COVID-19 Pandemic Fatigue

COVID-19 Pandemic Fatigue

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives as we all knew it for close to 10 months now. For the first few months, there was a higher number of people that took the precautions of social distancing, wearing masks, and following the other health guidelines with due diligence. Over the months, though, more and more people have become tired of the new way of life. Some have gotten the virus and had a mild case, so they feel they are “fine” now to go out, and others began to believe they had a strong enough immune system and would be “fine” if they got it at all. These shifts in beliefs have caused what some experts are calling, “COVID fatigue”- an exhaustion from social distancing, wearing masks, and following the other health guidelines. “Anytime we’re in an advanced state of awareness for a prolonged period of time, our bodies slip into a ‘fight or flight’ response,” noted Glenn Armstrong, a nurse practitioner and lead APP with Kettering Network Behavioral Health. “Humans are social beings by nature, and when we take that away, it creates a drain on the human condition. And with that comes a cluster of symptoms.” These symptoms …

How to have a COVID-19 safe holiday season

COVID-19 can easily be spread from person to person during traditional holiday activities such as shared meals and large family gatherings indoors. The 3 c’s of COVID-19 danger: crowds, closed environments, and close contact will be a huge factor in having another surge due to the holiday season. What is the good news then? The good news is that there are still plenty of reduced-risk activities for family and friends to enjoy. There are many aspects to think about when planning for the holidays: Stay home if you are not feeling well. If you have symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19, seek medical advice at your local physician’s office or by virtual visit. ( https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html ) Symptoms of COVID-19: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell Sore throat Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea Emergency signs of COVID-19– Seek emergency medical care immediately: Trouble breathing Persistent pain or pressure in the chest New confusion Inability to walk or stay awake Bluish lips or face Think outside the box for holiday gatherings. If family or friends can’t join physically, try setting up a family …

Parents and schools working together during covid

How Parents And Schools Can Work Together During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on students, their families, educators, and the school’s mental health workforce. The significant and known short- and long-term harm to the students, in particular, that is attributed to closed schools include, but are not limited to, emotional, social, behavioral health and academic achievement.  The American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) have recognized that education, including school attendance, is essential for successful and healthy development for all children and adolescents.  According to a recent JAMA Pediatrics report, young children can potentially drive the COVID-19 spread within the general population. Behavioral habits of young children and close quarters in schools and daycare settings raise concern for COVID-19 amplification for communities as public health restrictions are eased.  Reopening, and maintaining the doors open, of all schools during a pandemic is new territory for everyone, and the children and their parents are likely to experience even more stress and anxiety as the school year begins and continues than ever before.  Guiding the parents during the transition to returning their children to school is necessary for a smooth school year. Possible steps school administrators and the mental health workforce …

COVID-19 Infected Employee Taking Temperatures At Work

Guiding Your COVID-19 Infected Employee

Time is of the essence when an employee or patron is found to be symptomatic or comes in contact with a known COVID-19 exposure. It is imperative to have updated strategies for your staff to help prevent and reduce transmission among the other employees.  This can be done by following existing and updated recommendations by federal, state, and local public health sectors and following the 5 step guide below. Employers should identify a qualified employee that will be responsible for any COVID related issues & concerns and help to develop and implement a response plan with regards to infection control preparedness. When an employee becomes symptomatic and/or comes in contact with a confirmed case, you should instruct that person to self-quarantine at home until released by a physician or public health official. The qualified employee should refer the case and/or contact to the CDC guidelines noted here:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html After being informed that the employee has been exposed, is symptomatic or diagnosed with COVID-19, the qualified employee from step one should quickly identify all other employees who might have been in contact during the employee’s infection time period starting 2 days prior to symptom onset. The qualified employee should reach out …

