The pandemic is still going on, with positive coronavirus tests rapidly increasing all over the nation. However, even though we've been facing this crisis for the majority of this year, some people still aren't taking COVID-19 seriously. For many of us, this is a situation like no other we've seen before. So many of us have been missing long-distance family members, yet fear the possibility of actually seeing them due to the ongoing spread.
But one of the saddest things about the pandemic — aside from the deaths of loved ones — is the fact that there are people who still think it's a myth. Many were led to believe that the coronavirus was made up, or simply isn't as bad as the media is portraying it. The truth is, many people do recover from the disease. But it's unclear as to whether or not the virus will affect people later on in life. Meaning, some people have recovered yet still don't feel as strong or healthy as they did before getting it.
It's also true that COVID-19 can be asymptomatic. That means you could be carrying it and spreading it without realizing it. Even though you may be safe, your family members may not be. And that's why it's been so hard for many people to emotionally navigate the year. Nobody wants to be the person who accidentally causes fatalities.
A nurse in South Dakota, where the spread is currently out of control, has revealed that many patients are still in denial. They likely didn't understand the weight of the virus, and they don't want to believe it's actually real.
That, in itself, is upsetting. It's proving that people are still denying what doctors and nurses say and self-diagnosing themselves. Someone who assumes it's the flu, instead of COVID-19, may not have been careful with quarantining. As a result, people are dying.
"Their last dying words are, 'This can't be happening. It's not real,'" nurse Jodi Doering said to CNN. "Even after positive results come back, some people just don’t believe it." Many people felt as if the coronavirus was a political hoax. But even well after the election, it's still rampant all across the country.
This line of work has been especially hard on doctors and nurses. While they have experience with people dying, many of them have never seen packed hospitals with no beds available for patients. They also haven't seen such a record number of deaths. They know this is very real.
Jodi was so bothered by what she saw that she went on Twitter to try to educate those who still think this virus is a hoax. "I have a night off from the hospital. As I'm on my couch with my dog I can't help but think of the Covid patients the last few days. The ones that stick out are those who still don't believe the virus is real," she wrote.
"The ones who scream at you for a magic medicine and that Joe Biden is going to ruin the USA. All while gasping for breath on 100% Vapotherm. They tell you there must be another reason they are sick," she said. "They call you names and ask why you have to wear all that 'stuff' because they don't have COVID because it's not real. Yes. This really happens. "
Just think about that for a second — in the brief time Jodi has a day off from caring for patients firsthand, she's still thinking about them. She can't escape from this reality. And nurses all over the country are experiencing this same issue. Yet there are still so many people shrugging it off.
"I can't stop thinking about it," she continued. "These people really think this isn't going to happen to them. And then they stop yelling at you when they get intubated. It's like a f**king horror movie that never ends. There's no credits that roll. You just go back and do it all over again."
Even in the comments, people tried to undermine the experience that Jodi has seen firsthand. In the comments, there are a lot of statements about personal experience. It's important to remember that this virus is different for everyone — if your mom recovered in four days, it doesn't mean everyone will.
That's one of the reasons why it's so scary. Every day, more research is being done on the virus. Vaccines are reportedly in the works. Scientists are working hard to try to make sure that this issue is solved. However, it's impossible for people to listen and realize that there's a big world out there.
South Dakota is currently a coronavirus hotspot, even though the state government doesn't believe it's an issue. Back in August, while other states were going through shutdowns to help lower the spread, South Dakota went forth with its Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which brought in plenty of out-of-towners.
During a normal year, this would be a festival to celebrate. But the event ended up spreading the virus even further. Governor Kristi Noem, however, feels as if the festival was fine. She believes that reports of the spread are mere works of fiction.
Meanwhile, nurses — like Jodi — are dealing with the aftermath. For her, this is a reality. She has nothing to gain by falsifying results. She spoke to CNN more in-depth about her experience, and it's a worthwhile watch. In it, she tells the reporter that she's often the last line of defense when it comes to patients with COVID.
"People want it to be influenza, they want it to be pneumonia, we've even had people say, 'I think it could be lung cancer,'" Jodi said. She added that the response she got back after telling her patients to FaceTime relatives for a final conversation is often "No, because I'm doing fine.'" But then they die.
"The reason I tweeted what I did is that it wasn't one patient," Jodi told CNN. "It's just a culmination of so many people." Seeing this day in and day out can take a toll. "It just made me really sad the other night," she continued. Just as you normally trust doctors and nurses with your own health, you should trust them when they say that things are bad right now.
Always check with your health care provider concerning any symptoms you may be experiencing, and seek the most accurate information from the CDC and your state’s health department.
