A doctor’s story of unvaccinated COVID patients

Dr Brytney Cobia has worked to keep everyone healthy during the pandemic. Now that there are three different vaccines available in the United States, many of us are already vaccinated and are returning to the real world. But there are some who refuse to be vaccinated, and if they put us all in danger, they also put themselves at great risk and not always realizing that they have been misled until it is too late.

Cobia took to social media to share her story about her current patients and the difference between them – mainly that only one was vaccinated and was doing well, aside from needing a little oxygen to help them get through. COVID, compared to unvaccinated patients who died or struggled to stay alive.

“I am admitting healthy young people with very serious COVID infections to the hospital,” Cobiain wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. “One of the last things they do before they are intubated is begging me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them I’m sorry, but it’s too late. A few days later, when I call the time of death, I hug their family members and tell them that the best way to honor their loved one is to go get the shot and encourage everyone they know to do the same.

Before this spring, a story like this would have been a source of anxiety for many of us, mainly because we didn’t know what was going to happen or how to avoid catching COVID when everyone seemed to be taking a breather. the warnings of those in charge. Now, with a vaccine on hand and many of us already vaccinated, hearing about everyone admitted to the hospital can be scary until you see if they’ve been vaccinated or not. And as Cobia pointed out, almost all of the people hospitalized have not received their vaccine.

Why not get vaccinated when they are available to you? Some are unduly hesitant because of the rampant amount of misinformation that exists. Others may worry about the very real racial health inequalities that have permeated our medical system.

While some might think, “Well, I’ve got mine”, it’s not that simple. There are some with young children who cannot yet get the vaccine, and there are rare instances where someone who has been vaccinated has always contracted COVID (just a less serious infection), as vaccines are known to be less than 100% effective, but the point is, we are not out of this pandemic yet.

Cobia spoke with AL.com and went further into how that ‘well’ feeling changes when she sees her patients and the regret they feel about not getting the vaccine when they can:

“You start thinking, thinking, ‘Okay, I’m not going to feel bad for this person because they are making their own choice. But then you actually see them, you see them face to face, and it really changes your whole perspective, because they’re still just a person who thinks they’ve made the best decision they can with the information they have. , and all the misinformation going around. And now all you really see is their fear and regret. And even though I can walk into the room thinking, “Okay, it’s your fault you did this to yourself”, when I leave the room I just see a person who is really in pain, and that is so unfortunate for the choice they made. “

Don’t wait and take the risk. Don’t put others at risk. Get the vaccine. Take care of yourself and those around you.

(image: Léon Neal / Getty Images)

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