The Twofold Blow: The Ongoing Struggle of Physician Burnout amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Twofold Blow: The Ongoing Struggle of Physician Burnout amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly every other healthcare news article was focused on another overwhelming health crisis: physician burnout. Burnout has not diminished but actually intensified since the pandemic. Why is Physician Burnout Higher Than Ever? Physicians with the highest percentage of burnout, such as critical care medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine [1] are now required to take on an extra burden. Due to the virus, the overall number of available physicians and healthcare workers is lower because of infection, quarantine, and even death. The worldwide shortages of personal protective gear and inadequate testing have increased their chances of contracting the virus, which compounds the stress they feel in their profession. How Can We Help? Healthcare Administrators need to take action on the underlying issue. According to the Forbes article, “Doctor, Health Thyself: Physician Burnout in The Wake of COVID-19,” Dr. Lipi Roy noted 6 strategies that may actually lower the wave of physician burnout and suicide: [2] 1) Reduce administrative burdens Physicians have lost control over how their time is spent, from the time allotted for each patient, what is discussed during the visit, and how the visit itself is documented. Reducing the time spent on the EMR …

COVID Employee Exposure Management & Contact Tracing

COVID-19 has been detrimental not only in the United States with over 2 million total cases but for the entire world totaling 7.6 million total cases as of June 12, 2020. Although the total new cases have lessened, and the economies world wide have started to reopen, it is paramount that we have exposure management within our communities and businesses to ensure we can keep this pandemic at bay. Scrivas’COVID Employee Exposure Management Service can mitigate your risk. How Can Our COVID Employee Exposure Management Service Help You? State and local health departments have continued to rely on contact tracing to respond to the rapidly changing local circumstances but what about private companies, hospitals, and medical practices? As of now, more than 80% of private companies do not have protocols in place to track and manage the status of potential and confirmed COVID-19 exposures. “It’s clear that you can do a lot of control if you do contact tracing really well,” Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said last month. But if there are too many cases, or testing limitations mean you can’t identify cases quickly enough, “it’s easy to overwhelm a relatively constrained …

Covid-19 workflow response. Woman at computer wearing a mask.

Scrivas’ COVID-19 Workflow Response

Since the advent of COVID-19, we have needed to adapt how we live and work not only in our everyday lives but in our work environment as well. At Scrivas, we recognize the importance of these changes to protect not just the patients we serve but the healthcare teams that we work with as well as their families.  As such, we have developed a COVID-19 workflow response. As nonclinical healthcare team members, we feel we serve an essential purpose at the sides of the physicians we work with. As the number of positive cases increase, there will be increased pressure on healthcare teams to see more patients per hour — both with potential COVID-19 patients and higher acuity patients who have waited for evaluation out of fear of potential exposure. Scribes: Continue to provide valuable documentation services, allowing physicians to focus on their patients. Continue to be educated on all COVID-19 workflow documentation requirements. Help physicians reduce their interaction with computers and other electronic devices, limiting exposure and potentially saving on turnover of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, which can save both time and resources. Adapt to the changing needs of sites we serve. Our team continues to look …

Clinician stress is increasing during covid-19. Picture of emergency room.

How to Alleviate Clinician Stress in a Busy Hospital During COVID-19

The CDC website is displaying updated numbers for COVID-19 cases every day. The numbers are climbing. Quickly. This is leading clinicians to work long hours inside a busy hospital or healthcare clinic. What’s being lost in this entire crisis is the overwhelm our physicians are facing. Clinician stress is on the rise. They are working long hours with little protection from the virus, putting their lives in danger. It’s clear that there is a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) amongst U.S. hospitals. That misfortune is cycling through media networks nationwide and we need an answer. More than ever, healthcare organizations are finding that their employees are overworked and in need of support. Physician burnout is trickling down to nurse burnout. Even the ancillary staff is feeling the effects as a sterile environment is more important now than ever. Our trained medical scribes are no stranger to a busy hospital. Scrivas is ready to step up to the plate and help alleviate the clinician stress that’s almost certainly spreading through your organization and its employees. Documentation is the last thing you’re worried about Patient care comes first. As an organization founded by a clinical team, we know all about this. …