Here you can find some testimonies from nurses fighting COVID-19:
‘Warm and involved care in times of COVID-19’ – 22/04/2020, Michiel Spitaels, nurse at OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Belgium
“Today 22/4 I started back full of good courage on my morning shift and tracked we went back to fight the invisible monster. The morning went smoothly, now yes smoothly outside the fact that someone was with us to go. I noticed that I’m not committed to 100% here but 200% to these people. Everyone was cared for they were clean washed the men shaved and put the hair nicely in model.
Then it’s soon afternoon time to eat and rest for a while, afterwards we get dressed and go back in the hallway and start our afternoon tour. Arrived at the last room I felt this patient can’t talk because of that he has a cannula to breath. The care for this cannula is very specific also necessary for him to aspire on a regular basis. This prevents asphyxiation in his sucking. You saw that he needed warm and involved care. My colleagues already had the genius idea to give him a leaf with the alphabet on so we could talk for a while. I gave him the card and put me next to him with an empty leaf and stylo in the attack. It went relatively smoothly and suddenly he asked to take something out of his closet. This was a small book with biblical psalms. All in the sign of loss and letting go. He pointed me a page with a text that perfectly described how he felt. Angry, sad and abandoned. He tried to read it but this asked a lot of energy. I suggested he go to prayer together. The look in his eyes said enough. This is how I read the Psalm he had indicated then we read another greeting and a father. And afterwards we said nothing, we were silently connected. He took my hand and so we went for five intense minutes. At the moment, no more words were needed. The presence said enough. I’m still amazed by the power of faith how people no matter how hopeless their situation is, still keep looking for happiness in their prayer and all that for their faith.”
‘Together we will come’, 18/04/2020, Michiel Spitaels, nurse at OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Belgium
“In the past week many artificially respiratory corona patients at the A.S.Z. have been able to leave the intensive department. It includes this man who was on intensive care for three weeks. He left the department under applause from the staff.”
‘Mango moment’ – 17/04/2020, Michiel Spitaels, nurse at OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Belgium
“Today I had the early shift with great colleagues again! We started our morning round it was busy today we took time for our patients and again had a nice “mangoment” with a patient for a few days he was very down due to the current situation. We came in as always well packed from head to toe. It was a heavy concern. The radio was playing in the background and it was on Studio Brussel. We had a conversation topic. MUSIC on the question which genre he liked to hear was the answer rock music. The foo fighters in the lead and I thought back to the summer of 2017. The foo’s on worker. I kept the patient waiting and my colleague because I had an idea. We have a Skype subway cart where people can still see their family after all. I opened YouTube open and closed the concert on “foo fighters live on werchter 2017” I set it up, the boxing went loud and you saw him smile, sing along and never enjoyed it was a great feeling. Another special day in this strange time! Music works binding and let yourself enjoy yourself on another dimension! I’m going home with a warm feeling.”
‘When people doubt it’s really that bad and so busy…’ – 15/04/2020, Michiel Spitaels, nurse at OLV Ziekenhuis Aalst-Asse-Ninove, Belgium – see video here.
‘Nurses are the coronavirus heroes’, 17 04 2020, Los Angeles Times
The coronavirus is taking a serious toll on the doctors and nurses risking their lives while treating infected patients. Moving in and out of negative-pressure rooms, putting on protective equipment and taking it off again, nurses are caring for patients who are severely ill and sometimes dying. They spend the greatest amount of time with the patients. These nurses draw blood, obtain samples, provide oxygen, and devotedly tend to their patients’ needs. When a patient is placed in intensive care, it’s the nurses who do the mundane and the heroic to help the patient recover or die with a little more comfort. Read full article here.
These photos show their life now:
BELGIUM: Home nurse Christophe wipes the face of one of his patients in the city of Ciney on April 6. Christophe said he has received a box of 50 face masks from the Belgian government and no other personal protection equipment. (Oliver Hoslet / EPA/Shutterstock)
GERMANY: A nurse puts on a gown in the isolation ward for coronavirus patients at a hospital in Schwerin on March 26. (Jens Buettner / Associated Press)
GERMANY: A nurse prepares medical equipment at a hospital in Essen on March 26. (Martin Meissner / Associated Press)
HUNGARY: Nurses gear up before treating COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Budapest on March 16. (Zsolt Szigetvary / Associated Press)
ITALY: Ana Travezano, 39, a nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, removes her mask at the end of her shift on March 27. (Antonio Calanni /Associated Press)
SPAIN: Staffers embrace in the intensive care unit at Bellvitge University Hospital in Llobregat near Barcelona on April 9. (David Ramos / Getty Images)