The Mother’s Day duty of the greatest caregivers of patients with Covid-19

Among rising numbers, emergency measures in the midst of the crisis caused by the new coronavirusseveral people are having to resignify the pain of mourning, deal with the longing for dear polls and, above all, face fear.

To the health professionals On the front line, this Mother’s Day Sunday can be another day or night on duty – now, the wishes for the improvement of patients and the preservation of their own lives and that of their families are intensified.

A nursing technician in an ICU at a public hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Alyne Lobo is on duty today and has two children: a 26-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy. “My daughter was living at a cousin’s house, because she was close to her work. With the pandemic, she had to work from home and decided to return home, not knowing when she would see us again”, says Alyne, who understands the concern that her children have had with her.

Alyne’s fear is intensified because she is an outsourced employee, therefore, she does not receive all the labor benefits extended to direct employees. “To complete the income, I do extra shifts on stopovers against Covid-19”, she explains. Accumulating shifts is one of the many realities of technicians, nurses, doctors and hospital cleaners amid the pandemic. However, working this Sunday will have a special meaning.

On the front lines, those who most directly assist patients hospitalized due to Covid-19 are nurses and nursing technicians, who administer medications, bathe them and are almost always close to the beds. It is undeniable that these professionals – most of them women – are the main caregivers of those who are away from the family care of their mothers or children.

Nurse Graciela Martins Pinto works in a municipal emergency service in Itu (SP); she described her routine and what she hopes this Sunday will be like.

“We can celebrate every other day”

“My routine has totally changed. In addition to the usual uniforms and lab coats, we have to wear hats, masks, waterproof lab coats, and goggles. It is not possible to eat or drink water frequently using the equipment; even going to the bathroom is more difficult.

“At home we only get together after I take a shower and put on clean clothes. I work in 12-hour shifts, with a day of rest in between; the working time has not increased, but the voltage level is doubled. In addition to serious patients needing intensive care, asymptomatic cases may arrive at the risk of transmitting the virus to us and other patients.

“I didn’t isolate myself from my teenage daughter, but I’m still very afraid of contaminating her, so I ended up moving away a little. I try to keep a certain distance to reduce the risk of contamination. My mother also lives with me, she is part of the risk group, so I continue to take all the precautions.

“My second biggest fear is of contracting the new coronavirus, leaving and leaving my daughter. I always talk about my work to her, that when I leave home it’s to take care of people that families can’t. Growing up listening to this, she is used to it, in addition to admiring what I do.

“This Sunday, I want to say, to my team and to all the mothers who, like me, left home early, leaving our little part of people sleeping, may God give us strength to fight every day, I remain firm on the front line .

“To my daughter and my mother, I would like to say that, even with a heavy heart and fear of everything that is happening, I need to leave them safe at home and attend to other people who need me. We will be able to celebrate this date another day, or every other day”, says nurse Graciela.

In times of isolation, it is not so much effort to be productive: