A day in the life of a doctor during this pandemic

A day in the life of a doctor during the coronavirus pandemic

During the coronavirus pandemic, unpredictable duty hours, new patients, discharges, monitoring treatments for patients are just some of the things that doctors have had to deal with daily. This virus has affected the lives of doctors in ways that they could have never imagined. In general, people don’t have an understanding of what goes on in intensive care units with seriously infected Covid patients.

With irregular sleeping hours, sleep-deprived doctors get ready for their shift. After getting ready, when they look at their face in the mirror, they notice odd scars and a scraped nose caused by wearing their protective mask all day long. They rush to the hospital,  put on the PPE kit, masks and are all set for another battle. A six-hour-long battle, without breathing space and no relaxation in between! These six hours of duty can be extended in poorly staffed places or because of an increase in the number of new patients with chronic conditions. That polyethylene suit makes them feel extremely hot inside and there’s no way out until the shift is complete. Neither can they have a glass of water, nor can they use the washroom. Some choose to resolve the latter by using adult diapers.

The burden, physical and emotional has caused many doctors to get severe headaches during a shift. But, there’s no way that they can take a pain killer, as it would also require removing their suit. Every day is a new challenge, with the ever-growing number of patients and huge responsibility on their shoulders! The day ends, but the battle goes on as their bodies carry the marks of the demanding nature of their jobs in these tough times!