I have worked in healthcare in NYC for over 20 years.
During this coronavirus crisis, all of our jobs have changed and we are now coronavirus focused.
Initially, I was doing coronavirus testing.
Then I was changed over to screening sick employees and sending them home if they met the Department of Health (DOH) criteria for the coronavirus. (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat).
No testing is allowed to be offered to NYC health workers for reasons none of us can understand.
The problem with screening employees is that they just walk into my little 5×5 unventilated room, often without masks, to tell me they are sick. Everyone knows me. They are comfortable walking into my little room.
My coronavirus exposure seems much higher when dealing with employees than with the public which is controlled through guards and screening at the door.
One such employee came into my room on Monday without a mask to tell me he no longer had a sense of smell or taste. I had a regular mask on (not an n95). I had never heard of this symptom at the time, but I told him I would look into it.
He returned again the next morning, again without a mask. I still had my mask on. He had no other symptoms but the loss of smell.
Later that day, after reading and talking to other employees, it began to come out that loss of smell was often seen as an initial symptom for COVID-19 in some people. I called the employee to inform him. However, based on the current DOH guideline, he was still supposed to work unless he felt sicker, but he needed to always wear a mask.
3 days later: Friday, I order pizza for the kids. It’s steaming hot as i pick it up in the car. As I’m driving, I realize I don’t smell that great pizza smell. I pull the car over and lift the lid on the pizza. I am hit with pizza steam, but I can’t smell anything Fear hits me. Oh no!
I’m hoping I am wrong. I get home and immediately start wearing a mask in the house and frantically washing my hands so as not to spread anything to my husband and 4 kids.
I start opening the cabinets and trying to smell things: garlic powder, onions, chili. Nothing.
I tell my husband my fear.
I try to stay away from every one, no touching or hugging. I sit alone at the table or at the end of the couch. It’s really hard because there are so many of us.
The next day I wake up with a low-grade headache that still hasn’t gone away, body aches and fatigue. None of the traditional symptoms yet of fever, cough or shortness of breathe.
Today, Sunday, day 3, I still have a headache which is stronger and drove me to take a Tylenol. I also have the body aches, fatigue, no sense of smell, and a new symptom: Pain on and off in both of my ears as well as a mild scratchy throat. Also, an occasional dry cough will emanate from me out of the blue without warning.
I am supposed to work tomorrow. Technically I don’t have any of the DOH symptoms that qualify me to stay home for Covid 19. I have never taken a sick day in 22 years. I hate to miss work especially when we are short-staffed at the moment. Maybe I don’t have it and I can work? I wish so much I could get tested. Why can’t healthcare workers get tested???? You expect us to work, but I think too many are working and spreading the virus among other staff. What is the NY DOH thinking?
Monday morning: I woke up with all my usual symptoms, but now I have a dry cough as well. So I won’t go into work.
In an upsetting turn of events, my 13 year old told me it hurts to move her eyes – which is the type of headache I also have. So I grabbed a bottle of garlic powder and put it under her nose. Nothing. She cant smell it! I ‘ve tried so hard to always wear my mask and wash my hands and never get within 6 feet of anyone, but still, someone caught this from me. How?
Monday evening: I am exhausted today. I basically stayed in bed and slept all day. My cough increased. If I get up to go to the bathroom, I now start coughing. But it is a dry weird cough from inside my chest, not a wet cough. I also feel a crackle in my chest at times when I breathe.
Tuesday morning: cough is lessened this morning. No cracking is felt in my chest. Still tired and still have a headache. But the improved cough makes me feel so much better. It scared me yesterday. My 13-year-old daughter still looks good, but still has the pain with eye movements and the lack of a sense of smell. She doesn’t seem the least bit disturbed by this. In fact, she tries to smell as many things as she can because she just can’t believe she cant smell: garlic powder, onion powder, chili, “bone suckin sauce”. The list goes on… but no smell.
Day 14 from losing sense of smell. I am finally almost back to myself. I still get a bit winded but other wise I think I am doing well.
