Pros and Cons of Covid-19: A

Tale of Two Sides

June 9, 2020
Feature Article

Pros Cons

Kamala P. Tamirisa, MD, Jennifer Co-Vu, MD, FACC

FACC
"Rain
falling
slow,
down
the
roofs of
This site uses cookies to improve your experience.
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
uncertainty."
OK
 "Look for a break in the COVID-19 has put millions
clouds." on the edge, and everyone
was suddenly placed in a
Covid-19 has brought state of emergency. I
the world to a grinding thought I was resilient: my
halt. It has left a trail family is good, sheltered at
of tears and home and healthy. Having
uncertainty. On a endured a massive
personal level, our earthquake, volcano
family lost someone we eruption, typhoons and
loved dearly. His lonely hurricanes, I thought this
passing without final will not be as bad. One
goodbyes was tough to week passed, then two,
endure. Despite this, I three, then eight... my
continue to tread on optimism slowly began to
the path of realistic fade away as it became
optimism and positive harder to stay positive. Here
resilience. Mind you, I are my thoughts on "Cons
am not a psychologist. of the COVID-19 story."
I am a cardiologist. I
use these terms loosely
as I pen my thoughts
on "Pros of the Covid-
19 story" for the ACC
WIC Section.

As a Mother As a Mother

Creativity: With Confusion: With the

schools closed, the sudden closure of
clock is not running schools, most parents
my children's lives were at a loss and ill-
anymore. Lack of prepared, now forced to
regimented routine homeschool our
has left room for children. There has been
expressiveness and a steep learning curve
This site uses cookies to improve youringenuity experience. – music for the students,
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookieproduction, creating
Policy, Privacy Policy teachers and parents on
and Terms of Service.
art and OK exploring how to navigate the new
 online coding. Kids world of "virtual
are relishing non- learning."
curriculum books Double-double: In most
without the households, women bear
pressure of time. most of the
Self-discipline: My responsibility of keeping
children have taken the house in order.
structure into their Never has it been more
own hands by self- magnified than during
made daily this pandemic. Even in
calendars with most dual-physician
study, exercise and households, women
game times. It has carry the brunt of the
been uplifting to household work and the
see this early logistics of everyday
maturity! homeschooling, grocery
Family time and shopping, etc. on top of
responsibility: being on the frontlines.
Flexibility has Lack of support: As
allowed time for schools and daycares
family movies, closed, most health care
board games, help workers were still
with chores and expected to report to
taking on work. Grandparents who
responsibility in our helped with childcare
dual-physician were suddenly out of the
household (helping equation as we try to
elderly limit their exposure.
grandparents or Babysitters were
younger siblings). reluctant to come due to
the same fear of
exposure. Most were
then left with the stress
of straddling between
clinical schedules and
childcare/homeschooling.
This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Fear and Worry: Most
health care workers'
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

OK biggest fear: bringing

 coronavirus home. I
began wearing scrubs
and started the new
ritual of removing
clothes in the laundry
room, followed by
heading straight to the
shower for a thorough
"decontamination."
Worried children have
been continually
reassured that we take
precautions so we do
not get infected or
expose our family.

As a Physician As a Physician

Adaptability: We, Uncertainty:  Physicians

as physicians, have around the world turned
shown the world to each other on how to
that we are best manage a novel
malleable and virus. What is the clinical
adaptable. I am course? Spread? Most
proud to see that vulnerable population?
we have stepped Normally, questions like
out of our comfort these were answered by
zones to manage random clinical trials or
ventilators, meta-analyses, but in
volunteer in the brink of a pandemic,
emergency we now have a disease
departments and with no known
ICUs. We also treatment. All
adapted quickly to treatments are trial-and-
fluid policies and error. CDC changed
schedules as they recommendations
This site uses cookies to improve yourevolved. experience. almost every other day.
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Interface: Never in For most physicians
medicine have we
OK came this challenge:
 seen such an "Are we trained enough
extensive exchange to function in
of scientific uncertainty?" Physicians
dialogue across were learning as they go,
fields. Everyone and not being able to
joined hands, with offer definitive plans for
one goal, to patients is extremely
alleviate suffering distressing.
by empowering Shortages: The media
each other has used war metaphors
intellectually while to portray the medical
fulfilling our duties community's pandemic
with empathy. fight, in the light of PPE
Telemedicine: shortage. We were
Covid-19 gave us no "soldiers going to war
choice but to unarmed" as we reuse
enforce social our masks and have
distancing. This inadequate PPE. There
opened new were shortages of
avenues for us to COVID-19 testing kits,
continue to provide and even health care
care for our workers who were
patients through exposed could not get
virtual medicine. tested. Hospitals
Increased efficiency, eventually realized how
convenience and ill-prepared they were
minimizing with shortages of
exposure to COVID- ventilators, beds, and
19 have been the personnel.
highlights of Triaging: In most states,
telemedicine. The hospitals were
forgotten art of mandated to halt
taking a detailed elective procedures and
health history, to clinic visits during the
form a diagnosis, initial weeks. Balancing
has been refreshed. benefit vs. risk of any
This site uses cookies to improve yourRelaxation experience.of procedure or visit to
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookiegovernment prevent further health
Policy, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
regulations OK for decline had become a
 billing have helped stressful day to day task
to ensure patient among physicians. 
care while keeping Deaths and Anxiety: By
practices afloat. the time this pandemic
Triaging: With is over, it has been said
limited resources that most everyone will
and PPE, we have know someone who has
become experts at been infected or died of
reallocation of COVID-19.  I have three
resources and friends who got infected
patient triaging by and recovered, but I also
categorizing had a medical school
procedures as classmate and several
elective, urgent and mentors who died from
emergent. We have COVID-19. Yet another
taken a step back, crisis is looming as more
to question if the health care workers
procedure or test is suffer from PTSD,
really necessary or depression and anxiety,
not. I hope, even which has sparked a rise
after the pandemic, in suicide rates. Due to
we continue to these deaths, a lot of
approach the U.S. health care workers have
health care system thought about their own
with "need driven mortality and started or
care," instead of updated their wills.
"revenue driven Lack of Academic
care." Productivity:  As the
Time for science amount of research on
and self:  The down COVID-19 increase
time has allowed exponentially, reports
physicians more show that women are
time for writing, not as academically
publishing, reading productive as our male
scientific and counterparts. Women's
nonmedical books, research productivity has
This site uses cookies to improve yourasexperience. well as pursue taken a backseat, likely
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookiehobbies including
Policy, Privacy due to managing both
Policy and Terms of Service.

