Faces of the Fight from Melinda Van Hove, COVID case investigator: Please reconsider and get vaccinated
Melinda Van Hove is an Accredited Music Therapist (MTA), currently working as a COVID assessor/coordinator with Communicable Diseases – Public Health Services in Regina. She was initially redeployed from Palliative Care Services in Regina to assist in contact tracing and is now in a short term position assisting with COVID case investigations.
In December 2020, I received word that I was going to be redeployed temporarily to help with COVID-19 contact tracing. I was willing to do my part and help out where necessary. I had already experienced change in how I was doing my work as a music therapist in palliative care. Several members of the palliative homecare team, including myself, had been working from home for many months already, doing in-person visits when possible, and virtual visits otherwise.
I found it stressful moving into my temporary position. I was learning a new skill-set, adapting to new and ever changing guidelines, and had high expectations of myself to know “everything” and do a “great job.”
One of my first phone calls was to someone who had been out to a night club in the city and exposed to someone who had been subsequently confirmed positive with COVID-19. I was struck with the reality of how quickly this virus could spread when that person could not identify all close contacts due to the environment, amount of alcohol consumed, and a lack of memory of the night it happened.
As various restrictions have come and gone, I have seen how easy it is to relax our standards beyond current guidelines.
I’ve had people on the other end of the line angry with the precautions they need to take. Though it doesn’t make me feel very good being the recipient of somebody else’s anger, I do look for ways to acknowledge their feelings and take time to explain the importance of what they are being asked to do.
Some people tell me that the directives I am giving are overly cautious and unnecessary because they feel absolutely fine, have no symptoms, and in some instances, had very little contact with the person with COVID. Often these people don’t understand how contagious the virus is or that it can take up to 14 days to develop symptoms, regardless if they’ve just had a negative COVID test. It is part of my job to make sure they understand this.
Some people I speak with have been afraid or uncertain about getting the COVID vaccine. Although many individuals with existing health issues have chosen to get vaccinated to protect themselves, others fear the vaccine will have adverse effects on their present health situation. Given the scientific evidence and the disastrous global consequences of COVID-19, I feel pretty strongly about encouraging people who are hesitant about vaccination to seek out medical guidance in this area.
I personally have talked to many unvaccinated individuals who themselves are experiencing the adverse respiratory symptoms that COVID can cause. These individuals are often afraid and are anxious to know how soon they can get vaccinated. I hear anger, distrust and fear from those opposed to getting a COVID-19 vaccine. I feel sad and anxious as I consider those who are waiting for assessments, referrals, procedures and operations that have been cancelled due to pressure COVID has been on the health system.
To those who are so angry and fearful, I say this: Those waiting for health-care procedures are your neighbours, and could be your children or grandchildren, your spouse, or even you. Please consider the bigger picture.
COVID is real.
COVID is serious for all those with COVID in our ICUs, for the people who had to be transferred out of province for care, for the exhausted/tired/burnt out health-care workers, for displaced staff who have been redeployed and their patients who cannot receive their services right now, and for families that have experienced the loss of someone near and dear to them.
Please reconsider and get vaccinated.
