Rushing towards the flames:

I had a different post planned for today but it has been a tragic day.

Guelph's beautiful COVID 19 clinic is closed tonight. This morning, a patient came in for testing, went into distress and then cardiac arrest and shortly after, passed away.

He or she had family and friends and a life that was something so different 6 weeks ago. I send a prayer for those who must be in shock tonight. I observe your grief with respect and compassion.

My heart aches. I know the people who work at the COVID 19 clinic. I know who was on duty this morning. I was supposed to be working but handed my shift to someone else yesterday. I wish I could have been there with all of you to support you and give you strength. Someone else will tell the story but here is what I know: The staff of the Guelph Family Health team (nurses, doctors, nurse practitioners and administrators) the staff of the Guelph General Hospital and our emergency first responders ( EMS), "did not hesitate to provide care despite the risk of COVID 19".

I know the kind of care that is required when someone collapses and goes into cardiac arrest. It is care that comes from the deep, deep roots of our training. It is visceral, engrained and immediate. There is no thought of your own safety. A team of medical professionals would move like a single unit with one focus.

Bless you. I have been practising in this community for almost thirty years. I think I can speak for all of my colleagues when I say that we never expected to be called on in this way. We never anticipated that our collective skills would be needed in our city for a global pandemic nor did we expect to stand in such a precarious position to protect our community. We did not anticipate the fire. But never in a minute was there any doubt that we would rush towards the flames.

It is our privilege to do so.

There is always something to learn so please consider this: There is a palpable fear out there that is unwarranted and dangerous. It is the fear of accessing timely medical care, the fear of reaching out to your family physician or attending very necessary specialists appointments or taking emergent concerns to the emergency department. All of these points of care are safe. I will say it again; they are safe. If your medical team is willing to run into flames for you, please trust that we are prepared. In almost no time flat our offices were re-configured and reorganized to not only make sure our staff is safe but also that you are safe. You are safe.

The emergency room is a vitally important place that should never be avoided when a person is experiencing serious or worsening symptoms. It has been organized to protect you from this virus.

If you or someone you know is experiencing worsening symptoms, please reach out. This virus can present as sudden onset, extreme fatigue, headache and chest pain with minimal cough. There is not necessarily a fever. If symptoms are worsening, get medical care.

I won't spend too much time here but disinfectant put into the body causes death. God help us when that kind of advice is disseminated from incapacitated leaders.

Be well tonight my friends. I firmly believe that a shift out of phase one of this pandemic is about to occur and we will continue to need all hands on deck for this next phase but....... we are ready, we are following the science and we have you top of mind.

Anne-Marie

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