Corona War Zone

By: Fong Nie, Xiu Wei, Wanah & Shu Min

Maria is a nurse who has
been working for 5 years in
a hospital located in Sabah.

She served in a surgical

department, helping the
doctors in giving emergency
treatment such as giving
intubation to the patients
in need and nursing them
back to health.

She is passionate about

her job and enjoys helping
people.
In January 2020, reports of the
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
outbreak in Wuhan, China reached Maria
and her colleagues.

Since it was their first time hearing

about it, the severity of the disease
was rather vague at that time.

Looking at the grim situation in China,

they could only pray that the pandemic
would come to an end soon.
Not long after, the virus hit
Malaysia. The first case of
COVID-19 in Malaysia was
detected and confirmed.

Various reports of the virus

being highly contagious and
its global impact had
triggered anxiety and
concern among her
colleagues, including Maria.

Once the WHO declared a public health emergency, the

Malaysian Ministry of Health immediately devised
standard guidelines for the management of COVID-19.
The citizens were urged to obey the Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP).
March 2020 was the most unforgiven months
in Maria’s life as the first COVID-19 patient
was admitted to the hospital she is serving.
Soon, she was notified that she would be
shifted to another department which was
in charge of COVID-19 cases.
The news came like a bolt from
the blue.

She was devastated by

the sudden notice and was
reluctant to accept the
offer due to fears of
transmission and infection. However, as most of her family members were
Her mind was spewing also medical officers, they encouraged her to
with negative thoughts. accept it as not only a challenge in her career but
a way to overcome her fear.
Determined to carry out her
duty in the fight against
COVID-19, she reported at
the new department two
days later.

The head of the department

briefed them about the
infection prevention measures.
Maria and all the other
nurses and medical officers
were briefed and taught on
how to wear the Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE).
Wearing the PPE was such a pain in the neck as it involved many steps. She could never forget how
uncomfortable it was. Maria needed to learn and make it her new work routine to identify and gather the
proper PPE for herself. Besides, she needed to always remember to sanitise her hands before touching
the PPE.

She also needed to wear the isolation gown, face mask, face shield and put on a pair of gloves before she could enter
the COVID-19 ward to start her routine. Wearing the PPE was not only a hassle but so was removing it. Maria
needed to remove her PPE one by one carefully, place it in the designated disposal area and shower thoroughly before
she was allowed to change into her daily clothes and carry herself in public.
At first, she was struggling to adapt and
adjust to the new working environment.
Wearing PPE was a torture as it caused
inconveniences.

Due to insufficient medical supplies, Maria

and other medical officers were given only
one set of PPE each. Therefore, they were
not allowed to drink water or go to the
washroom while they were on duty.
The first week was chaotic.

They were busy familiarising themselves with the

assessment of COVID-19 patients and the new
working norm, which would often lead to burnout.

Thus, it was important for everyone working on the

frontline to support each other mentally and
physically. Maria was grateful to have supportive
and helpful team members.

During break time, she would video-call her family

members. Even though she had a hard time
adjusting at work, she only shared the good news
with her family to lessen their worries.
One day, a new case was reported and she was assigned to an advanced stage of COVID-19
patient. The patient suffered from diabetes and Hyperparathyroidism (HPT). Maria was
petrified as the previous records had shown that COVID-19 patients who suffered from a
severe illness had a very slim chance of surviving. She prayed hard and did her best to treat
the patient without demotivating herself.

Thankfully, the patient recovered

well and was discharged after 14
days of treatment and isolation.
Seeing the smile of her patient
while leaving the ward, she noticed
how much her effort and hard
work had made a difference in a
person’s life.
Not long after, when she thought she had seen it all, a
new case came across her unit whereby a maternity nurse
contracted the virus from one of the patients. All the
staff and patients there were quarantined to control the
spread. Her heart broke into a million pieces looking at all
the innocent newborns who might be in danger.

Maria and her colleagues knew they couldn’t blame anyone

for the misfortune as this evil virus does not discriminate.
They realised to combat this emergency at their hospital
they needed to pick themselves up and to KEEP
FIGHTING.
 The maternity ward was secluded so that no one was allowed to enter. Although it was hard
to refuse some mothers who were delivering their babies, Maria and her colleagues had to
keep a strong heart for the greater good.

After weeks of working tirelessly, their tenacity had led to an unbelievable outcome. The infected
occupants of the maternity ward were fully recovered and discharged. Maria expressed her
deepest gratitude to the Almighty as all the babies, specifically, were saved from any harm.
Despite all her effort and selfnessness, Maria had to deal
with social stigma and was also ostracised by her
community. Some residents from her neighbourhood
showed negative attitudes towards her. Although she
completely understood their attitude to be very cautious
around her, being rejected and excluded had taken a toll
on her mental health.
Netizens, on the other hand, would flood the frontliners’, especially doctors and nurses,
comment sections with warm messages and words of encouragement. They were very
touched to see how much the netizens appreciated their sacrifices and expressed it in
different ways. It was truly a heartwarming gesture.
After a few months, the pandemic was finally under control.
Despite feeling relieved by the news; Maria, as well as her
colleagues knew there was no room for slacking especially in these
dire times. They were glad to see patients recovering and
getting discharged. They never stopped hoping and praying for
the pandemic to end.

One of the most significant memories she would

always hold dear to her heart was how the pandemic
united everyone. Even though everyone had to keep
their physical distance from each other, Maria knew it
had only brought them closer than ever.

Throughout the COVID-19 adversity, Maria learned

to cherish every single moment with those she loved
at every stage of her journey.
The End
 GLOSSARY
1) Surgical department – A room or department where surgery is performed.

2) Intubation – A process of inserting a tube through the mouth into the airway to assist breathing.

3) COVID-19 – Stands for Coronavirus disease. An infectious disease caused by a newly discovered
coronavirus in 2019.

4) Pandemic – A disease that spreads over a whole country or world.

5) Contagious – Easily diffused or spread from one to another.

6) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) – A set of step-by-step instructions that tell you what to
follow within an organisation.

7) World Health Organisation (WHO) – An international organisation that focuses on world health
issues.

8) Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) – It is used to keep workers safe in different industries.

9) Hyperparathyroidism (HPT) – A hormonal disorder when one or more of your four parathyroid
glands become enlarged and causing production of excessive amounts of parathyroid hormone.