“Sarah,” an NYC Nurse, on the Anger of Being Unprepared for COVID-19

Hosted by Paul Holdengräber, The Quarantine Tapes chronicle shifting paradigms in the age of social distancing. Each day, Paul calls a guest for a brief discussion about how they are experiencing the global pandemic.

In Episode 99 of The Quarantine Tapes, Paul Holdengräber is joined by “Sarah,” a nurse working in an emergency department in New York City. Sarah talks Paul through her experience at the peak of the pandemic before turning to how she and her fellow healthcare workers have been dealing with the fallout of that time. Sarah and Paul discuss the anger that Sarah felt about how they could have been better prepared early in the pandemic. They also talk honestly about how mental health goes under-addressed for health professionals, with Sarah emphasizing the importance of seeking help to deal with the trauma of the pandemic.

From the Episode: 

I was angry because this was something that was anticipated. This virus was first in China back in December. Italy in January. Our first case in the US was back in February. By mid-March, all 50 states had COVID. We were all hearing and reading about what was quickly unfolding in Italy and I think we could have done better, we could have prepared better, but more importantly, I think our patients deserved better.

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