By Kate Hamilton, Staff Writer
As COVID-19 makes its presence known on the Outer Banks, residents are working hard to minimize the risk of getting infected and spreading the disease. While many are aiding the cause by strictly following the guidelines set by Dare County Emergency Management, there is another group of people who can’t practice social distancing during these difficult times: the Outer Banks medical community.
Every day in the medical field, there is an opportunity to learn something new. Medical professionals are constantly learning to adjust and problem-solve to help the people in their community. While many might say they don’t enjoy each and every day of their job, they couldn’t see themselves doing anything else. This opinion is shared by Summer Carver, a registered nurse (RN) in the Emergency Department at the Outer Banks Hospital.
“I have always loved my job. Working in the Emergency Department is the only thing I would ever want to do,” Carver said.
Working in the medical field brings many responsibilities and duties. During a pandemic, guidelines change frequently, so accepting change and adapting to the new procedures becomes part of the job. As the new cases of COVID-19 are announced, Jennifer Allen, the Director of Ambulatory Operations for the Outer Banks Medical Group, has had no problem with changes in procedures.
“They change almost every day as we learn new information and we make adjustments accordingly,” Allen said.
While many in the community are taking precautions to prevent the spread of the virus around the beach, medical professionals are deeply concerned about putting the well-being of their loved ones at risk.
“I no longer wear my scrubs home,” Carver said. “My work shoes never enter my house and I go straight to the shower upon arriving home. The fear is definitely there, that I could possibly bring this home to my family, and that is the scariest part.”
As the parents in the medical field are working hard to prevent the exposure of their children and their spouses to COVID-19, their loved ones are just as worried about them. The fear is there for sophomore Lauren Hughes: Her mother, Brande Hughes, is an RN who does home health and works at OBX Urgent Care.
“I am proud of her for all of the hard work and dedication that she is putting into her job, but my entire family is worried that she is going to get sick,” Lauren said. “My biggest fear is something bad happening to my mom and we are all just hoping that she doesn’t get this virus since no one really knows what to do for it yet.”
As the virus continues to spread, medical professionals stress the importance of listening to guidelines about hand washing, leaving home only for essential reasons and limiting contact with others.
“My advice is to please listen and understand that things may be tough for a few months, but we can get over this quicker if we just abide by the rules that our government is putting in place,” Carver said, “Shelter in place, only go out for necessities. Avoid gatherings. Wash your hands a lot. The death toll is rising and we need to really be smart in our decisions we are making right now.”
While it’s not known when social distancing guidelines will be lifted, when school and jobs and tourism will resume, there is hope for a weakening of the virus, effective treatment and a COVID-19 vaccine. This is what Public Health Nurse II at Dare County Health Department Irina Langanke aspires for.
“Vaccinations have helped eliminate and reduce many diseases. Although vaccine development is a long process, I’m hoping that one day we will be able to protect our community by offering a coronavirus vaccine,” Langanke said.
Sophomore Kate Hamilton can be reached at 22HamiltonKa86@daretolearn.org.
