Oregon nurse put on COVID-19 mask leave TikTok

On November 27, Oregon reported more than 820 new cases of the coronavirus, pushing the state’s cumulative total to over 70,800. On the same day, a Salem Health oncology nurse posted a contemptuous video on TikTok, in which she bragged about in all the ways she defies directives implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Through New York Times, the nurse – who has not been named publicly – has since been placed on administrative leave, pending an internal investigation.

Although the nurse’s account has since disappeared from the platform, the controversial video has been preserved by many TikTok users who have found it reprehensible. “When my coworkers find out I’m still traveling, don’t wear a mask when I’m away and let my kids have play dates,” reads a text that appears at the start of the video, in which she puts on scrubs and a stethoscope in what appears to be a medical facility. She then begins lip-syncing with an audio clip of How the Grinch stole Christmas, who plays in the background, obviously to compare himself to the central character of the film.

While many COVID skeptics and other reckless individuals have taken to social media to show how they each flout the coronavirus guidelines, it’s rare for the provocateur to be someone who works in the medical industry and treats immunocompromised patients. The video, as expected, quickly drew anger from audiences, some of whom alerted Salem Health to its existence. Just a day after it was uploaded, Salem Health condemned the video in a statement, denouncing the nurse’s “cavalier disregard for the severity of this pandemic and her indifference to physical distancing and masking outside of work. The nurse “does not speak for Salem Health ”, assures the press release before relaying that the nurse was put on administrative leave pending an investigation.

But the notice of the nurse’s change in employment status was not greeted with much relief. Instead, according to a quick scan of the more than 1,000 comments under Salem Health’s Facebook post on the TikTok video, many believe the punishment is too lenient and have called on the hospital to fire her immediately. “As a cancer fighter, I can only imagine how his patients feel after seeing this news,” one comment read. Another person disputed the need for an investigation, calling the TikTok video “enough evidence.” Even some people who say they have loved ones undergoing cancer treatment at Salem Health filled out the comments section: wrote a woman whose mother-in-law is apparently a cancer patient in the hospital: “I have a little desire to vomit.