Sometimes I Wish That I Get COVID (Again) So I Can Get Some Rest: Confession Of NHS Nurse In UK
The United Kingdom is struggling with the rising number of COVID-19 infections, from the new more contagious strain of the virus, which was detected in the UK in December.
The UK has just reported a record number of daily deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 1,610 people dying in the past 24 hours after a positive coronavirus test.
It has now passed 90,000 coronavirus-related deaths just 10 days after hitting the 80,000 mark.
Additionally, 33,355 new positive tests for COVID-19 were registered by the department over the past 24 hours, taking the country's case total past 3.46 million.
As the number of infections and fatalities grows, the medical infrastructure in the UK, like in many of the worst affected countries is on the brink of collapse.
Hospitals struggling
Hospitals are struggling to accommodate the influx of new patients due to the lack of beds available. Adding to this is the high number of frontline workers who have been taken out of the service after testing positive for the infection themselves.
This is adding to the struggles of the hospital staff who were already struggling with a shortage of manpower.
Many of the frontline healthcare workers are overworked and don't see an end to the crisis anytime soon, even with the vaccines.
One of them, an Indian national who has more than a decade of work experience around the world said that NHS nurses like him will die of exhaustion if not the virus.
"The hospital where I work has three wards for COVID-19 patients, depending on their condition. Right now I am dealing with the most critical patients and every day there are 1-2 deaths in our ward. I have seen more deaths in the past couple of months than in my entire career," the nurse who did not want his identity revealed due to professional reasons said.
He also said that he and his colleagues are longing for some rest, which they feel is not going to happen anytime soon.
'Don't remember when I had proper rest'
"I don't remember the last time I had a proper rest. I think it was in April when I had tested positive for COVID-19. I was granted medical leave for two weeks then. Sometimes I feel that the only way that I will have some time away from the mounting deaths is if I get COVI-19 again. Some of my colleagues who had recovered from COVID-19 had tested positive again," he said.
The UK, like most countries, is rolling out COVID-19 vaccines for its people, starting with frontline healthcare workers.?
This nurse, however, is hesitant to take the vaccine and said that he is not alone.
"They are administering the Pfizer vaccine for the healthcare workers. Even among the frontline workers of NHS, ethnic minorities including Asians and Africans are on priority. But for now, I am not getting vaccinated, many of my friends are also of the same opinion," he said.
