I laughed. Today, that's the norm.
After the virus was closing in closer and closer to Western New York and we knew that it would soon hit my hometown, it soon became required of us to wear masks to work. Then came fear. Every day that I worked, I walked in terrified. My entire family was young and healthy with no conditions of concern, but I wasn't worried about myself. I was worried about the sick, elderly patients that walked into the pharmacy doors every day. The idea of people having the virus and be asymptomatic was just coming out at this point and I feared that I would unknowingly contract the virus and pass it on to those who would not survive. It was difficult walking into work every day knowing that I might have to live with unthinkable guilt for the rest of my life. I took as many precautions as possible washing my hands frequently and trying not to come into direct contact with customers.
Regardless, it was still my hands touching their pills and the one to check them out at the cash register. I also saw the fear in their eyes. Normally bubbly, friendly people stopped talking to me and looked at me like I was the Grim Reaper. Most vividly, I remember an old woman coming in trembling in fear and rushed out of there as soon as possible. We soon implemented a curbside pickup service so customers no longer had to leave their cars in the parking lot to come in.
Still, fear remained and I questioned whether I truly should continue working or not. I knew that older generations were relying on mine to continue to provide services and that the pharmacy needed me since staffing was tight, so I did what was needed of me and I continued to work. Luckily, the virus stopped spreading as rapidly and restrictions started loosening giving our patients and staff a better peace of mind. By the time I left for school in August, customers started talking more, showed less reluctance to stand near me, and glistened with hope for better days.
I'm proud to have continued working during a pandemic and even happier to see people be themselves again. I also think about those who have worked even more head-on with the virus such as doctors and nurses in hospitals who are responsible for treating positive patients. Many of them did not have access to proper personal protective equipment and had to expose themselves to the virus at work every day in order to help others. I have the utmost respect for those who risked their own health, even leading to their own death, to improve others'.
Below is an attached article giving the names of healthcare workers who died during the pandemic, courageously serving their communities. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/927976
