Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #13

Sushi Cartoon Source: Just Roll With It Cute Sushi Roll Pun Classic Round Sticker | Zazzle.com in 2021, Saved by Zazzle.com in May 2021 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/760123243360971110/

Slimey the Worm Source: Slimey the Worm https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Slimey_the_Worm 

Last day of off duty. I can't be a sushi roll or a worm anymore, this week I'm going to be working all morning due to circumstances, but I'm okay. I like morning shifts. Been listening to a lot of My Chemical Romance lately. Not sure why. Maybe because I've been listening to too many alternative emo music. No, I'm not feeling depressed, besides, My Chemical Romance sings a lot about hope, thank you very much. If things had gone well, tomorrow would've been the end of the lockdown, sorry, folks, the government said carry on. 

    I made the mistake of getting a battery hot glue gun. Never knew that it could come in handy for many things. I spent so much on batteries that I wished I have gotten the cable powered one, because then I could've saved on batteries (Not to mention I think I used it about 5 times and then the glue isn't melting anymore). Then again, that time I didn't know a hot glue gun is so useful for many things. After scouring around the internet on foam boards for weapon props, I feel like making one again. Last time I did cosplay weapons was years back, but I think I can give it a shot next time around probably next year. Who knows? My mind flips back and forth easily. Besides, there's no cons going on.

    During the weekend, I was scrambling to find points for my annual license. With the pandemic, a lot of events and trainings has been cancelled and so we were all forced to resort to online, but I'm sure you know about my job now. Once you come into the office, you're going to be glued to your seat, phone and PC because the enquiries just won't stop coming in. You'll be so consumed by your work to the point where you tend to forget about applying your leaves and trainings because the enquiries and calls just won't stop coming. I've been taking less meals due to the workload, and I run mainly on tea, water, instant ramen or cookies in a packet. That's how busy things are. I couldn't even exercise much to build up strength because every time when I come home, I'm mentally drained. Don't believe me, look back through my posts regarding the phone calls I received.

Source: Work Memes on T৸ყrØiD, saved by Bake and Slay  in Pintrest, https://www.pinterest.com/pin/470415123573331237/

A local comedian once said, "When you have put out a flier with all the information printed on, usually people will get it and accept it. Not us, oh no, if there's 10 things printed on it, expect our folks to dissect all the 10 things on it." I know because everytime when I walked past the vaccination centre, I can see everyone pulling a staff aside and asking them to explain each station, even though it has already been printed clearly on what you should do and expect with miniature little cartoon diagrams. (I also have my fair share when I was on the ground, not to mention when I was a patient, people tend to pull me aside to get me to explain things to them) Kadavule. 

    Even when I'm not on duty, I can't seem to escape work. Do people understand the severity of Covid? I can't tell you how much time we have spent talking to covid admission cases on what you should prepare for your long stay in the hospital, and the thing we always emphasize on strongly: NO VISITORS AND NO ASKING PEOPLE TO BRING YOU THINGS. We are not trying to be heartless, there's a reason why we have to hammer this point down. It's to minimize contact and the spread of infection. I clerk so many cases and it's almost nearly the same thing: A goes out with B (ONLY B, as they like to stress on), everything seems fine, no problem. Suddenly, few days later, B became sick and started showing signs and symptoms of covid. B went to do a swab and got tested positive. A becomes a close contact and was forced to get tested as well. A also became positive, and now the whole family got to go for covid test (If they are lucky, all are tested negative). I can't tell you how many times I have turned down my friend's offer to go out because:

• I work in a healthcare facility (I mainly stayed away from them because I do not know what I'm carrying on me)
• None of my friends were vaccinated (As a healthcare worker, I was enrolled into the Phase 1 Vaccination Programme, whereas my poor friends were forced to wait for their mySejahtera)
• Need I remind you we are in the middle of a pandemic?

I try not to lose my cool with my patients, but it really irks me when they can tell me: "But, sister, I was lonely. I haven't been out of the house for so long." I understand, believe me, I do, but the government had stressed to try to minimize contact. Covid is transmitted through airborne and contact. You can go for your essential groceries. Just run to the supermarket, grab what you need and go (and for heaven's sake, wear your mask and make sure you got your hand sanitizers - Don't wear gloves because it is not advisable). At least I won't be so cross with you. What made me so cross was you know very well that our cases are on the rise again, and yet you still wanted to go out with your friend, just because you were lonely. Sigh, I keep in touch with my friends through Whatsapp, Facebook and emails (If people still write letters, I'll be happy to write letters back and forth - Nothing can ever beat a handwritten letter), I wanted so badly to go out with them too, to say hi and hug them, but I can't, because I'm trying to protect them and the people around me (AKA my family) This is why our lockdown got extended. You can go to our Kementerian Kesihatan Facebook page. There's a lot of videos regarding our ICU units getting congested.

Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia

Video di hosp sg buloh...seorang pesakit covid perlu ditiarapkan utk paru2 mendapat lebih oksigen. Proses ni perlukan at least 7 org untuk mengalihkan pesakit ni dgn dlm keadaan ppe..hargai lah staff nurse dan doktor di icu. Kami xminta dicela sbb netizen xdpt balik raya .”

Sumber dari twitter Dr Siti Sarah Aishah Suhaidi (@ctsarahaishah), Diterbitkan 5 Mei

I know that it's depressing in the covid ward, where you are not allowed to have visitors, and no one can come to bring you things. This is why we stressed so highly to let you know what you're getting into. This is why we encourage you to bring your own essential items like your laptop, books, Ipad, cable chargers, snacks etc so that you don't feel so lonely. At the very least you can still contact your closed ones through online, and you won't get bored with the hospital food because at the very least, you can have your favourite snacks to munch on. We often feel so tired when they get admitted into the ward, and then we get enquiries like, "Oh, my dad forgot his jacket and he said the food isn't appetizing. Can I bring them up to him?" "I want to send fruits and flowers up to So-and-so. Can you help me?" "My mom didn't have enough clothes, can you help me pass to her?" Please, stop treating our words like empty air. There's a reason why we spend so long with covid admission cases, because we want to mentally prepare you, that it's not the end of the world, that we hope that once you come in you will get better, but at the same time, if you are not going to cooperate with us, then what's the point? Healthcare workers can only help up to a certain extent, the rest is up to you.  Don't get me started on the travelling part as well. All of us are not able to cross-interstate nor travel overseas, yet I still hear people giving me really weak reasons. If it's for work and education, I can accept it, but again... Just because you are fully immunized doesn't mean you are hundred percent safe from covid.

Source: Map of the world by Coronavirus cases : mapporncirclejerk (reddit.com), posted by u/CreeperSlimePig, 1 year ago (I can't find any recent Coronavirus case map, not sure why, but you get my point - We are literally in the red)

Here's one thing my dad always stressed to me: "When you are sick, you're not the only one who is affected, the people around you as well, even if they are not admitted for treatment." He's right. If I happened to bring the corona back home unknowingly, sure I'll most likely get quarantined, but then my family get affected as well, or if I happen to have met up with friends, I will have affected them as well, and their families. Long story short: Think of the people around you.

*Today's case: 5,304 (We going down? I sure hope so)