She puts on a protective mask before picking up her six-month old son and sitting down to breastfeed him.
But its a moment of only semi-normalcy.
Shes still wearing a mask, and she hasnt been able to kiss her baby in three weeks.
She says goodbye to her husband before she leaves.
She hasnt kissed him in three weeks either.
I get one N95 mask per shift, she says.
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Then, Im allowed to get a new one.
Everyone is using gowns and gloves, she says.
The doctors, nurses, techs, cleaning services… Its going to go by quickly.
Were going to run out.
In the past, people coming into the ER were a mixed bag.
Remember all the teens who would come in for STD testing or patients complaining about chronic back pain?
I miss those guys, is a standing joke Dr. Meck makes with her colleagues.
Now, no one comes into Dr. Mecks ER unless they truly, absolutely have to.
Looking at the floor every day, she knows exactly why all these patients are here.
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One hundred forty one people in the state have died from the disease.
Some people come into the ER with symptoms and dont think its a big deal.
Others are very scared and their loved ones are scared, Dr. Meck says.
Sometimes, you just never found out if a patient tested positive or not.
Now its done in-house so we get the results within 24 hours.
What is The Missionary Sex Position?
I remember one man who was 60 years old and his fiancee had tested positive.
He works as a mailman and several of his colleagues had tested positive as well, Dr. Meck says.
Whats so terrible about this virus is that it is very isolating.
You cant have a loved one by your bedside.
They cant hold your hand or comfort you.
It wasnt until the end of the second week of March that we realized it was a pandemic.
If someone tests positive but are in stable condition, they are sent home and told to self-isolate.
Either way, Dr. Meck says recovery is lonely.
Whats so terrible about this virus is that it is very isolating, she says.
You cant have a loved one by your bedside.
They cant hold your hand or comfort you.
Multiple patients Dr. Meck has tested have been positive for COVID-19, and not all of them have survived.
Helping others in spite of fear
It isnt just the patients who are scared.
Dr. Meck is scared, too.
But Ive never actually been fearful of a patient until now, she says.
This is a highly contagious virus and Im afraid.
We still have fun.
We still make jokes, she says.
I know social distancing really sucks, she says.
The sooner we do this, the sooner were out of it.
If everything related to COVID-19 has you feeling sad, heres what to do.
Andif you feel a stronger level of anxiety or depression, virtual therapy can help.
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