OK clinical work and

 yoga, exercise, art maintaining the
and music. household.
Financial: The pandemic
has also catalyzed a
rapid economic collapse.
Most hospitals were not
immune to this financial
downturn, as most
elective procedures,
admissions and clinic
visits were halted.
Physicians and other
health care workers
experienced pay cuts
and staff were
furloughed or laid off.

As a Fellow Human As a Fellow Human Being

Being
Anger: Conspiracy
Kindness: The theorists started coming
global suffering has out as quick as this
led to introspection pandemic screaming,
– being kind to "It's all fake!" These
ourselves and "Coronavirus Deniers"
others and think this pandemic is a
encouraging us to hoax and have total
build bridges across disregard for social
geographical distancing. As most
barriers. We are people quarantined at
more sensitive to home (and inexplicably
others' difficulties hoard toilet paper),
because we are all these people continue to
in the same boat. spread misinformation,
Setting up mental angering a lot of health
health support care workers who
This site uses cookies to improve yourgroups, experience.talking sacrifice their lives and
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
openly about PTSD, their family.
stress, making
OK
 masks and Social Isolation: "Man is
volunteering to help by nature a social
in hot spot areas animal." With the
are some of the necessary social
kind gestures that distancing comes its
sprouted out of this more nefarious cousin,
shared suffering. social isolation. I must
Humility: The admit, I miss my family
philosophical side and friends. I miss
of life is the traveling and eating out.
grounding patch. This necessary, but still
Humans are not unusual, new reality can
indestructible and affect most people and
life is could trigger PTSD,
unpredictable. The anxiety, fear, substance
pandemic has made abuse and loneliness. 
these distant Disappointment: This
statements crystal pandemic demanded a
clear for us. We coordinated nationwide,
learned that nature if not worldwide,
should not be taken approach. With all the
for granted. Nobody uncertainties, the lack of
would have direction and necessary
predicted six leadership has become
months ago that more apparent, resulting
the world will grind in increasing deaths and
to a halt at the failure to truly "flatten
power of a virus in the curve."
this day and age Sadness: Seeing how
when mankind is fragile this world has
proud of its become in the hands of
conquest over a deadly virus, the world
nature. Remaining will never be the same
humble keeps us on even after this vicious
our guard without enemy retreat. All the
living a reckless life deaths, loss of income,
This site uses cookies to improve your– experience. to not overstep economic downfall,
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookienatural boundaries.
Policy, Privacy global suffering and the
Policy and Terms of Service.

OK
 Financial: With the uncertain future has left
economic pressure, us... lost.      
we have learned the
value of prudence
with finances and
savings. "Save for
the rainy day" is a
timely proverb for
these times. Also, it
has opened people's
hearts to pursue
philanthropy.
Advocacy:
Demographics have
highlighted racial
and economic
disparities in
COVID-19 survival
and outcomes,
giving us yet
another reason to
be instruments for
change towards
equality. Sometimes
health care policies
felt like they did not
adequately reflect
physician scientific
views. The
pandemic has
reiterated the need
for physicians to
have a stronger
voice in health care
policies instead of
being silent
This site uses cookies to improve yourspectators. experience.
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our CookieRenewed
Policy, PrivacyRespect.
Policy and Terms of Service.
The world OK at large
 has recognized the
selfless service of
health care workers
during these dire
times. While we are
not craving for
laurels, gratitude
kindles the service
spirit.

"Sometimes it is hard to "Humankind is made for

see the hidden sunshine uncertainty, struggle, choice
behind the dark clouds. and change."
But, with firm conviction
of hope, faith and time,
the sunshine will
brighten the World all
over again!"

 Tweet #AC…

© 2022 American College of Cardiology Foundation. All rights reserved.

This site uses cookies to improve your experience.

By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

OK