In Turbulent Times, Taking Care of One’s Self

The burden of the Omicron variant has been very difficult on everyone. The prevalence of it becoming abundant in our greater society is apparent, especially as cases go up and more people need care.

There are ongoing reports that some hospitals and medical centers are being inundated by COVID-19. Facilities are seeing larger numbers of cases and hospital personnel are contracting the more contagious variant of COVID-19, thus in some cases, leaving staff short-handed and exacerbating the problem which can lead to burnout.

Some providers and caregivers are choosing to leave the medical industry altogether due to this never-ending pandemic. Although no one knows when the pandemic will transition into an endemic, if you take a historical perspective, this virus will eventually evolve to that stage.

In the meantime, providers and caregivers need to try to find a way to balance their work lives with time for themselves.

Ami Multani, MD, medical director of infectious disease, Fenway Health has been thinking about the historical context of the pandemic in the early days of it in 2020 and how we can manage through the continuation of difficult times. She offers some insights into looking at COVID-19 and how it parallels with the early days of the AIDs crisis. She also discusses strategies to help fellow providers to decompress and feel better about the current state of things and the future.