[Lost 2 Years] "Frequent COVID Tests Until 3rd Dose... Nasal Condition Not Good"

Caregivers and Medical Staff Struggles
Burnout Due to Staff Rotation
Even Medical Staff Find It Difficult to Follow Guidelines

Anchunja An, Head of Nursing Care Team, Carnation Nursing Hospital

[Asia Economy Reporters Sojeong Seo, Daehyun Kim] "Before receiving the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, I frequently underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, and my nose was in bad shape."

Chunja An (58, female), head of the caregiving team at Carnation Nursing Hospital, shook her head recalling the time when breakthrough infections surged in nursing hospitals. An said, "Whenever a COVID-19 case occurred within the nursing hospital, we worried it would spread into a cluster infection, so we had to undergo PCR tests almost daily, which was very exhausting."

While PCR testing was not mandatory for those who had received the third dose, individuals with only two doses had to confirm negative results through PCR tests twice a week. Until the hospital administered the third dose collectively on the 19th of last month, it was a difficult period. She canceled all personal appointments. An said, "Even on weekends, just in case, I avoided all private gatherings and did not take any vacation this year," adding, "I think I hardly saw my friends around me."

In charge of the intensive care unit, An explained, "For critical patients, caregivers have a demanding and important role, such as repositioning them every 2 to 3 hours and providing porridge-type meals through nasal tubes." She added, "If COVID-19 spreads in nursing hospitals where many elderly bedridden patients reside, the hardships for caregivers will inevitably increase."

An still feels emotional when thinking about patients who could not properly say their final goodbyes to their families due to the ban on face-to-face and physical visits during the severe COVID-19 situation. "There are many things families want to share at the time of passing, but due to COVID-19, they could only share a brief last moment, which was heartbreaking," she said. "It must have been an even harder time for families who usually could not meet their parents often."

Now, as the COVID-19 crisis approaches its second year, An’s greatest wish is to visit her hometown and meet her family. She said, "Most caregivers working in nursing hospitals are ethnic Koreans from China," and added, "For two years, I have not been able to visit China due to infection concerns, but I want COVID-19 to end soon so I can step on my hometown soil again."

◆ Guidelines that change frequently are not properly communicated = Minseop Choi (30, male, pseudonym), a public health doctor working at a health center in Chungbuk, was seconded to a vaccination center from late April until recently. He said, "Early in my deployment at the center, a middle-aged man who had completed vaccination returned home complaining of hemiplegia and decreased motor function in his limbs. When we laid him on the bed and checked, his muscle strength and sensation were clearly diminished. The guidelines and center staff available at the time were insufficient to respond, so we called 119 and sent him to a large hospital." Various complaints continued afterward. Regardless of gender or age, people reported allergies, anxiety, dizziness, and breathing difficulties.

The problem was the frequently changing quarantine and vaccination-related guidelines. Choi pointed out, "Most symptoms were general, and severe reactions like anaphylaxis (severe systemic allergic reaction) usually appeared within 15 minutes at the center, so I thought on-site response was manageable. However, the constant changes in guidelines caused confusion." He added, "Even medical staff found it difficult to keep up with the updated guidelines, making response challenging. There were times when the 1339 infectious disease specialist call center staff and general hospitals or clinics could not respond properly each time the guidelines changed, causing work paralysis."

‘Rotating personnel’ is also a chronic problem in COVID-19 medical sites at health centers. Choi said, "All centers operate by pulling existing health center staff, causing gaps in each staff member’s original health center duties, which was frustrating." He explained, "Issuance of health certificates, general medical care for pregnant women, blood tests, and other tasks all stopped, leading to significant complaints from general citizens." Choi stated, "Not only vaccination centers but also screening teams, epidemiological investigation teams, and home treatment teams had colleagues seconded from health centers who continuously faced limits," and added, "It would be good if authorities could find and support solutions to improve field issues, such as introducing electronic questionnaires."