My Experience at a Covid-19 Facility

Photo By: Saiba Gulamani

 

COVID-19. A respiratory virus that spreads every time an individual sneezes or coughs. A virus that makes you feel like your lungs are caving in. A growing bacteria that takes your breath away, literally. 

No, this is not another quarantine blog so hold on.

 

Since the beginning of this summer, I have been working at a COVID-19 facility for Ross Bridge Medical Center in Birmingham, AL at UAB’s legion field football stadium.

 

There is a whole system put in place. There are volunteers who help with keeping us safe and other volunteers who help orchestrate a systematic way for cars to drive through. Yep, the patients get tested in their cars. 

 

Me along with my fellow volunteers and co-workers sit at a table inputting patient data into the patient portal system: ID, insurance information, home addresses, and other demographic information for the record. 

 

I input PDFs of the results into each patient’s file and then call patients who have tested negative to deliver their results to them. Of course there are some who test positive, but the doctor handles that based on the medical center’s protocols. 

 

The cars drive from behind us towards the other tables where the rest of the co-workers cotton swab the patients. The real testing. If you have seen the COVID-19 testing, you probably wouldn’t want to do it. But of course, if you experience symptoms please do.

This long cotton swab is put into the nostril and is pushed far up because fluids need to be gathered for proper testing.

 

It has definitely been an interesting experience so far and I can’t wait to continue working there. I am one of those people who get to say I helped a clinic with COVID-19 patients, or at least gathered their demographics. 

 

It’s an experience, one for the books, and definitely symbolizes this year. 

 

Don’t worry, I was fully covered the whole time. 

To those of you who feel immune to the virus, I promise you not even superman would be. 

The second someone who is positive sneezes or coughs near/on you and you touch your face, you have it. It can even go through your eyes.

 

So everyone please stay inside and if you go out please wear a mask and stay covered. 

Doctors and nurses are putting their lives on the line to help positive patients and prevent the spread. The least we can do for them is properly follow the CDC guidelines. 

 

For more information regarding symptoms, how to protect yourself and what to do if you are sick, click Here.

 

Until next time, Z

XOXO