Each and every life is precious. As we watch COVID-19 patients die every day, there is a heartbroken family behind each one.
When a family member is put in quarantine, the parting could be permanent. The sorrow and regret of never being able to see a loved one again is so strong that it is difficult for someone else to understand the complexity of these emotions.
Those who have been lost to the pandemic were not only someone else’s loved one. They were also a fellow Taiwanese, and there is a certain degree of mutual empathy we must have for them and their families, as we think about how we would feel if such a tragedy were to happen to us.
Since the outbreak started last month, local medical workers — especially those who serve in “hot spots” where infections are more frequent — have been busier than what we see on the news. What is even worse is that these medical workers’ lives are not only threatened by becoming infected by COVID-19, they are also threatened by their patients’ behavior.
On May 31, a man being treated for COVID-19 allegedly lost control of his mental faculties and allegedly attacked three nurses with a knife at Taipei Medical University’s Shuang Ho Hospital in New Taipei City. He later said that the nurses had “ignored” him during his medical treatment.
As the virus spreads in Taiwan, the physical and mental condition of frontline medical workers must be given more attention. They are engaged in a medical war in their efforts to protect us all. If every patient who tests positive for COVID-19 rushes to a hospital, quarantine center or quarantine hotel, and receives the treatment needed to become healthy and return home to their loved ones, medical workers would feel rewarded for their hard work.
A doctor once told me that there is always a sense of achievement when a patient recovers from their illness. We can all recognize and reward the sacrifice of medical staff by following the government’s disease prevention measures.
By wearing masks, washing our hands frequently, going out less and avoiding large gatherings, we can not only prevent disease transmission, we will help ease the burden of medical workers.
Moreover, one can only hope that the public will always be friendly to frontline medical staff. During a sensitive time like this, many of these workers have not been able to meet with their relatives and friends. Since they work at medical institutions, they are worried that they might unintentionally become a source of infection.
They also carry a stigma for having such close contact with COVID-19 carriers, adding one more reason for them to isolate themselves from others after work.
Luckily, with the development of videoconferencing systems over the past few years, they are able to meet with family members and loved ones through the Internet.
Lee Jiang-en is a doctoral student at National Dong Hwa University.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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