The COVID-19 pandemic has extremely reshaped health frontline workers’ daily lives, priorities, and outlook. It has caused challenges with our friends’, colleagues’ and family relationships. Before the pandemic, Filipinos always find time to gather and dine without any reason. Our social activity has been greatly altered.

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Have we really adapted on the “new normal”? Are we still feel afraid of getting infected? Are we still in fear of bringing the virus home and get our love ones infected?

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These are some of the questions that remained unanswered or yet we are unsure where we really stand. Given the opportunity to ask colleagues their experiences on COVID-19 response in the operation center, isolation and quarantine experience in the facility; and the lessons learned during this time of crisis.

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“What lessons, if any have you learned during the pandemic?”

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To always be grateful. Waking up each day is a gift to cherish and spend well with our love ones. Grateful that together, we have survived 2020 and fighting the good fight in the present 2021. Grateful for the job, where others have been laid off due to the pandemic. Grateful for the colleagues in a working environment where we have each other’s back, hand in hand with our leader at COVID-19 Operation Center.

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Health is Wealth. Let us not wait for another pandemic to invest on health. Now will always be the time to invest on health. Controlling co-morbidities, taking medications regularly and finding time to be active for at least 20-30 minutes a day. These medications for hypertension and diabetes are always available in our health centers for free and with the calls we are receiving in the Operation Center, critical COVID-19 patients tends to have uncontrolled co-morbidities. Thus, health is an important portion to take a look into.

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“Before the pandemic, taking food supplement was the least of the things on my list. Had abused my body giving only at most 4 hours of sleep daily, my body never had the chance to recover from previous busy days at home, work and business. At my worst, I have to work 24 hours to finish pastries orders “bakers’ life.”

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Practicing healthy eating, physical movement and taking food supplement to help boost our immunity. Our body is a God-given gift capable of healing to fight of any forms of viruses and bacteria.

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Benefit outweighs the Risk. In this time of pandemic, it is always a question behind our minds every time facing people; are they suspect or confirmed patient? With the services offered by the COVID-19 EOC such as physical examination where direct contact with a suspect, probable or confirmed patients though in full PPE, but the fear is inevitable, questioning what if I get infected? what if I carry the virus unknowingly and infect my colleagues, my friends, family and love ones. Despite the fear, choosing to provide the services to these patients is still top of our priority and that includes all the risks that comes with working as a frontline health worker

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Hindsight Preparation. Deeper understanding on physical, emotional, spiritual and financial preparedness. At this time of uncertainty, emotional preparation for any adversity that we may encounter for our self and for our family. Things that we are going through today are just temporary, training and preparing ourselves to bounce back better, armed and equipped. Financial preparation and saving something for tomorrow. Uncertain when a crisis strike, having something kept for some time and spending it for emergency purposes is a relief. Spiritual preparation and strengthening our relationship with our Lord.

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Stigma and discrimination. The people we spend our day with at work, talked to, laughed with are not the same people you expect them to be there when crisis strikes.

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“The experience was not easy, No one… No one texted me or sent me a message asking how I am doing. Tears in my eyes continuously flowing like a spring while talking to my husband while giving instructions to prepare things to be brought to the isolation facility.”

 

“I felt sorry for myself, for my family and for my colleague.”

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"There are people we meet in life that are just another people. No more, no less. There are people that we least expect them to be beside you and close to you and yet stick and ask how you feel.”

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During these uncertain times, being healthy, emotionally strong and financially stable is part of our preparation. Being the best version of ourselves, and always do good if not better. What matter is the action we did and the difference it made to our community, friends, colleagues, and family.

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“By doing brave acts; we become brave.”