Nurses in Ireland worry that health issues will persist even if COVID pandemic ends

DUBLIN: Nurses and health workers in Ireland express the concern that even if the COVID pandemic ends, there will be no immediate recovery from COVID trauma.

Many health workers, including nurses, are still suffering from the impacts of COVID-19. Since March, more than 11,300 health workers have been infected with the virus in Ireland. Of these, most have returned to work and normal life after recovering from COVID-19, but some still suffer from COVID-related health problems.

One nurse said that even after seven months of COVID-19 confirmation, she had not yet returned to work. She said she was unable to walk easily due to chronic fatigue and had to deal with a condition called “brain fog”. She became COVID-positive in April while working in the COVID-19 ward at a hospital in Leinster.

The nurse, who is under the age of 20, was healthy with no underlying medical conditions before she tested positive for Covid-19. “Working on a COVID ward is the most stressful thing I have ever done. People were so sick and getting sicker so quickly. It was like a war-zone,” she said.

She had been in self-isolation at home for three weeks after realising that there were people who were much worse affected by COVID-19 than her. “I still have fatigue. It feels like I ran a marathon yesterday. I get palpations a lot. Anytime I walk or get dressed, my heart-rate rises. I have to take an inhaler now for the breathlessness and I get this mind fog,” she said.

She is also worried about whether she will be able to return to work due to her subsequent health issues following COVID-19.

Many such health workers are still struggling with the health problems that come with the COVID pandemic. At the same time, the HSE does not have accurate statistics on the number of health care workers who suffer the consequences of COVID-19.

But Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the INMO, said many health workers, including nurses, have been out of work for months following COVID-19 health problems.

“Sadly this is not an uncommon story. Over 11,000 healthcare workers in Ireland have tested positive for Covid-19. Many face long-term or ongoing symptoms. They range from migraines and fatigue, to ongoing cardiac complications.”

“For now, special Covid-19 leave is being used to support them. But even once the pandemic passes, many will still face issues. They need assistance, whether it’s supporting a return to work or at the very least ensuring they do not face a loss of income or additional medical costs due to the virus.”

“Frontline nurses and midwives have given so much in the fight against Covid-19. They went to work to care for patients, and took on great risks. They must be supported, not abandoned,”Ms.  Ní Sheaghdha said.

At the same time, an HSE spokesperson said that health workers would be provided with stress management and psychosocial support as part of the employee assistance programme.