How essential workers cope with COVID

"I really shouldn't complain. I haven't lost my housing or job. I have plenty of food and toilet paper, and so far, no close friend or family have died from COVID. That said, this pandemic is hard. In fact, it is exhausting.

During the spring and summer, I gave positive COVID results to a number of patients from my home's safety, thanks to telehealth. But the reality of telling patients how to self-quarantine when six people live in two rooms with one bathroom, or giving resources about food and other basics because the household provider lost a job, or can't work because s/he is COVID positive, is tough. Tough on the recipient of the advice and tough on me."

Therese Zink is a family physician and can be reached at her self-titled site, ThereseZink.com. She is the author of COVID Chronicles: How Essential Workers Cope.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "The long journey of COVID." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/the-long-journey-of-covid.html)