Taking time for reflection
One year into the pandemic, I continue to learn to expect the unexpected, anticipate that things may not go as planned, accept that it is not business as usual, appreciate what I have, and focus on what is most important in my life – my family and most especially my children.
Dr. Maria I. Lapid
Despite the disruptions in our daily lives from the lockdowns, quarantines, and social distancing, my Catholic faith has grown stronger. I am not overly religious, but since the pandemic my children and I have attended online Mass regularly, sometimes in far away churches with different languages. It seems like we listen better now, reflect more on the homilies, and are really more in touch with our spirituality.
Professionally, I have seen the pandemic bring together geriatric psychiatrists from around the globe to tackle issues relevant to the mental health care of older adults. Within the International Psychogeriatric Association, we were spurred into collaborative actions with international colleagues in advocating for human rights of older adults in the context of the pandemic, creating online educational activities, and contributing to the special COVID-19 issue of the International Psychogeriatrics journal.
Maria I. Lapid, MD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minn.
Concentrating on safety
The first year of the pandemic is over. How have my personal and professional goals changed? How has my life changed? Let us start with the latter.
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie
I have been very lucky. I have continued to go into work at my hospital every day, which provides structure and socializing. My hospital has supplied PPE, although, like everywhere else, the rules keep changing.
Masks, face shield, goggles, etc.: I try to loop the mask around my earrings just right so it does not catch and pull the hooks off. I think the goggles make me look cool, like an ant man.
My world has narrowed to work and home. Like all of us, I no longer go to conferences. I do outpatient treatment from my office desk. I see inpatients from 6 feet away, in mask and goggles. The cookies I pass out are now individually wrapped. Takeout instead of restaurants. A new home gym.
I have learned a lot. I now know how to manage psychiatric wards where COVID clusters occur. How to transfer psychiatric patients who convert to COVID positive over to the medicine ward. I faithfully swab my own nose twice a week.
I am constantly saying (very nicely): “Please pull your mask up over your nose.” “Six feet apart, please.”
I saved my surgical masks in case I needed to reuse them. Fortunately, I did not. Now I have three overflowing drawers of masks. Plus, the heavy homemade cloth ones that friends and family sent.
Back to how have my goals changed? Basically they have not. I fix my eyes straight ahead and concentrate on safety. Safety of patients, staff, my family, myself.
And daily add another yellow, or blue, or white, surgical mask to the drawers.
Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD, MPH
Washington