King winter and Covid
There was ice on the cars this morning. All of a sudden it was dark and cold and the ice was there. The air felt thin and dry. It was the start of winter. But winter is going to be so damn long. Winter had no interest in moving on as fast as possible this year
There was a new press conference this week about new Covid measures which are taken as of per direct in Holland. The measures are tightening up for the next two weeks at least to flatten the curve. For a lot of people this is hard to digest because the daily amount of infections is decreasing. But when you look at how it is in the hospitals that is the main thing that makes these measures happen. The hospital admissions in general but also the ICU admissions always come with a delay compared the amount of contaminations outside. So although it looks like the amount of contaminations is decreasing (which is the deal) the hospital admissions might still rise and continue to do so for over the next couple of weeks.
We had a lot of ER’s closing their doors over the last couple of weeks. This is because the house is full. No room for admissions anymore. And that is what people should realize. That if you fall and break your leg, you can not be treated. If you have an appendicitis, you can not be treated. If you find a lump in you breast, you can not be treated. The house is just full. They can not kick people out who are already sick on a bed. Full is just full in this way. And that is why the measures are tightened. Not because everybody wants the economy to collapse. Just because if you break your finger, you can not have an xray taken for it.
I was talking with my colleagues the other day about our ICU days and the stories we all have experienced there. One of the older ladies of the shift initiated this very naturally with sharing something which had moved her. Then almost everyone had some stories about shit that had hurt them with our patients which mostly had the factor ‘family wasn’t able to say goodbye’ in there. That was the ugly there in the first wave, which thankfully is different now, now more visitors are allowed in hospitals and elderly homes. I find that good. Not a walk in and walk out hour, but the option to have the loved ones around when someone is dying. It is not too much to ask.
People are longing to go outside, and Spring feels so far away. And who knows Spring might be the beginning of the third wave. It just might go to crap and yes….we don’t know if it will or will not. And that is okay. We need to let it be okay.
I blew little clouds on my bicycle because of how cold it was. The leaves were red and orange on the trees. Would there be ice on the canal already or is that wishful thinking? I wish I could climb in my bed again for a bit.