingly and kill them. They are still sharp and have at least 10 years in them each, but I love them terribly and want as much time as possible.

I have restricted my interaction with them since March. I haven’t hugged my Korean War vet USMC father since then out of fear I’ll give him the virus. He is old and o don’t know how many more opportunities I will get to hug him and I have sacrificed some portion of the few I have left.

I feel like a foot soldier on a battlefield with a large enemy sniper presence. You just know you’re going to get hit, you just don’t know when or where. Except it doesn’t kill me, it kills people I care about.


We used football as the one thing we can still enjoy together. We are season ticket holders to our favorite team and seeing the joy that his face when we would win and have that experience together meant the world. But that’s being robbed from us.

Yeah, I know, dear Facebook. But I wanted to add some depth to all this. Thanks for reading.