On October 20th, the healthcare community was struck with devastating news of the untimely death of two frontline workers in Dallas, Texas. Adeline Fagan, a 28-year-old Houston native and OB/GYN resident, and Kristin Smart, a 46-year-old patient care technician, both lost their lives to COVID-19.
The recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the country has yet again exposed the grim reality that healthcare workers are on the front lines of this pandemic, risking their own lives to save others. As of November, over 1,700 healthcare workers have died from COVID-19, with the majority occurring among women and people of color.
Adeline Fagan’s story highlights the ongoing challenges healthcare professionals face in the battle against COVID-19. As an OB/GYN resident, Adeline was already acutely aware of the dangers of infectious diseases. Still, she chose to put her personal safety aside to care for patients during the pandemic. Unfortunately, Adeline ultimately contracted COVID-19 and suffered a respiratory infection, leading to her death on September 19th.
Similarly, Kristin Smart was a patient care technician at the Baylor University Medical Center, where she worked for six years. Smart’s colleagues described her as an essential member of the hospital team, someone who always had a positive outlook and was committed to her work in patient care. Kristin tested positive for COVID-19 in July and was hospitalized soon after. Despite her colleagues’ and loved ones’ desperate attempts to get her a plasma donation, she passed away on October 12th.
These heartbreaking stories bring to light several critical issues and challenges that healthcare workers face in the ongoing pandemic. Some key takeaways from these tragedies are:
1. The importance of PPE: Despite the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), many healthcare workers do not have access to adequate PPE, putting themselves and their patients at risk.
2. Support for healthcare workers: Healthcare professionals are under immense stress and need access to mental health resources and support to cope with the pandemic’s emotional toll.
3. Government action: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the urgent need for government action to address the systemic problems that have contributed to so many healthcare worker deaths.
In conclusion, the deaths of Adeline Fagan and Kristin Smart are a tragic reminder of the risks healthcare workers face every day as they fight to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their stories underscore the critical importance of PPE, mental health support for healthcare workers, and government action to address systemic issues. As a society, it is our duty to honor and remember the sacrifices of frontline workers and to do everything we can to support them in their critical work.
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