Pandemic Insomnia THREAD: This is how my first two weeks at the ER COVID tent are going... We see only the patients that have been selected out by the triage nurse as not being too sick. This just means they are not sick enough to need a hospital bed...

It started out very slow. We have not reached peak numbers yet here in Central MA. Mainly I am seeing low-wage workers and immigrants. This could be because wealthier patients are getting orders from their primary care docs to get tested at the drive-thru 2/

But it’s more likely because these people work in service industries that pay them badly, and expose them to Coronavirus constantly. I’m seeing factory workers, nurse’s aides, group home employees, cleaning staff, grocery store and food service workers. 3/

I always ask them who they live with, and they usually live with several family members, often with an elder in the house. I know those people are likely to get sick too, and feed the curve. 4/

Some people, despite being “well” enough to go home, look so sick. The virus is kicking their ass. I feel awful for them. Some people are older, and have health conditions. I worry they will be back, and too sick to be seen in the tent next time. 5/

My hospital has great leadership, and they are incredibly prepared and well-run. At the moment we seem to have enough PPE, even though everyone re-uses their N95 masks (they get UV sterilized and reworn). Until April 9, the tent was very slow. 6/

I don’t know if that was because people who weren’t that sick were just staying home? Anyway, on the 9th we saw twice as many patients and they were sicker than we had been seeing before. I think we’re starting to hit a surge locally. 7/

Thursday I hit my 40
Hrs for the week and have 3 days off now. I don’t know how busy it will be when I return to work Monday, but I watch @maddow and see the hospitals getting slaughtered in NYC. I will not be dealing with that level of misery because 8/

I am working with people who will mostly recover just fine (physically if not economically). I am not heroic. I just needed a job (I haven’t gotten paid yet for some reason, but I assume they’ll straighten it out). But I’m scared for these people. 9/

I know what COULD happen to them, and I know that most of them live paycheck to paycheck. Many of them are scared too. They are scared for their families, who have already been exposed. And for themselves, because what if they’re in that 20%...10/

You should know that Donald tRump doesn’t give the tiniest shit about any one if these people who are sick or going broke. He completely abdicated responsibility FOR THE PEOPLE HE IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD. 11/

HOW MUCH OF OUR HARD-EARNED MONEY GOES TO FED’L TAXES?? And then, when we NEED the Fed’l Gov’t, he says “Don’t ask us for help. That’s the state’s job”. B/C HE AND HIS GREEDY CRONIES ARE BUSY SIPHONING OFF EVERY CENT WE SEND INTO THEIR FAT PILES OF CASH 12/

That loud sucking sound you hear is Republicans taking a hefty portion of the money you make, and shoveling it into their own overflowing bank accounts. That’s why Donald tRump looks like a bloated carcass and Stephen Miller looks like a green cadaver 13/

And Mitch McConnell looks like greasy, melting Jabba the Hutt -and so on, and so on. Republicans feed off of other people’s suffering, and other people’s pain, and other people’s death. THEY WILL NOT HELP AMERICANS. EVER. 14/

They are TRAITORS. Wow, that was a long digression. Sorry. Listen: Stay the Fuck at Home. I don’t want to see you in the COVID tent, even though I love you all. Watch @maddow if you want to know why you should stay home. End thread/

Ps I wonder if I can get back to sleep now. COVID Insomnia has been the worst insomnia of my life