Critical Care with Covid-19: Actions speak louder than applause
I wish you could see what I see. About 60% of Covid patients admitted to ITU die. A good proportion of them are young. In their fifties. Younger than my parents. Probably younger than yours.
The VE day celebrations were lots of fun, I’m sure (I was at work). I can’t get past the fact that the people who were actually there for VE day are now the ones who are most at risk whilst we celebrate it. People keep comparing the current situation to the World Wars. This is not a war. There is no enemy scheming against us. No-one is persecuting us. It is a virus. It has no mercy. It is mindless, and given the opportunity, it will kill our most vulnerable. There’s nothing to rage against. It doesn’t care who you are. It cannot be beaten by strength of character or determination. If you get it and survive, you got lucky. Discipline is the only thing that will help. The strength of will to keep going, knowing that the temporary separation is better than a permanent one.
By the time you get sick, it’s too late. You either get it severely, in which case those of us working in the NHS will do everything we can for you. You might get it more mildly, isolate and avoid other people. Or perhaps you do not know you have it, break lockdown, spread it around a bit, and endanger people.
As you clap, ask yourself, are you doing everything you can to protect our NHS? Whilst you applaud us, are you sending more work our way? Will we be mopping up the consequences of your actions in 7–14 days time? Each Thursday you stand and applaud and what difference does that make if on the other six days of the week you are breaking lockdown? Your actions speak far louder than any applause.
You risk spreading the virus and leave us to deal with the consequences. I see the separated families and the fear and the people dying. I do not see the ones who are too frail to withstand ITU but I know they are out there.
It is time to choose. Will you prioritise your own wants over people’s lives? If so, please stop clapping. I don’t want to hear it anymore.
