Moon Township, Pa. - When news of the impending COVID-19 pandemic first started to take effect in the United States about six weeks ago, there was much initial fear about the vulnerability of both the elderly as well as young children, the two demographics of people that are usually most adversely affected by respiratory diseases such as the Coronavirus.
And while concerns about the former have unfortunately proven valid, the disease appears, at least temporarily, to have spared younger members of the country by-in-large.
Nobody understands this dynamic more than RMU lacrosse alum Dana Davis, who currently works as a nurse at the Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina and encounters the challenges presented by the current situation every day.
"It's been really weird, and we honestly don't really know yet why it hasn't affected kids as much," Davis said. "I think the thought is that children are maybe more likely to be a-symptomatic carriers, and the symptoms that they due get are very mild. It's not as damaging to their lungs as it seems to be to the older population."
While the stronger-than-expected immunity of children to COVID has lessened the demands somewhat on the medical community currently trying to see the public through the epidemic, it has also uncovered somewhat of a paradox in the way people are currently viewing public health.
With all the focus on COVID-19, some have seemingly forgotten that the existence of other diseases and illness that require round the clock medical care have not gone away. Now more than ever, nurses like Dana are faced with tough challenges that effect their patients as well, even if they are not directly infected with the virus.
Working in a medical observation unit, Davis sees patients with conditions ranging from appendicitis to the most serious respiratory illnesses. For Davis, not being able to give these patients the same comforts they're used to has been one of the toughest parts of her job.
"It's definitely been more challenging in pediatrics because we've had to limit visitors," Davis said. "Having to tell people that they can't see their siblings, or that only one parent can visit their child at a time, or telling a teenager that none of their friends can visit. You're just sort of stuck in four walls, and it's a lot harder for some of them to cope with these new restrictions."
Still, Davis hasn't lost perspective of the situation at large. When news of the New York City metro area being hit hardest started to emerge, Davis immediately contacted friend and former teammate Kerri Sayrafe, who works as an ICU nurse on Long Island.
It's just the latest example of the shared bond many of RMU's nursing alumni have come to bond over long after their bond on the field ended.
"We text each other just to make sure she's keeping her head up, check and see if she needs anything," Davis said. "It's a sad time, but I know what she's going through and I wanted to reach out."
